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Category: biotech/medical – Page 24

University of Toronto researchers have discovered nine new genes used by bacteria to protect themselves against phages—viruses that infect them.

In a study published in Nature Microbiology, the researchers describe how they used a combination of bioinformatics and laboratory testing—on sediment samples obtained from tanks at Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada—to identify the previously unknown defense genes.

The findings could have profound implications for the development of strategies to treat bacterial infections, particularly those that are drug resistant.

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“We have found a key to controlling the switching on and off of proteins by combining photochemistry and hydrolysis,” says KTH researcher Tove Kivijärvi.

When designing materials that aim to improve medicine, you need to be able to control the functions of the material in a very precise way. If this is achieved, cell environments similar to the human body can be created in the lab, which is important for understanding biological mechanisms, disease processes and how the body repairs itself. Biological materials can also be used to study how drugs work and to streamline drug testing and preclinical studies.

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Contact: Cara Martinez | Email: cara.martinez@cshs.org

Los Angeles — April 14, 2015 – An injection of stem cells into the eye may soon slow or reverse the effects of early-stage age-related macular degeneration, according to new research from scientists at Cedars-Sinai. Currently, there is no treatment that slows the progression of the disease, which is the leading cause of vision loss in people over 65.

“This is the first study to show preservation of vision after a single injection of induced neural progenitor stem cells into a AMD-like rat model for retinal degeneration,” said Shaomei Wang, MD, PhD, lead author of the study published in the journal STEM CELLS and a research scientist in the Eye Program at the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute.

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Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive and malignant brain tumor with a poor prognosis. Treatment options are limited, and the development of effective therapeutics is a major challenge. Here are some current and emerging therapeutic strategies for GBM:

Current Therapies 1. Surgery: Surgical resection is the primary treatment for GBM, aiming to remove as much of the tumor as possible. 2. Radiation Therapy: Radiation therapy is used to kill remaining tumor cells after surgery. 3. Temozolomide (TMZ): TMZ is a chemotherapy drug that is used to treat GBM, often in combination with radiation therapy. 4. Bevacizumab (Avastin): Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to inhibit angiogenesis.

Emerging Therapies 1. Immunotherapy: Immunotherapies, such as checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors) and cancer vaccines, aim to stimulate the immune system to attack GBM cells. 2. Targeted Therapies: Targeted therapies focus on specific molecular pathways involved in GBM, such as the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. 3. Gene Therapy: Gene therapies aim to introduce genes that can help kill GBM cells or inhibit tumor growth. 4. Oncolytic Viruses: Oncolytic viruses are engineered to selectively infect and kill GBM cells. 5. CAR-T Cell Therapy: CAR-T cell therapy involves genetically modifying T cells to recognize and attack GBM cells. 6. Small Molecule Inhibitors: Small molecule inhibitors target specific proteins involved in GBM, such as EGFR, PDGFR, and BRAF.

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Existing research indicates that the accuracy of a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis hovers between 55% and 78% in the first five years of assessment. That’s partly because Parkinson’s sibling movement disorders share similarities, sometimes making a definitive diagnosis initially difficult.

Although Parkinson’s disease is a well-recognized illness, the term can refer to a variety of conditions, ranging from idiopathic Parkinson’s, the most common type, to other like multiple system atrophy, a Parkinsonian variant; and progressive supranuclear palsy. Each shares motor and nonmotor features, like changes in gait, but possesses a distinct pathology and prognosis.

Roughly one in four patients, or even one in two patients, is misdiagnosed.

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A study from Tübingen University and the German Center for Diabetes Research reveals that the brain plays a crucial role in obesity and type 2 diabetes development. It shows that even a brief period of consuming high-calorie processed foods can significantly alter brain insulin sensitivity, a key factor in weight gain and metabolic disorders. The research demonstrated that insulin’s appetite-suppressing effect in the brain diminishes after a short-term high-calorie diet, leading to insulin resistance. These effects were observed in healthy participants, suggesting that dietary habits could influence brain function before any significant weight gain occurs. Further research is needed to understand the brain’s role in these conditions.

The number of obese persons has grown significantly in recent decades, which presents significant difficulties for those who are impacted, healthcare systems, and those who provide treatment. The hormone insulin plays a key role in the development of obesity. Up until recently, there have been numerous signs indicating insulin causes neurodegenerative and metabolic disorders, especially in the brain. A recent study by the University Hospital of Tübingen, the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), and Helmholtz Munich offers intriguing new insights into the origins of type 2 diabetes and obesity as well as the brain’s function as a critical control center.

Obesity has only been officially recognized as a disease in Germany since 2020, despite the fact that it has long been known to cause a number of illnesses, including diabetes, heart attacks, and even cancer. The World Health Organization has already declared obesity to be an epidemic, affecting over one billion individuals globally and almost 16 million in Germany alone. A body mass index of 30 or more is considered obese, and a poor diet and insufficient exercise are frequently cited as the causes of this chronic illness. However, the mechanisms in the body that lead to obesity and cause the disease are more complex.

Obesity and the role of insulin in the brain

Unhealthy body fat distribution and chronic weight gain are linked to the brain’s sensitivity to insulin. What specific functions does insulin perform in the brain, and how does it affect individuals of normal weight? In their study, Prof. Dr. Stephanie Kullmann and her colleagues at the Tübingen University Hospital for Diabetology, Endocrinology, and Nephrology found the answer to this query. “Our findings demonstrate for the first time that even a brief consumption of highly processed, unhealthy foods (such as chocolate bars and potato chips) causes a significant alteration in the brain of healthy individuals, which may be the initial cause of obesity and type 2 diabetes,” says Prof. Kullmann, the study’s leader. In a healthy state, insulin has an appetite-suppressing effect in the brain. However, in people with obesity in particular, insulin no longer regulates eating behavior properly, resulting in insulin resistance.

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Basically mushrooms can cure all major illnesses all over the human body and brain. If all the pharmaceutical companies got into business with Chinese medicine which has used mushrooms of all types we essentially have a no side effect system of 100 percent healing. Even the basic food pyramid has show essentially to prove beneficial to humans more than medicines. Also essentially nanotransfection for people that have lost limbs or lost any body part could in the future regenerate limbs similar to wolverine like in the marvel comics but at a slower pace but would heal anything while the mushrooms keep one well and fed. A lot of the American studies are a stop gap measure while mushrooms can cure things slowly but to 100 percent. Along with healthy eating and nanotransfection one could have all they need for any regeneration in the far future. In the future this technology and food could essentially allow for minimal down time healing inside and the foods would fuel the body. It could be put on a smartphone where even trillions of dollars would be saved getting doctor treatments down to a dollar or less for entire body scans and healing. It would be the first step towards Ironman but using the human body to heal itself and the foods to fuel regeneration.

The WHO has published the first list of priority fungal pathogens, which affect more than 300 million people and kill at least 1.5 million people every year. However, funding to control this scourge is less than 1.5% of that devoted to infectious diseases.

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