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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 1, 2022 at 9:33am

Genetics of longevity are influenced by both gender and age

A team of researchers reports evidence that the genetics of longevity are influenced by both gender and age. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their study of aging in mice and humans. A relevant  perspective piece  has also been published  in the same journal issue outlining the technical challenges to understanding how aging works and the work done by the team on this new effort.

Scientists have been studying the aging process for many years but still do not have a good explanation for why organisms age and why some live longer than others. In this new effort, the researchers wondered if something in the genome plays a role in how long a species lives on average.

Noting that another team had created a very large dataset of information regarding aging in nearly 3,000 mice, the researchers found that it also contained genetic information. After obtaining access to the database, they analyzed that genetic information—more specifically, they conducted quantitative trait locus mapping. They found multiple loci that they could associate with longevity, some that were specific to one or the other gender. They also found that mice who weighed more during their early years or who had small litter sizes tended to die younger. They suggest the same genes that were associated with aging may have also played a role in the other two traits. The researchers also found that the aging-related genes they isolated appeared to remain dormant until the latter stages of a given individual's life.

The researchers then studied data available in public biobanks and found human genes that appeared to play the same role as the age-associated genes in mice. Next, they looked for and found similar genes in a type of worm—disabling those genes influenced their longevity.

Maroun Bou Sleiman et al, Sex- and age-dependent genetics of longevity in a heterogeneous mouse population, Science (2022). DOI: 10.1126/science.abo3191

João Pedro de Magalhães, The genetics of a long life, Science (2022). DOI: 10.1126/science.ade3119

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 30, 2022 at 10:42am

Make cooking safe for all, including those in developing countries, say indoor air pollution experts

Developing countries should focus on keeping unnecessary occupants, such as children, out of kitchens during cooking to help reduce their exposure to dangerous levels of air pollution, recommends a study.

Researchers also highlighted the benefits of using cleaner fuels and electric appliances that help reduce carbon dioxide levels within a kitchen by more than 32 percent, compared to the use of polluting fuels.

The GCARE researchers and their partners found that kitchens that regularly had more than two people present during cooking sessions exhibited higher carbon dioxide levels.

The researchers found that cooking resulted in an average increase of 22 percent in carbon dioxide levels across the 60 homes.

Kitchens with their doors and windows open, that also used extractor fans during cooking were found to be the environments with optimal thermal comfort conditions. Having both kitchen doors and windows open during cooking was shown to reduce carbon dioxide levels by 14 percent when compared with environments that only kept their doors open.

Prashant Kumar et al, CO₂ exposure, ventilation, thermal comfort and health risks in low-income home kitchens of twelve global cities, Journal of Building Engineering (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.jobe.2022.105254

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 30, 2022 at 10:29am

Next-generation liquid biopsy detects nano-sized signs of breast cancer in early-stage patients

A team of scientists has found indications that a special blood test called a liquid biopsy could determine whether a patient has breast cancer at its early stage and if that cancer is unlikely to return.

These high-definition comprehensive liquid biopsies are conducted using a standard blood draw from the arm of a patient in a doctor's office. Once in the laboratory, the sample is examined for signs of cancer. The results raise hopes that one day doctors could detect breast cancer in patients with a simple blood draw.

Researchers tested a theory that the high-definition liquid biopsy could detect multiple cancer biomarkers, including the so-called "oncosomes"—nano-sized, membraned cargo carriers that enrich the body's environment for cancer growth. These oncosomes are secreted by cancer cells as the group has shown previously.

They  found the vast majority of early-stage breast cancer patients have these oncosomes at very robust levels. They're about 5-10 microns in diameter. About the size of a cell. They first identified these large vesicles in prostate cancer about a year-and-a-half ago and showed that they are related to the cancer. They are hiding in plain sight.

If further studies produce similar results, this could mean that the next generation high-definition liquid biopsy may become a diagnostic tool for early breast cancer detection and other cancers. The test also could inform patients who have been treated for cancer that they will most likely remain cancer-free.

Sonia Maryam Setayesh et al, Multianalyte liquid biopsy to aid the diagnostic workup of breast cancer, npj Breast Cancer (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41523-022-00480-4

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 30, 2022 at 8:39am

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 30, 2022 at 8:38am

A robotic pill that clears mucus from the gut to deliver meds

RoboCap administers medicine to the intestines and makes its way out of the body

The multivitamin-sized device houses a motor and a cargo hold for drugs, including ones that are typically given via injections or intravenously, such as insulin and some antibiotics. If people could take such drugs orally, they could potentially avoid daily shots or a hospital stay, which would be “a huge game changer". 

Drugs that enter the body via the mouth face a tough journey. They encounter churning stomach acid, raging digestive enzymes and sticky slicks of mucus in the gut. Intestinal mucus “sort of acts like Jell-O". The goo can trap drug particles, preventing them from entering the bloodstream.

The new device, dubbed RoboCap, whisks away this problem. The pill uses surface grooves, studs and torpedo-inspired fins to scrub away intestinal mucus like a miniature brush whirling inside a bottle. In experiments in pigs, RoboCap tunneled through mucus lining the walls of the small intestine, depositing insulin or the IV antibiotic vancomycin along the way,  researchers report September 28 in Science Robotics. After churning for about 35 minutes, the pill continued its trip through the gut and eventually out of the body.

RoboCap is the latest pill-like gadget made to be swallowed.

S. Srinivasan et al. RoboCap: Robotic mucus-clearing capsule for enhanced drug delivery .... Science Robotics. Published online September 28, 2022. doi: 10.1126/scirobotics.abp9066.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 29, 2022 at 9:07am

Nanoparticles can improve stroke recovery by enhancing brain stimulation, study shows

In a recent study, researchers have reported that brain stimulation combined with a nose spray containing nanoparticles can improve recovery after ischemic stroke in an animal model.

The nasal spray is a non-invasive method for delivering magnetic nanoparticles into the brain that the study finds can increase the benefits of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). TMS is a method of non-invasive brain stimulation already used clinically or in clinical trials to treat neurological conditions like stroke, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, depression, and addiction.

Rats that were given combined nanoparticle and TMS treatment every 24 hours for 14 days after an ischemic stroke had better overall health, put on weight more quickly and had improved cognitive and motor functions compared to those treated with TMS alone. During TMS treatment, an electrical current runs through an electric coil placed outside the skull, producing a magnetic field that stimulates brain cells by inducing a further electrical current inside the brain. However, the stimulation is often not intense enough to penetrate far enough into the brain to reach the areas needing treatment. In this new study, published in Materials Today Chemistry, the researchers show that magnetic nanoparticles, administered intranasally, can make neurons more responsive and amplify the magnetic signal from TMS to reach deeper brain tissue, aiding recovery. The finding offers new opportunities for treating neurological disorders.

Researchers overcame the blood brain barrier by guiding the magnetic nanoparticles closer to the correct area with a large magnet near the head.

 Y. Hong et al, Enhancing non-invasive brain stimulation with non-invasively delivered nanoparticles for improving stroke recovery, Materials Today Chemistry (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.mtchem.2022.101104

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 29, 2022 at 8:35am

Scientists create 'non-psychedelic' compound with same anti-depressant effect

While illegal for recreational use, psychedelic drugs are showing great promise as treatments for severe depression and anxiety, as well as alcohol addiction and other conditions. Some  scientists think the actual psychedelic trip—hallucinations and profound emotional experiences—is what leads to long-lasting therapeutic effects. Other scientists speculate that if the "trip" could be eliminated from such drugs, then only the therapeutic effects might remain. Researchers have taken a major step toward answering that question.

Research in animal models show it's possible to create a compound that hits the same exact target as psychedelic drugs  hit—the 5-HT2A serotonin receptors on the surface of specific neurons—but does not cause the same psychedelic effects when given to mice. The new compound triggers the same anti-depressant action that researchers have long observed in mice treated with SSRI drugs over the past two decades, with just two differences: the anti-depressant action of the new compound was immediate and long-lasting after just one dose.

Brian Shoichet, Bespoke library docking for 5-HT2A receptor agonists with anti-depressant activity, Nature (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05258-z

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 28, 2022 at 11:51am

Tiny Robots Have Successfully Cleared Pneumonia From The Lungs of Mice

Scientists have been able to direct a swarm of microscopic swimming robots to clear out pneumonia microbes in the lungs of mice, raising hopes that a similar treatment could be developed to treat deadly bacterial pneumonia in humans.

The microbots are made from algae cells and covered with a layer of antibiotic nanoparticles. The algae provide movement through the lungs, which is key to the treatment being targeted and effective.

In experiments, the infections in the mice treated with the algae bots all cleared up, whereas the mice that weren't treated all died within three days.

The technology is still at a proof-of-concept stage, but the early signs are very promising. Based on this mouse data, researchers see that the microrobots could potentially improve antibiotic penetration to kill bacterial pathogens and save more patients' lives.

The nanoparticles on the algae cells are made of tiny polymer spheres coated with the membranes of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell. These membranes neutralize inflammatory molecules produced by bacteria and the body's own immune system, and both the nanoparticles and the algae degrade naturally.

Harmful inflammation is reduced, improving the fight against infection, and the swimming microbots are able to deliver their treatment right where it's needed – it's the precision that makes this approach work so well.

The researchers also established that the microbot treatment was more effective than an intravenous injection of antibiotics – in fact, the injection dose had to be 3,000 times higher than the one loaded on to the algae cells to achieve the same effect in the mice.

These results show how targeted drug delivery combined with active movement from the microalgae improves therapeutic efficacy.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-022-01360-9

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 28, 2022 at 11:27am

Scientists develop novel technique to grow meat in the lab using magnetic field

Scientist  have found a novel way of growing cell-based meat by zapping animal cells with a magnet. This new technique simplifies the production process of cell-based meat by reducing reliance on animal products, and it is also greener, cleaner, safer and more cost-effective.

Cultured meat is an alternative to animal farming with advantages such as reducing carbon footprint and the risk of transmitting diseases in animals. However, the current method of producing cultured meat involves using other animal products, which largely defeats the purpose, or drugs to stimulate the growth of the meat.

To cultivate cell-based meat, animal cells are fed animal serum—usually fetal bovine serum (FBS), which is a mixture harvested from the blood of fetuses excised from pregnant cows slaughtered in the dairy or meat industries—to help them grow and proliferate. This is a critical, yet cruel and expensive, step in the current cell-based meat production process. Ironically, many of these molecules come from the muscles within the slaughtered animal, but scientists did not know how to stimulate their release in production scale bioreactors. Other methods to promote cell growth are using drugs or relying on genetic engineering.

The complex production process for cell-based meat increases cost, limits the manufacturing scale and undermines the commercial viability of cell-based meat.

To help address this challenge, a multidisciplinary research team  came up with an unconventional method of using magnetic pulses to stimulate the growth of cell-based meat.

Growing cell-based meat with the help of a magnet
The new technique uses a delicately tuned pulsed magnetic field developed by the team to culture myogenic stem cells, which are found in skeletal muscle and bone marrow tissue.

In response to a short 10-minute exposure to the magnetic fields, the cells release a myriad of molecules that have regenerative, metabolic, anti-inflammatory and immunity-boosting properties. These substances are part of what is known as the muscle 'secretome' (for secreted factors) and are necessary for the growth, survival and development of cells into tissues. We are very excited about the possibility that magnetically-stimulated secretome release may one day replace the need for FBS in the production of cultured meat.

The growth-inducing secretomes can be harvested in the lab safely and conveniently, and also at low cost. This way, the myogenic stem cells will act as a sustainable and green bioreactor to produce the nutrients-rich secretomes for growing cell-based meat at scale for consumption. The muscle knows how to produce what it needs to grow and develop—it simply needs a little bit of encouragement when it is outside its owner. This is what the magnetic fields can provide.

Applications in regenerative medicine
The harvested secretomes can also be used for regenerative medicine. The  team used the secreted proteins to treat unhealthy cells and found that they help to accelerate the recovery and growth of the unhealthy cells. Therefore, this method can potentially help to cure injured cells and speed up a patient's recovery.

Craig Jun Kit Wong et al, Brief exposure to directionally-specific pulsed electromagnetic fields stimulates extracellular vesicle release and is antagonized by streptomycin: A potential regenerative medicine and food industry paradigm, Biomaterials (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121658

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 28, 2022 at 9:02am

Researchers reconstruct the genome of the common ancestor of all mammals

Every modern mammal, from a platypus to a blue whale, is descended from a common ancestor that lived about 180 million years ago. We don't know a great deal about this animal, but the organization of its genome has now been computationally reconstructed by an international team of researchers. The work is published Sept. 30 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers drew on high-quality genome sequences from 32 living species representing 23 of the 26 known orders of mammals. They included humans and chimps, wombats and rabbits, manatees, domestic cattle, rhinos, bats and pangolins. The analysis also included the chicken and Chinese alligator genomes as comparison groups. Some of these genomes are being produced as part of the Earth BioGenome Project and other large-scale biodiversity genome sequencing efforts. 

The reconstruction shows that the mammal ancestor had 19 autosomal chromosomes, which control the inheritance of an organism's characteristics outside of those controlled by sex-linked chromosomes (these are paired in most cells, making 38 in total), plus two sex chromosomes.

Scientists  identified 1,215 blocks of genes that consistently occur on the same chromosome in the same order across all 32 genomes. These building blocks of all mammal genomes contain genes that are critical to developing a normal embryo.

The researchers found nine whole chromosomes or chromosome fragments in the mammal ancestor, whose order of genes is the same in modern birds' chromosomes.

This remarkable finding shows the evolutionary stability of the order and orientation of genes on chromosomes over an extended evolutionary timeframe of more than 320 million years.

In contrast, regions between these conserved blocks contained more repetitive sequences and were more prone to breakages, rearrangements and sequence duplications, which are major drivers of genome evolution.

The researchers were able to follow the ancestral chromosomes forward in time from the common ancestor. They found that the rate of chromosome rearrangement differed between mammal lineages.

Joana Damas et al, Evolution of the ancestral mammalian karyotype and syntenic regions, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2022). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2209139119

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