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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on June 7, 2023 at 9:12am

Ants inflict pain with neurotoxins

Researchers have shown for the first time that some of the world's most painful ant stings target nerves, like snake and scorpion venom. This research is published in Nature Communications.

Investigators discovered the ant neurotoxins while studying the Australian green ant and South American bullet ant which have stings that cause long-lasting pain.

These ant venoms target our nerve cells that send pain signals. Normally, the sodium channels in these sensory neurons open only briefly in response to a stimulus. However,  the ant toxins bind to the sodium channels and cause them to open more easily and stay open and active, which translates to a long-lasting pain signal.

Bullet ant stings can be painful for up to 12 hours and it's a deep drilling pain you feel in your bones with sweating and goosebumps, quite unlike the 10-minute impact of a typical bee sting.

The bullet ant was rated as having the most painful insect sting in the world by the late Dr. Justin Schmidt, an American entomologist who created a pain index of stinging insects.

These neurotoxins which target sodium channels are unique to ants. Ants developed their defensive neurotoxins to fend off predators during the time of the dinosaurs and have since become one of the most successful animal groups on Earth..

Samuel D. Robinson et al, Ant venoms contain vertebrate-selective pain-causing sodium channel toxins, Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38839-1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on June 7, 2023 at 9:01am

In this way, the researchers in the present analysis summarized multiple methods of interventional wound care and detailed their mechanisms-of-action in preclinical and clinical environments to treat acute and chronic wounds. These methods focus on highly diverse phases of wound healing, including tight closure of the wound to establish homeostasis and modulate the immune system during inflammation, and cell proliferation alongside remodeling in the area of intervention. The bioengineers and materials scientists hope that future wound dressings may sense the unique environment of an inflicted region to deliver personalized strategies to autonomously regulate drug doses for every patient.

As a strategic plan-of-work for bioengineers, the researchers suggest developing an evidence-based target profile and patenting strategy to effectively translate new wound care products from the bench to the bedside in health care. The industrial translation of standard care requires strong clinical data for emerging methods to survive beyond the bench and positively influence the quality of life of patients.

 Benjamin R. Freedman et al, Breakthrough treatments for accelerated wound healing, Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade7007

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Part 3

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on June 7, 2023 at 9:00am

The researchers listed the principles of open wound management as follows:

Moisture balance
Infection prevention
Medical optimization of comorbidities including vascular disease and blood glucose control
They discussed the possibilities of minimizing inflammation, and progression towards active proliferation as a healing response. Several methods in the market aim to detect elevated protease activity for impaired wounds, and apply topical oxygen therapy and ultrasound therapy.
The study outcomes highlighted the need for additional strategies, including healing the chronic wounds at complex and intricate levels. Most advances in intervention target coordinated cellular processes to optimize wound care, however, such methods remain incompletely understood, requiring ongoing research innovations. Researchers described the primary aim of existing commercially available interventional biomaterials to impart fluid exudation, moisture balance, and pressure relief to prevent infection.

The advanced biomaterials in development for interventional healing can mimic extracellular matrix-inspired biophysical cues to regulate immune responses to treat and resolve inflammation. Such advances can be delivered to treat patients at the cellular level, where hydrogel influenced delivery systems can allow the sustained release of stimuli-responsive drug molecules to assist patients in adhering to new therapies. The outcomes can facilitate clinical trials of new drugs and biological products to therapeutically interfere in acute and chronic wounds.
Acute wounds arising from surgical and traumatic events can be treated with bandages to inhibit bleeding and effectively promote healing. Researchers have recently combined adhesive hydrogels with surgical meshes to demonstrate their strong adhesion and flexibility under mechanical stress. The present study described existing advanced wound therapies in the clinical pipeline for wound management, anti-infection and biological intervention. These include advanced anti-scarring and healing-promoting therapies. For example, a cell-penetrating asymmetric interfering RNA delivered as an intradermal injection can target connective tissue growth factor to combat scarring.

New peptide formulas engineered to treat venous leg ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers are currently in phase 1 and 2 clinical trials. Next-generation therapies to treat burns are also in clinical trials. For instance, commercially available NexoBrid is a topical agent made of enzymes isolated from a pineapple plant containing a few proteinases to provide selective and quick removal of damaged/dead tissues within hours of application. Phase 3 clinical trial outcomes have shown the impact of the topical agent on healing tissue areas of interest without adverse serious effects. Several cell-based therapies are also similarly under study for adequate intervention.
Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on June 7, 2023 at 8:59am

Breakthrough treatments for accelerated wound healing

Patients who undergo skin injuries endure hospital stays, infection and/or succumb to death; therefore, advances in wound healing aim to improve clinical practices underlying macroscale healing to effectively intervene in microscale pathophysiology. As a result, strategies that optimize wound healing have motivated the design of new therapeutic products.

In a new report in Science Advances, researchers summarized advances in the development of new drugs, biomaterial therapies and biological products suited for wound healing. They classified the products as marketed therapies and agents for clinical trials to explore their successful and accelerated translation for wound healing.

The dynamics of chronic wound healing mechanisms The timeframe of wound healing can vary and affect the process of patient recovery. Most wounds are classified as acute or chronic situations according to their clinical presentations. Untreated wounds can undergo cell death and necrosis, and represent ischemia relative to inadequate circulation due to microvascular damage and vasoconstriction. The nutritional status, fibroblast cell and progenitor health, as well as infectious bioburden, can contribute to disease progression.

Normal healing is associated with a series of events, including inflammation, remodeling and repair. Wounds that do not proceed through normal phases remain in a dysregulated inflammatory state with several delineating nuances.

For example, pressure ulcers result from an increasing depth of tissue necrosis and pain from microvascular injury causing ulceration and skin degradation to reach underlying fat or deeper structures. The resulting wounds require specialty care. Bioengineers and materials scientists in medical research have formed extensive libraries of wound care technologies to facilitate progressive healing.

Researchers observed the economic challenges of wound care on health care systems that showed an increasing risk in patients with age and obesity alongside those who presented with high-risk comorbidities. Surgical wounds are the largest wound subset, accounting for careful surgical techniques and optimal suture materials in hospitals. Existing standards for interventional healing rely on the preparation of a viable wound bed for assisted healing to remove foreign materials and ischemic tissue. More complex wounds require secondary healing or a bridge for closure. Pressure injuries represent a more serious problem in bedridden patients.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on June 6, 2023 at 9:35am

How chocolate could counter climate change

At a red-brick factory in the German port city of Hamburg, cocoa bean shells go in one end, and out the other comes an amazing black powder with the potential to counter climate change.

The plant, one of the largest in Europe, takes delivery of the used cocoa shells via a network of gray pipes from a neighboring chocolate factory.

The substance, dubbed biochar, is produced by heating the cocoa husks in an oxygen-free room to 600 degrees Celsius (1,112 Fahrenheit). The process locks in greenhouse gases and the final product can be used as a fertilizer, or as an ingredient in the production of "green" concrete.

While the biochar industry is still in its infancy, the technology offers a novel way to remove carbon from the Earth's atmosphere, experts say.

The biochar traps the CO₂ contained in the husks—in a process that could be used for any other plant.

If the cocoa shells were disposed of as normal, the carbon inside the unused byproduct would be released into the atmosphere as it decomposed.

Instead, the carbon is sequestered in the biochar "for centuries". One metric ton of biochar—or bio coal—can stock "the equivalent of 2.5 to three tons of CO₂".

Biochar was already used by indigenous populations in the Americas as a fertilizer before being rediscovered in the 20th century by scientists researching extremely fecund soils in the Amazon basin.

The surprising substance's sponge-like structure boosts crops by increasing the absorption of water and nutrients by the soil.

The production process, called pyrolysis, also produces a certain volume of biogas, which is resold .

https://phys.org/news/2023-06-chocolate-counter-climate.html?utm_so...

Source: AFP

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on June 6, 2023 at 9:03am

Genetic variants may affect treatment response to commonly prescribed type 2 diabetes medication

Various medications can be prescribed to lower blood sugar levels in individuals at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes, but it's often unclear which patients will benefit most from which drugs.

In a study published in Diabetologia, investigators 

identified genetic variants associated with response to two such drugs: metformin and glipizide. The findings may help personalize care to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes.

Current available treatments for type 2 diabetes do not consider an individual's underlying genetics or disease pathophysiology, making it a burden to develop tailored interventions.

Researchers collected genetic data on 1,000 individuals at risk of developing type 2 diabetes who received a short course of metformin and glipizide. The team also documented patients' blood sugar and insulin levels after receiving these drugs.

They  performed a genome-wide association study to comprehensively identify genetic variants associated with drug response. They also tested the influence of previously reported genetic variants for type 2 diabetes and glycemic traits on SUGAR-MGH outcomes.

Five genetic variants were significantly associated with acute response to metformin or glipizide. Three were more common in participants of African ancestry. One of these African ancestry–specific variants (called rs111770298) was confirmed in the Diabetes Prevention Program, where individuals with this variant experienced a weaker response to metformin treatment than participants without.

Understanding the impact of ancestry-specific variants can help guide and tailor treatment selection for population subgroups in the future.

In a separate analysis, another variant (called rs703972), previously known to help protect against type 2 diabetes, was associated with higher levels of active glucagon-like peptide 1, a hormone that stimulates insulin secretion and reduces appetite.

Josephine H. Li et al, Genome-wide association analysis identifies ancestry-specific genetic variation associated with acute response to metformin and glipizide in SUGAR-MGH, Diabetologia (2023). DOI: 10.1007/s00125-023-05922-7

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on June 5, 2023 at 10:03am

Chemical found in common sweetener damages DNA

A new study finds a chemical formed when we digest a widely used sweetener is "genotoxic," meaning it breaks up DNA. The chemical is also found in trace amounts in the sweetener itself, and the finding raises questions about how the sweetener may contribute to health problems.

At issue is sucralose, a widely used artificial sweetener sold under the trade name Splenda. Previous work by researchers established that several fat-soluble compounds are produced in the gut after sucralose ingestion. One of these compounds is sucralose-6-acetate.

This new work established that sucralose-6-acetate is genotoxic. Researchers also found that  trace amounts of sucralose-6-acetate can be found in off-the-shelf sucralose, even before it is consumed and metabolized.

To put this in context, the European Food Safety Authority has a threshold of toxicological concern for all genotoxic substances of 0.15 micrograms per person per day. This work suggests that the trace amounts of sucralose-6-acetate in a single, daily sucralose-sweetened drink exceed that threshold. And that's not even accounting for the amount of sucralose-6-acetate produced as metabolites after people consume sucralose.

For the study, researchers conducted a series of in vitro experiments exposing human blood cells to sucralose-6-acetate and monitoring for markers of genotoxicity. They found that sucralose-6-acetate is genotoxic, and that it effectively broke up DNA in cells that were exposed to the chemical.

The researchers also conducted in vitro tests that exposed human gut tissues to sucralose-6-acetate. When they exposed sucralose and sucralose-6-acetate to gut epithelial tissues—the tissue that lines your gut wall—they found that both chemicals caused 'leaky gut.' Basically, they make the wall of the gut more permeable. The chemicals damage the 'tight junctions,' or interfaces, where cells in the gut wall connect to each other.

A leaky gut is problematic, because it means that things that would normally be flushed out of the body in feces are instead leaking out of the gut and being absorbed into the bloodstream. 

The researchers also looked at the genetic activity of the gut cells to see how they responded to the presence of sucralose-6-acetate. They found that gut cells exposed to sucralose-6-acetate had increased activity in genes related to oxidative stress, inflammation and carcinogenicity.

This work raises a host of concerns about the potential health effects associated with sucralose and its metabolites. It's time to revisit the safety and regulatory status of sucralose, because the evidence is mounting that it carries significant risks.

Susan S. Schiffman et al, Toxicological and pharmacokinetic properties of sucralose-6-acetate and its parent sucralose: in vitro screening assays, Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B (2023). DOI: 10.1080/10937404.2023.2213903

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on June 4, 2023 at 12:43pm

Scientists Hacked Human Cells to Make Insulin, And It Reversed Diabetes in Mice

Scientists have repurposed human stomach cells into tissues that release insulin in response to rising blood sugar levels in a breakthrough that promises an effective way to manage conditions such as type 1 diabetes. 

The experiment, led by researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine in the US, revealed transplants of gastric insulin-secreting (GINS) cells reversed diabetes in mice.

Pancreatic beta cells normally do the job of releasing the hormone insulin in response to elevated sugar levels in the blood. In people with diabetes, these tissues are damaged or die off, compromising their ability to move glucose into cells for fuel.

While GINS cells aren't beta cells, they can mimic their function. The gut has plenty of stem cells, which can transform into many other cell types, and they proliferate quickly. The hope is that those with diabetes could have their own gut stem cells transformed into GINS cells, limiting the risk of rejection.

"The stomach makes its own hormone-secreting cells, and stomach cells and pancreatic cells are adjacent in the embryonic stage of development, so in that sense it isn't completely surprising that gastric stem cells can be so readily transformed into beta-like insulin-secreting cells.

In this investigation, the team activated three specific proteins in the cells that control gene expression, in a particular order, to trigger a transformaiton into GINS cells.

The reprogramming process is highly efficient, and when the cells were grown in small clusters known as organoids they showed sensitivity to glucose. They were then able to show long-lasting effects on diabetes in mice.

Producing GINS cells from stomach cells isn't a particularly complicated process, the researchers say. It only needs a few days to happen, and these new organoids can last for many months after being transplanted, based on their tests.

Gastric insulin-secreting (GINS) organoids exhibited glucose responsiveness 10 days after induction," the researchers note in their report. "They were stable upon transplantation for as long as we tracked them (6 months), secreted human insulin and reversed diabetes in mice.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41556-023-01130-y

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on June 4, 2023 at 12:01pm

Space solar power demonstrator wirelessly transmits power in space

A space solar power prototype that was launched into orbit in January is operational and has demonstrated its ability to wirelessly transmit power in space and to beam detectable power to Earth for the first time.

MAPLE, short for Microwave Array for Power-transfer Low-orbit Experiment and one of the three key experiments within SSPD-1, consists of an array of flexible lightweight microwave power transmitters driven by custom electronic chips that were built using low-cost silicon technologies. It uses the array of transmitters to beam the energy to desired locations. For SSPP to be feasible, energy transmission arrays will need to be lightweight to minimize the amount of fuel needed to send them to space, flexible so they can fold up into a package that can be transported in a rocket, and a low-cost technology overall.

Using constructive and destructive interference between individual transmitters, a bank of power transmitters is able to shift the focus and direction of the energy it beams out—without any moving parts. The transmitter array uses precise timing-control elements to dynamically focus the power selectively on the desired location using the coherent addition of electromagnetic waves. This enables the majority of the energy to be transmitted to the desired location and nowhere else.

MAPLE features two separate receiver arrays located about a foot away from the transmitter to receive the energy, convert it to direct current (DC) electricity, and use it to light up a pair of LEDs to demonstrate the full sequence of wireless energy transmission at a distance in space. MAPLE tested this in space by lighting up each LED individually and shifting back and forth between them. The experiment is not sealed, so it is subject to the harsh environment of space, including the wide temperature swings and solar radiation that will be faced one day by large-scale SSPP units.

MAPLE also includes a small window through which the array can beam the energy. This transmitted energy was detected by a receiver on the roof of the Gordon and Betty Moore Laboratory of Engineering on Caltech's campus in Pasadena. The received signal appeared at the expected time and frequency, and had the right frequency shift as predicted based on its travel from orbit.

Space solar power provides a way to tap into the practically unlimited supply of solar energy in outer space, where the energy is constantly available without being subjected to the cycles of day and night, seasons, and cloud cover—potentially yielding eight times more power than solar panels at any location on Earth's surface. When fully realized, SSPP will deploy a constellation of modular spacecraft that collect sunlight, transform it into electricity, then convert it to microwaves that will be transmitted wirelessly over long distances to wherever it is needed—including locations that currently have no access to reliable power.

https://www.spacesolar.caltech.edu/

https://researchnews.cc/news/19753/In-a-first--Caltech-s-space-sola...

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on June 3, 2023 at 11:20am

First experimental confirmation that some microbes are powered by electricity

 In microbial electrosynthesis, microorganisms use CO2 and electricity to produce alcohol, for example. How this process works biologically, however, has only been speculated about, until now. Researchers have now been able to confirm experimentally for the first time that the bacteria use electrons from hydrogen and can produce more chemical substances than previously known. Their research has been published in the journal Green Chemistry.

Microbial electrosynthesis is a promising technology against the backdrop of climate change and the energy transition: it can bind carbon dioxide, produce ethanol and other organic compounds that can be used as fuel, and thus store excess electricity. Nevertheless, the technology, which has been known for more than a decade, has so far failed to achieve any significant breakthrough towards commercialization

 The researchers were able to show that bacteria do not directly absorb the electrons supplied by electric current, but instead use hydrogen to transfer the electrons. This had long been suspected as a possibility, but until now no one had provided experimental proof. They also found that the method could produce even more useful chemicals than previously thought and optimized the process for the highest possible yields.

In this way, the research team was able to optimize voltage and bacterial concentration for the highest possible acetate yields.

Santiago T. Boto et al, Microbial electrosynthesis with Clostridium ljungdahlii benefits from hydrogen electron mediation and permits a greater variety of products, Green Chemistry (2023). DOI: 10.1039/D3GC00471F

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