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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on June 2, 2021 at 6:09am

Tweaking gene therapy: Scientists experimentally boost red blood cells to aid sickle cell and other hemoglobin diseases

A series of laboratory studies is underway to improve gene therapy worldwide for sickle cell disease, a complex and sometimes deadly heritable blood disorder that dramatically affects the structure and function of oxygen-ferrying red blood cells.

Sickle cell disease is a devastating disorder that largely affects people of African descent. The genetic condition derives its name from the shape of patients' red blood cells, which have the configuration of a crescent moon or sickle. As one of the heritable hemoglobin diseases, doctors say the condition is related to beta thalassemia, which is largely seen in populations throughout the Mediterranean, parts of the Mideast and Asia. In that disease, red blood cells do not sickle but are substantially smaller than normal, and likewise are impaired as transporters of oxygen.

About a dozen gene therapy clinical trials are being conducted in the U.S., but laboratory research designed to improve the technology remains exceptionally active and robust. The aim of all gene therapy technologies for hemoglobin diseases is to produce healthy disc-shaped red blood cells that efficiently transport oxygen throughout the body. In the case of sickle cell disease, the treatment corrects a constellation of medical problems—hemolytic anemia, pain, and organ damage.

have designed a new gene therapy strategy for sickle cell disease—and other hemoglobin diseases—that boosts levels of fetal hemoglobin by increasing gamma-globin concentrations. Fetal hemoglobin is produced during fetal development and is more efficient at transporting oxygen than its adult counterpart. Producing fetal hemoglobin is a capability that can be revived through gene therapy. Boosting levels of fetal hemoglobin not only increases oxygen transport but dramatically lowers the frequency of disease complications.

Just as levels of fetal hemoglobin are boosted in a reimagined and improved form of gene therapy, Uchida and a team of scientists at the Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute have devised a method to also boost gamma-globin in a single gene therapy treatment. Gamma-globin is a component of the hemoglobin molecule, the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein in red blood cells. Gamma-globin is a member of the globin superfamily of proteins involved in binding and transporting oxygen.

Naoya Uchida et al. Sustained fetal hemoglobin induction in vivo is achieved by BCL11A interference and coexpressed truncated erythropoietin receptor, Science Translational Medicine (2021) DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abb0411

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-05-tweaking-gene-therapy-scient...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on June 2, 2021 at 6:01am

A revolutionary gene therapy is bringing hope to UK parents - but it comes with a steep price tag

A baby in England has been the first patient on the country’s NHS to receive a potentially life-saving new gene therapy to treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

Five-month-old Arthur Morgan was given a dose of the treatment known as Zolgensma at Evelina London Children's Hospital on May 25.

Arthur was born in December last year and diagnosed with SMA, a rare and debilitating neuromuscular disease that prevents muscle development, just a few weeks ago.

Babies born with SMA experience problems with movement, breathing, and swallowing.

The novel gene therapy treatment, produced by US pharma giant Novartis Gene Therapies, repairs affected genes inside the cells, making it easier to manage and potentially cure the disease.

But the wonder drug comes at a price. Zolgensma is one of the world's most expensive drugs with a price tag per dose of €2.08 million. Fortunately for Arthur and his family, the NHS negotiated a non-disclosed discounted price for the drug, making it more accessible for patients suffering from SMA to receive the treatment.

 the importance of using innovative therapies to treat diseases and disorders, such as in this case.

"It is fantastic news that this revolutionary treatment is now available for babies and children like Arthur on the NHS.

These are hugely transformative therapies. To bring something in that only requires treatment once, that actually requires a lot of systems and processes to change

The agreement between Novartis and the NHS is part of a "series of smart deals" aimed to secure more cutting-edge treatments for the British people, according to the NHS website.

Novartis says that while the cost of the single-dose treatment sounds expensive, it isn’t when you compare the alternative treatment for SMA which can include ongoing hospital admissions, ventilators and round-the-clock care. When you consider lifetime costs - actually gene therapies aren’t expensive.

Is Zolgensma 's a complete cure given the many variables, including when the infant is diagnosed and when the drug is administered, he does believe there is a curative future for gene therapy drugs "if the entire system is in sync".

It is moving into a genomic era which is an era of medicine where we can harness our understanding of genetics and the impact on health in a much great way.

https://www.euronews.com/2021/06/01/gene-therapy-life-saving-drug-b...

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on June 1, 2021 at 10:06am

The 3 Essential Rules For Effective Science Communication

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jvchamary/2021/05/31/science-communica...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on June 1, 2021 at 9:47am

Vaccines charge up natural immunity against SARS-CoV-2

According to new research, people who have had COVID enjoy strong immunity against the coronavirus for at least a year after they were initially infected. In analyzing antibodies present in the blood of COVID patients, Rockefeller scientists were able to track the evolution of these mutable molecules. They found that vaccination boosts the immunity these individuals naturally develop upon infection, so much that they are likely protected even from the emerging variants.

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Why scientists are concerned about leaks at biolabs

The theory that COVID-19 might be the result of scientific experiments has thrown a spotlight on the work of the world's most secure biolabs.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on June 1, 2021 at 9:39am

Endangered purple Cauliflower Coral pushed closer to brink of extinction

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on June 1, 2021 at 8:52am

Phonon catalysis could lead to a new field

Batteries and fuel cells often rely on a process known as ion diffusion to function. In ion diffusion, ionized atoms move through solid materials, similar to the process of water being absorbed by rice when cooked. Just like cooking rice, ion diffusion is incredibly temperature-dependent and requires high temperatures to happen fast.

This temperature dependence can be limiting, as the materials used in some systems like fuel cells need to withstand high temperatures sometimes in excess of 1,000 degrees Celsius. In a new study, a team of researchers at MIT and the University of Muenster in Germany showed a new effect, where ion diffusion is enhanced while the material remains cold, by only exciting a select number of vibrations known as phonons. This new approach—which the team refers to as "phonon catalysis"—could lead to an entirely new field of research. Their work was published in Cell Reports Physical Science.

In the study, the research team used a computational model to determine which vibrations actually caused ions to move during ion diffusion. Rather than increasing the temperature of the entire material, they increased the temperature of just those specific vibrations in a process they refer to as targeted phonon excitation.

 Kiarash Gordiz et al, Enhancement of ion diffusion by targeted phonon excitation, Cell Reports Physical Science (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2021.100431

https://phys.org/news/2021-05-phonon-catalysis-field.html?utm_sourc...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on June 1, 2021 at 8:50am

New 'Swiss Army knife' cleans up water pollution

Phosphate pollution in rivers, lakes and other waterways has reached dangerous levels, causing algae blooms that starve fish and aquatic plants of oxygen. And farmers worldwide are coming to terms with a dwindling reserve of phosphate fertilizers that feed half the world's food supply.

A team of researchers has developed a way to repeatedly remove and reuse phosphate from polluted waters. The researchers liken the development to a "Swiss Army knife" for pollution remediation as they tailor their membrane to absorb and later release other pollutants.

Phosphorus underpins both the world's food system and all life on earth. Every living organism on the planet requires it: phosphorous is in cell membranes, the scaffolding of DNA and in our skeleton. Though other key elements like oxygen and nitrogen can be found in the atmosphere, phosphorous has no analog. The small fraction of usable phosphorous comes from the Earth's crust, which takes thousands or even millions of years to weather away. And our mines are running out.

Given the shortage of this non-renewable natural resource, it is sadly ironic that many of our lakes are suffering from a process known as eutrophication, which occurs when too many nutrients enter a natural water source. As phosphate and other minerals build up, aquatic vegetation and algae become too dense, depleting oxygen from water and ultimately killing aquatic life.

Ecologists and engineers traditionally have developed tactics to address the mounting environmental and public health concerns around phosphate by eliminating phosphate from water sources. Only recently has the emphasis shifted away from removing to recovering phosphate.

Stephanie M. Ribet el al., "Phosphate Elimination and Recovery Lightweight (PEARL) membrane: A sustainable environmental remediation approach," PNAS (2021). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2102583118

https://phys.org/news/2021-05-swiss-army-knife-pollution.html?utm_s...

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on June 1, 2021 at 8:43am

Duetting songbirds 'mute' the musical mind of their partner to stay in sync

A new study of duetting songbirds from Ecuador, the plain-tail wren (Pheugopedius euophrys), has offered another tune explaining the mysterious connection between successful performing duos.

It's a link of their minds, and it happens, in fact, as each singer mutes the brain of the other as they coordinate their duets.

In a study published May 31 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of researchers studying brain activity of singing male and female plain-tailed wrens has discovered that the species synchronizes their frenetically paced duets, surprisingly, by inhibiting the song-making regions of their partner's brain as they exchange phrases.

Researchers say that the auditory feedback exchanged between wrens during their opera-like duets momentarily inhibits motor circuits used for singing in the listening partner, which helps link the pair's brains and coordinate turn-taking for a seemingly telepathic performance. The study also offers fresh insight into how humans and other cooperative animals use sensory cues to act in concert with one another.

Melissa J. Coleman el al., "Neurophysiological coordination of duet singing," PNAS (2021). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2018188118

https://phys.org/news/2021-05-duetting-songbirds-mute-musical-mind....

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on May 31, 2021 at 11:30am

Taking photos can impair your memory of events

 It is a common practice to photograph events that we most want to remember, such as birthdays, graduations and vacations. But taking photos can actually impair your memory of the experience, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York. Binghamton University graduate student Rebecca Lurie and Professor of Psychology Deanne L. Westerman sought to understand if taking a photo of an event or an experience impairs or improves memory. Previous research on this topic has used naturalistic settings, asking participants to photograph their trip to an art museum. The results of these studies were inconsistent, with some studies showing memory impairments and others showing improvements for photographed art. To gain better control of the experience, the researchers conducted five experiments involving a total of 525 University students in a controlled laboratory setting.

The participants saw a set of artwork and were instructed to take a photo of some pieces using a camera on a tablet and to only look at the other pieces. Later, the researchers tested the participants’ memory of all of the artwork.

In all five experiments, photographed art was remembered more poorly than art that was merely viewed. This memory impairment for photographed art was found on tests given after 20 minutes and tests given after two days. The results also showed impaired memory for the visual details of the artwork as well as the overall theme, or gist, of the piece. 

The researchers note an important caveat in that they did not allow participants to review their photos, and so their findings only apply to a situation in which you take a photograph and never look at it again

https://researchnews.cc/news/6988/Taking-photos-can-impair-your-mem...

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on May 31, 2021 at 11:19am

Milky Way no freak accident, astronomers say

The first detailed cross-section of a galaxy broadly similar to the Milky Way, published, reveals that our galaxy evolved gradually, instead of being the result of a violent mash-up. The finding throws the origin story of our home into doubt. The galaxy, dubbed UGC 10738, turns out to have distinct ,thick, and thin discs similar to those of the Milky Way. This suggests, contrary to previous theories, that such structures are not the result of a rare long-ago collision with a smaller galaxy. They appear to be the product of more peaceful change. And that is a game-changer. It means that our spiral galaxy home isn't the product of a freak accident. Instead, it is typical. 

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Beer byproduct mixed with manure proves an excellent pesticide The use of many chemical fumigants in agriculture have been demonstrated to be harmful to human health and the environment and therefore banned from use. -- It's crystal clear: Crushed glass could save our sand Crushed wine bottles and other recycled glass could replace sand in vital tunneling supports, cutting construction costs and improving the sustainability of sand mining. -- Infection with human papillomavirus linked to higher risk of preter... Women carrying human papillomavirus (HPV) run an elevated risk of preterm birth, a University of Gothenburg study shows. A connection can thus be seen between the virus itself and the risk for preterm birth that previously has been observed in pregnant women who have undergone treatment for abnormal cell changes due to HPV.

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