JUST PUBLISHED: jellyfish-inspired ultrafast and versatile magnetic soft robots for biomedical applications
Click here to read the latest free, Open Access article from Cyborg and Bionic Systems.
Category: biotech/medical
Marine sponge bacterium enzyme reveals a two-part route to make terpenoids
The molecular structure of an enzyme from a marine bacterium with potential industrial uses has been determined by RIKEN researchers. The insights they have gained could help make a range of useful compounds through genetic modification. The research is published in the journal Chemical Science.
The class of natural compounds known as terpenoids is nothing if not versatile, being used in a wide assortment of products, from perfumes and insect repellents to pesticides and drugs. More than 100,000 terpenoids have been identified so far. They are produced by an impressive range of organisms spanning animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, and viruses.
Recently, marine organisms such as corals, sponges, and marine bacteria have been found to produce terpenoids with complex structures that show promise for fighting infectious diseases.
Self-propulsion or slow diffusion: How bacteria, cells, and colloids respond to stimuli
What physical processes govern the movement of microscopic structures capable of interacting with their environment? The answer lies in two mechanisms: self-propulsion, to escape unfavorable locations; and slow diffusion, to move toward more advantageous ones. This is the finding of scientists Jacopo Romano and Andrea Gambassi from SISSA-Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati in their new study published in Physical Review Letters.
In their work, the researchers combined computer simulations with mathematical calculations, taking inspiration from nature. It is well known that feedback-driven motion underlies the behavior of various microorganisms, which analyze incoming and outgoing signals and adapt their direction of movement accordingly. The study reproduces the physical behavior of natural and synthetic agents in two distinct scenarios: when a specific destination must be avoided based on signals, and when it must instead be reached.
The researchers found that in the first case, a process of “superdiffusion” occurs, with accelerated motion, while in the second case a subdiffusive process takes place, with much slower movement. These findings provide important insights for the design of smart particles capable of moving at the microscale, with potential applications in medicine, particularly for more efficient drug delivery.
Scientists Discover Game-Changing New Way To Treat High Cholesterol
Scientists are rethinking how to treat a widespread genetic cholesterol disorder by targeting particle production instead of removal.
Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) disrupts one of the body’s most important cleanup systems. Normally, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), often called “bad” cholesterol, is removed from the bloodstream by LDL receptors (LDLR) in the liver. These receptors act like docking stations, pulling cholesterol into cells where it can be broken down. In people with FH, mutations in the LDLR gene weaken or disable this process.
As a result, cholesterol builds up in the blood for decades, often without obvious symptoms until it leads to heart attacks or other cardiovascular problems. About 1 in 200 adults carries this genetic change, making it one of the most common inherited disorders worldwide.
Abstract: Immune signaling and function in neurodegeneration:
Yvonne L. Latour & Dorian B. McGavern contribute a Review to the JCI Series on Neurodegeneration, discussing signaling pathways, cellular players, and immune responses shared across multiple neurodegenerative diseases, while considering external factors that may influence CNS disease progression. Neurodegeneration.
Viral Immunology and Intravital Imaging Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Intranasal Human NSC‐Derived EVs Therapy Can Restrain Inflammatory Microglial Transcriptome, and NLRP3 and cGAS‐STING Signalling, in Aged Hippocampus
Tiny “fires” of inflammation smolder deep within the brain’s memory center, creating a persistent brain fog that makes it harder to think, form new memories or even adapt to new environments, all the while increasing the risk to disorders like Alzheimer’s disease.
Scientists call this slow burn “neuroinflammaging,” and for decades it was thought to be the inevitable price of growing older.
Until now.
A landmark study from researchers at the Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine suggests the inflammatory tide responsible for brain aging and brain fog might actually be reversible. And the solution doesn’t involve brain surgery, but a simple nasal spray.
Led by Dr. Ashok Shetty, university distinguished professor and associate director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine, along with senior research scientists Dr. Madhu Leelavathi Narayana and Dr. Maheedhar Kodali, the team developed a nasal spray that, with just two doses, dramatically reduced brain inflammation, restored the brain’s cellular power plants and significantly improved memory.
The most surprising part? It all happened within weeks and lasted for months.
The findings, published in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, could reshape the future of neurodegenerative therapies and may even change how scientists think about brain aging itself.
Scientists Just Took A Major Step Towards One Of Sci-Fi’s Biggest Tropes
Major milestone in the viability of cryonic suspension in the form of revival of cells after vitrification. Vitrification is basically the use of chemical fixation at ultra cold temperatures, kinda like antifreeze. It prevents ice crystals forming in your cells, preventing them from being torn apart.
It’s INSANELY toxic, so solving that problem would mean we can really revive people in suspension who underwent vitrification (which is standard practice at ALCOR for a long time now).
That said, we still will need ways to repair whatever disease or injury that the patient actually died from. 😁👍
Researchers in Germany have developed a technique to vitrify mouse brain tissue and then thaw it out, all without significant loss of function.
Human Gene Editing Has Begun | George Church
We are already gene editing humans. You just haven’t noticed.
George Church, Harvard geneticist and Human Genome Project pioneer, explains why CRISPR wasn’t the real breakthrough, how multiplex gene editing unlocked organ transplants and de-extinction, and why aging will likely require rewriting many genes at once.
Hosted by Mgoes → https://twitter.com/m_goes_distance
Brought to you by SuperHuman Fund → https://superhuman.fund/
0:00 — Gene Editing Mammals → Humans
8:36 — Germline vs Somatic
14:56 — Modified Humans Are Already Here
18:50 — Enhancing Healthy Humans
25:00 — Aging Therapies vs Cognitive Enhancement
30:20 — Embryo Selection
38:10 — Is US Losing To UAE?
42:33 — Biotech Failures
49:31 — Next Dire Wolf Moment
54:21 — AI x Science
1:02:07 — Synthetizing Entire Genomes.
The Accelerate Bio Podcast explores the future of humanity in the age of Artificial Intelligence. Subscribe for deep-dive conversations with founders, scientists, and investors shaping AI, biotechnology, and human progress.
This episode discusses George Church, gene editing, CRISPR, human enhancement, longevity, aging, embryo selection, synthetic biology, multiplex editing, AI biotech.