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Category: biotech/medical – Page 126

Overexpressing miRNA-27a in human dental pulp stem cells yields anti-inflammatory effect, may regenerate tissue

Dental caries (tooth decay) is a common oral health condition that often causes significant pain and discomfort and may even lead to tooth loss. In severe and untreated cases, bacterial infection combined with the host’s immune response can cause bone resorption, or the breakdown of bone tissue in the tooth root. Moreover, traditional treatments for advanced dental caries, such as surgery, can result in bone defects that require complex bone grafting procedures.

Building on this knowledge, bone tissue engineering and dental tissue regeneration have gained the attention of researchers worldwide. Recent reports suggest that microRNAs (miRNAs)—small, non-coding ribonucleic acid sequences—play a key role in bone tissue regeneration. However, the underlying mechanisms and pathways regulated by miRNAs remain unclear.

To investigate the intrinsic processes involved in dental bone repair, a team of researchers led by Associate Professor Nobuyuki Kawashima, graduate student Ziniu Yu, and Professor Takashi Okiji from the Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo), Japan, has conducted a series of innovative experiments using human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) and mice.

DARPA-Funded Research Develops Novel Technology to Combat Treatment-Resistant PTSD

Groundbreaking research has revealed a new method of potentially eliminating hard-to-treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnoses in patients by employing a novel kind of therapy: stimulation of the vagus nerve.

The new treatment offers new hope for those long afflicted by PTSD diagnoses that have traditionally proven to be resistant to conventional treatment methods.

Scientists from the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) and Baylor University Medical Center conducted the research, discovering that participants were symptom-free for up to six months after completing the experimental therapy.

HIV Drugs Linked to Lower Alzheimer’s Risk

Summary: New research reveals a striking gap between people’s theoretical desire to know their Alzheimer’s disease risk and their real-life decisions when results are actually offered. In a study of cognitively normal volunteers, only 60% chose to learn their estimated risk when given the chance, despite 81% expressing prior interest.

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New study finds ‘simple selfie’ can help predict patients’ cancer survival

A selfie can be used as a tool to help doctors determine a patient’s “biological age” and judge how well they may respond to cancer treatment, a new study suggests.

Because humans age at “different rates” their physical appearance may help give insights into their so-called “biological age” – how old a person is physiologically, academics said.

The new FaceAge AI tool can estimate a person’s biological age, as opposed to their actual age, by scanning an image of their face, a new study found.

Mammal’s lifespans linked to brain size and immune system function, says new study

So size does matter?

Mammal’s lifespans linked to brain size and immune system function, says new study.

The researchers looked at the maximum lifespan potential of 46 species of mammals and mapped the genes shared across these species. The maximum lifespan potential (MLSP) is the longest ever recorded lifespan of a species, rather than the average lifespan, which is affected by factors such as predation and availability of food and other resources.

The researchers, publishing in the journal Scientific Reports, found that longer-lived species had a greater number of genes belonging to the gene families connected to the immune system, suggesting this as a major mechanism driving the evolution of longer lifespans across mammals.

For example, dolphins and whales, with relatively large brains have maximum lifespans of 39 and up to 100 years respectively, those with smaller brains like mice, may only live one or two years.

However, there were some species, such as mole rats, that bucked this trend, living up to 20 years despite their smaller brains. Bats also lived longer than would be expected given their small brains, but when their genomes were analysed, both these species had more genes associated with the immune system.

The results suggest that the immune system is central to sustaining longer life, probably by removing aging and damaged cells, controlling infections and preventing tumour formation.

Continue reading “Mammal’s lifespans linked to brain size and immune system function, says new study” | >

These 5 Hidden Health Risks Are Aging Your Brain Faster

Hypertension and other health risks accelerate brain aging, as shown in a 16-year study using MRI data and predictive modeling.

Chinese scientists have conducted a population-based cohort study to examine the long-term impact of unhealthy lifestyles, metabolic abnormalities, and other risk factors on brain aging. The findings showed that these factors significantly accelerate brain aging, and the researchers proposed strategies to support brain health. Their study was published in Research.

Background.

Long-Distance Gene Control Appeared Over 650 Million Years Ago, Study Suggests

Distal regulation — the ability to control genes from far away, over many tens of thousands of DNA letters — appeared at the very dawn of animal evolution, between 650 and 700 million years ago — around 150 million years earlier than previously thought.

At the core of problem-solving

As director of the MIT BioMicro Center (BMC), Stuart Levine ’97 wholeheartedly embraces the variety of challenges he tackles each day. One of over 50 core facilities providing shared resources across the Institute, the BMC supplies integrated high-throughput genomics, single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analysis, bioinformatics support, and data management to researchers across MIT. The BioMicro Center is part of the Integrated Genomics and Bioinformatics core facility at the Robert A. Swanson (1969) Biotechnology Center.

“Every day is a different day,” Levine says, “there are always new problems, new challenges, and the technology is continuing to move at an incredible pace.” After more than 15 years in the role, Levine is grateful that the breadth of his work allows him to seek solutions for so many scientific problems.

By combining bioinformatics expertise with biotech relationships and a focus on maximizing the impact of the center’s work, Levine brings the broad range of skills required to match the diversity of questions asked by investigators in MIT’s Department of Biology and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, as well as researchers across MIT’s campus.