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Archive for the ‘biotech/medical’ category: Page 242

Jul 2, 2023

Abraham Gutman Speaks at National Cancer Institute Medical Imaging Workshop

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, robotics/AI

AG mednet’s abraham gutman on harnessing AI in medical imaging.

Abraham gutman speaks at national cancer institute medical imaging workshop.

Jul 2, 2023

Meet ‘Fanzor,’ the 1st CRISPR-like system found in complex life

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Scientists discovered Fanzor proteins, which work like CRISPR but are smaller and more easily delivered into cells, and used them to edit human DNA.

Jul 2, 2023

The NK cell checkpoint NKG2A maintains expansion capacity of human NK cells

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Human natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic effector cells that are increasingly harnessed in cancer immunotherapy. NKG2A/CD94 is an inhibitory receptor on NK cells that has established regulatory functions in the direct interaction with target cells when engaged with its ligand, the non-classical HLA class I molecule HLA-E. Here, we confirmed NKG2A as a checkpoint molecule in primary human NK cells and identified a novel role for NKG2A in maintaining NK cell expansion capacity by dampening both proliferative activity and excessive activation-induced cell death. Maintenance of NK cell expansion capacity might contribute to the preferential accumulation of human NKG2A+ NK cells after hematopoietic cell transplantation and enrichment of functionally impaired NK cells in human cancers. Functional silencing of NKG2A for cancer immunotherapy is highly attractive but will need to consider that this might also lead to a reduced survival by driving activation-induced cell death in targeted NK cells.

Jul 2, 2023

MBD2a–NuRD binds to the methylated γ-globin gene promoter and uniquely forms a complex required for silencing of HbF expression

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, genetics

Reversal of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) silencing can ameliorate the effects of sickle cell anemia. Despite available gene therapy and stem cell transplantation modalities, the majority of affected patients worldwide will not have access to these in the near future. Thus, there is a need for safe and effective small-molecule therapeutics. We report here that stable occupancy of a major HbF silencing complex containing BCL11A, MBD2a–NURD, and PRMT5 and exclusion of the transcriptional activator NF-Y at the γ-globin gene promoter require specific features of MBD2a. These results provide a unified model for the relationships between the previously reported HbF silencers MBD2–NuRD, BCL11A, DNA methylation, and PRMT5 that may facilitate development of therapeutic agents to reverse HbF silencing.


During human development, there is a switch in the erythroid compartment at birth that results in silencing of expression of fetal hemoglobin (HbF). Reversal of this silencing has been shown to be effective in overcoming the pathophysiologic defect in sickle cell anemia. Among the many transcription factors and epigenetic effectors that are known to mediate HbF silencing, two of the most potent are BCL11A and MBD2–NuRD. In this report, we present direct evidence that MBD2–NuRD occupies the γ-globin gene promoter in adult erythroid cells and positions a nucleosome there that results in a closed chromatin conformation that prevents binding of the transcriptional activator, NF-Y. We show that the specific isoform, MBD2a, is required for the formation and stable occupancy of this repressor complex that includes BCL11A, MBD2a–NuRD, and the arginine methyltransferase, PRMT5. The methyl cytosine binding preference and the arginine-rich (GR) domain of MBD2a are required for high affinity binding to methylated γ-globin gene proximal promoter DNA sequences. Mutation of the methyl cytosine–binding domain (MBD) of MBD2 results in a variable but consistent loss of γ-globin gene silencing, in support of the importance of promoter methylation. The GR domain of MBD2a is also required for recruitment of PRMT5, which in turn results in placement of the repressive chromatin mark H3K8me2s at the promoter. These findings support a unified model that integrates the respective roles of BCL11A, MBD2a–NuRD, PRMT5, and DNA methylation in HbF silencing.

Jul 1, 2023

Benefits of Virtual Patients in Orthopaedic Implant R&D

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Better communication between surgeons and engineers, better fit, and faster design iteration are among the benefits of using virtual patients for implant R&D.

Jul 1, 2023

What is life? Why cells and atoms haven’t answered the question

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

75 years after Erwin Schrödinger’s prescient description of something like DNA, we still don’t know the ‘laws of life.’

Jul 1, 2023

Virtual reality system helps surgeons, reassures patients

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience, virtual reality

Having undergone two aneurysm surgeries, Sandi Rodoni thought she understood everything about the procedure. But when it came time for her third surgery, the Watsonville, California, resident was treated to a virtual reality trip inside her own brain.

Stanford Medicine is using a new software system that combines imaging from MRIs, CT scans and angiograms to create a three-dimensional model that physicians and patients can see and manipulate — just like a virtual reality game.

Jul 1, 2023

A new view on brain surgery

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience

Guided by lasers, fluorescence and real-time imaging, Stanford surgeons develop new ways to enhance precision.

Jul 1, 2023

Imagine a multi-limbed cyborg world, made possible by these wearable robot arms

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, cyborgs, robotics/AI, wearables

I want one so I can do my chores better. But.

Seriously, this is cool.

Continue reading “Imagine a multi-limbed cyborg world, made possible by these wearable robot arms” »

Jul 1, 2023

Men more likely to use opioids with tranq and die from overdose, CDC reports show

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

The powerful animal tranquilizer, xylazine, is being detected more often in the illegal drug supply, but it’s fentanyl that’s killing opioid users, experts warn.

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