Lifeboat Foundation

As the American population grows, fewer people will die of cancer.

Scientists have categorized different types of CRISPR systems into two classes based on how their Cas nucleases function. In class 1 (types I, III, and IV), different Cas proteins form a complex machinery to identify and cut foreign DNA; in class 2 CRISPR systems (types II, V, and VI), a single Cas protein effector recognizes and cleaves DNA.⁹

After characterizing CRISPR’s role as a defense mechanism in bacteria, researchers soon realized that they could harness this system for gene manipulation in any cell. All they needed to do was design a CRISPR gRNA sequence that bound to a specific DNA sequence and triggered the Cas nuclease, which would then cut precisely at that location. With CRISPR, researchers routinely knock out gene function by cutting out a DNA fragment, or they insert a desired genetic sequence into the genome by providing a reference DNA template along with the CRISPR components. While editing eukaryotic cells has been the focus for tackling diseases, many researchers now use CRISPR to edit bacterial communities.

“It’s almost like back to the beginning or back to the origins. There’s some irony in bringing CRISPR back to where it came from,” said Rodolphe Barrangou, a functional genomics researcher at North Carolina State University, who helped characterize the immune function of CRISPR and has been working with it for more than 20 years.

Scientists develop anticancer drugs that target PARP proteins involved in the DNA damage response.

Why are so many young people getting cancer?

Here’s what the data say:

Clues to a modern mystery could be lurking in information collected generations ago.

Nanomedicine to Cure All!

Aortic aneurysms are bulges in the aorta, the largest blood vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, or injury can all increase the risk of aneurysms, which tend to occur more often in Caucasian male smokers over the age of 65.

“The soft tissues that make up blood vessels act essentially like rubber bands, and it’s the elastic fibers within these tissues that allow them to stretch and snap back,” says Professor Anand Ramamurthi, chair of the Department of Bioengineering in Lehigh University’s P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science. “These fibers are produced primarily before and just after birth. After that, they don’t regenerate or undergo natural repair after injury. So when they become injured or diseased, the tissue weakens and causes an aneurysm, which can grow over time. After about seven to 10 years, it typically reaches the rupture stage.”

Continue reading “Nanomedicine research aims to transform treatment of aortic aneurysms” »

Cerebral cavernous malformations occur in 0.5% of the population; 85% are sporadic, and 15% are familial or radiation-induced. Several genetic variants, including variants in CCM, drive their development. Read the full review:

Review Article from The New England Journal of Medicine — Cavernous Malformations of the Central Nervous System.

Here are 10 signs to look for if you suspect a loved one may have Alzheimer’s disease:

If you suspect a loved one may have Alzheimer’s disease, here are 10 signs to look for from WebMD.

Discover a fascinating case study on Superficial Temporal Artery-to-Middle Cerebral Artery Bypass for Ischemic Stroke with Blood Pressure-Dependent Symptoms! 🧠

Tap the link to discover:

The efficacy of extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass in preventing ischemic stroke progression and recurrence is controversial. As per the current hypothesis, EC-IC bypass is most beneficial for patients with persistent hemodynamic insufficiency. Hence, various approaches have been used to evaluate hemodynamic insufficiency, including repeated single photon emission CT (SPECT) imaging or continuous monitoring of cerebral flow with transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD). However, both modalities are time-and resource-intensive. In this report, we discuss how EC-IC bypass turned out to be beneficial for a patient presenting with blood pressure-dependent severe aphasia and right hemiparesis due to middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion that failed thrombectomy. CT perfusion (CTP) scan at admission demonstrated a persistent volume of delayed perfusion without core infarct.

Continue reading “Superficial Temporal Artery-to-Middle Cerebral Artery Bypass in Ischemic Stroke With Blood Pressure-Dependent Symptoms” »

Multiresolution computational simulations generate all-atom models of a complete packaged virus particle.