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Category: biotech/medical – Page 870

Scientists Dramatically Extend Cell Lifespan in Anti-Aging Breakthrough

“A major highlight of the work is our approach to achieve longevity: using computers to simulate the natural aging system and guide the design and rational engineering of the system to extend lifespan,” Hao told Motherboard. “This is the first time this computationally-guided engineering-based approach has been used in aging research. Our model simulations actually predicted that an oscillator can double the lifespan of the cell, but we were happily surprised that it actually did in experiments.”

The study is part of a growing corpus of mind-boggling research that may ultimately stave off some of the unpleasant byproducts of aging until later in life, while boosting life expectancy in humans overall. Though countless hurdles have to be cleared before these treatments become a reality, Hao thinks his team’s approach could eventually be applied to humans.

“I don’t see why it cannot be applied to more complex organisms,” Hao said. “If it is to be introduced to humans, then it will be a certain form of gene therapy. Of course it is still a long way ahead and the major concerns are on ethics and safety.”

Naked mole rat ‘longevity gene’ extends lifespan in mice

Researchers at the University of Rochester have successfully exported a longevity gene from naked mole rats to mice – a transfer that resulted in both improved health and an extension of the mouse’s lifespan [1].

Longevity. Technology: Naked mole rats, which are known for their long lifespans and exceptional resistance to age-related diseases, have been a focus of longevity research for some time. By introducing a specific gene responsible for improved cellular repair and protection into mice, the Rochester researchers have created promising opportunities to better understand the mechanisms behind aging and potentially increase human lifespan.

“Our study provides a proof of principle that unique longevity mechanisms that evolved in long-lived mammalian species can be exported to improve the lifespans of other mammals,” says Vera Gorbunova, the Doris Johns Cherry Professor of biology and medicine at Rochester [2].

Naked mole-rat’s ‘longevity’ gene extends lifespan and health of mice

Scientists from the University of Rochester have had the naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) in their crosshairs for some time, previously identifying how their unique cellular aging mechanisms lay the foundation for their long lifespans – up to 41 years, during which the females also remain fertile – and resistance to age-related diseases.

The modification directly led to the improved overall health of the aging mice and an approximate 4.4% increase in median lifespan.

They weigh about an ounce, spend their lives underground in sub-Saharan Africa and are unlikely to be making the shortlist for any cute animal calendars, but the naked mole-rat continues to show scientists it has incredible age-resistant biology beneath its pale, wrinkly skin.

Building on that knowledge, the researchers genetically modified mice to produce the naked mole-rat version of the hyaluronan synthase 2 gene, which makes a protein that produces high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HMW-HA). While all mammals have hyaluronan synthase 2, the naked mole-rat’s version is somehow enhanced, driving stronger gene expression.

Protein inhibition could offer new strategies for treating severe asthma

Inhibiting a protein on the surface of immune cells could offer new strategies for treating severe asthma, Cleveland Clinic researchers found.

Researchers discovered a new way a protein called MCEMP1 contributes to severe inflammation in the airway and lungs. The discovery, published in Nature Communications, provides critical information for developing therapeutic interventions to treat long-term lung conditions, including asthma, on a biological level.

The study was conducted in a lab led by Jae Jung, PhD, chair of the Cancer Biology Department, director of the Infection Biology program, and director of the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Global Center for Pathogen & Human Health Research.

Aspen Neuroscience gears up for Parkinson’s trial with digital health monitoring collab

Personalized regenerative medicine company Aspen Neuroscience has joined forces with Emerald Innovations and Rune Labs to integrate digital health monitoring technology into its Trial Ready Screening Cohort Study. The study, which began in 2022, seeks to identify potential patient candidates for a future clinical trial of Aspen’s personalized cell therapy (ANPD001) in Parkinson’s disease.

Aspen’s approach targets Parkinson’s disease by replenishing lost dopamine neurons, addressing both motor and non-motor symptoms of the disease. By combining cutting-edge biosensors, software analytics, and cellular therapies, the new collaboration aims to significantly improve the quality of life for those living with Parkinson’s disease.

Harnessing the capabilities of Emerald Innovations’ ‘invisible’ off-body sensors and Rune Labs’ precision neurology software, Aspen intends to bolster the collection of objective measures of motor function. The company says the partnership will enable long-term symptom capture, providing useful data on disease progression before treatment.

AI Turns Brain Waves into Spoken Words

Summary: Researchers achieved a breakthrough in converting brain signals to audible speech with up to 100% accuracy. The team used brain implants and artificial intelligence to directly map brain activity to speech in patients with epilepsy.

This technology aims to give a voice back to people in a locked-in state, who are paralyzed and cannot speak. The researchers believe that the success of this project marks a significant advance in the realm of Brain-Computer Interfaces.

Ephedrine effective for correction of hypotension during GA, even in elderly patients

Hypotension is a common complication during general anesthesia associated with increased postoperative mortality and morbidity. Every episode of intraoperative hypotension, regardless of duration, is linked to the risk of acute kidney injury and cardiovascular events. The vulnerability to hemodynamic disturbances increases with age, underscoring the need for prompt interventions for elderly patients who experience hypotension during anaesthesia.

Using ephedrine resulted in a notable rise in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and cardiac output (CO). Still, no meaningful correlation with age was detected in patients aged 45 years or older. These results imply that ephedrine is reliable for managing low blood pressure during general anaesthesia, even in elderly patients, says Yuta Uemura in a recent study published in BMC Anesthesiology.

Ephedrine is a mixed α- and β-agonist vasopressor for correcting hypotension during general anaesthesia. β-responsiveness decreases with age; therefore, this study aimed to determine whether ageing would reduce the pressor effect of ephedrine on hypotension during general anaesthesia.

Human Cells Have “Memory” Wiped In Major Regenerative Medicine Breakthrough

Scientists have found a way to reprogram human cells so that they mimic the highly plastic embryonic stem cells that have so much promise for use in regenerative medicine. By essentially wiping the cell’s “memory”, the team have created so-called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which could be used to regenerate or repair diseased tissue and organs.

IPS cells are a type of pluripotent cell that can be obtained by reprogramming mature human adult cells (“somatic” cells) into an embryonic stem cell-like state. This means that they have the capacity to differentiate into any cell of the body. They were first demonstrated in 2006, and have myriad potential biomedical and therapeutic uses, including disease modeling, drug screening, and cell-based therapies.

Despite this promise, researchers have continually hit a stumbling block that has prevented iPS cells from realizing their potential. “A persistent problem with the conventional reprograming process is that iPS cells can retain an epigenetic memory of their original somatic state, as well as other epigenetic abnormalities,” Professor Ryan Lister, lead author of a paper presenting the latest breakthrough, said in a statement.

Could We Transform America Into a Science-Industrial Complex?

I’m excited to share my new opinion article for Newsweek. It advocates for transforming America from a military-industrial complex into a science-industrial complex! Give it a read!

America spends 45 percent of its discretionary federal spending on defense and wars, while around us, the world burns in ways that have nothing to do with fighting or the military. Global warming has escalated into an enormous crisis. A fifth of everyone we know will die from heart disease. And an opioid crisis is reducing the average lifespans of Americans for the first time in decades. There’s plenty of tragedy, fear, and hardship all around us, but it has nothing to do with the need to make more bombs. It does, however, have to do with science.

It seems obvious America should do something different than spend so much of its tax dollars on defense. We should consider halving that money, and directing it to science, transforming America from a military-industrial complex into a science-industrial complex. Despite science and technological progress being broadly responsible for raising the standard of living around the world over the last 50 years, America spends only 3 percent of its GDP ($205 billion) on science and medical research across the federal government. Notably, this is dramatically less than the $877 billion the U.S. will spend on defense this year.

The famous designation of the term military-industrial complex comes from former President Dwight D. Eisenhower in his farewell address, where he warned America and its economy could descend into being a conflict-driven nation. Over 60 years after his speech, we have become just that. A Brown University study found that since 2001, the U.S. has spent $5.9 trillion on wars in the Middle East and Asia. For contrast, the 2023 budget for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is a paltry $49 billion.

America and its military-industrial complex—including the Pentagon, CIA, foreign military services, Homeland Security, nuclear program, and many other U.S. Defense tentacles—promises to spread democracy and keep the world safe. However, a far more common enemy than a national security incident is getting cancer from the sun, being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and dying in a car accident. Given enough money and time for research and experimentation, science stands a good chance at fixing nearly anything, including all of the issues above.