AI is redefining healthcare by predicting breast cancer years early, saving lives and empowering proactive care.
Category: biotech/medical – Page 893
Scientists Discover Promising Molecule That Restores Cognitive Function in Early Alzheimer’s
A study by the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) demonstrates that the drug WIN55,212–2 protects the brain and reverses early cognitive damage caused by dementia, while also explaining its mechanism of action.
Over two decades of research conducted by the Neurochemistry and Neurodegeneration group at UPV/EHU, led by Dr. Rafael Rodríguez-Puertas, has uncovered a promising pathway for developing therapies aimed at improving memory in cases of cognitive impairment caused by neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that primarily affects older adults, leading to memory loss, cognitive decline, and behavioral changes. It is the most common cause of dementia. The disease is characterized by the buildup of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain, which disrupt cell function and communication. There is currently no cure, and treatments focus on managing symptoms and improving quality of life.
Researchers uncover principles of gene expression regulation in cancer and cellular functions
A research team at KAIST has identified the core gene expression networks regulated by key proteins that fundamentally drive phenomena such as cancer development, metastasis, tissue differentiation from stem cells, and neural activation processes. This discovery lays the foundation for developing innovative therapeutic technologies.
A joint research team led by Professors Seyun Kim, Gwangrog Lee, and Won-Ki Cho from the Department of Biological Sciences has uncovered essential mechanisms controlling gene expression in animal cells.
The findings were published on January 7 in the journal Nucleic Acids Research in a paper titled “Single-molecule analysis reveals that IPMK enhances the DNA-binding activity of the transcription factor SRF.”
Metabolic Reprogramming of Cancer Cells during Tumor Progression and Metastasis
Cancer cells need to acquire a different metabolic state than that of non-tumor cells in order to proliferate, invade, and metastasize. During cancer progression, cancer cells encounter various kinds of metabolic stress. First, tumor microenvironments are generally hypoxic and acidic and have a distinct nutrient composition compared to non-tumor tissues from the primary site, which forces cancer cells to adapt in order to grow and invade in these environments. Second, to enter and survive in vessels, cancer cells must reprogram their metabolic state, allowing for anchorage-independent growth that induces extensive oxidative stress in cancer cells. Finally, once cancer cells colonize other organs, they must adapt to quite distinct metabolic environments than those present in primary sites [1]. Overall, because cancer cells need to reprogram their metabolic state during each step of cancer progression, metabolic reprogramming has been recognized as one of the hallmarks of cancer [2].
Elucidating the mechanisms underlying metabolic reprogramming during cancer progression can reveal the metabolic vulnerabilities of cancer cells. This may ultimately result in the identification of new therapeutic targets for cancer and improvement of patients’ prognosis. In this review, we describe each step of the metabolic reprogramming that occurs in cancer cells during cancer progression, including during growth and invasion in primary sites, survival in vessels, and colonization of other organs. Finally, we also describe emerging therapeutic strategies that target cancer-specific metabolism.
How to store data on DNA?
Can a file be stored on DNA? What would be the advantages of such storage? And what developments can we expect in the future? All these answers in 12 minutes!
0:00 — Introduction.
2:00 — Inspiration from life, DNA
3:24 — Storing files.
7:35 — A technology under development.
10:51 — Conclusion.
Video produced for EchoSciences Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur https://www.echosciences-paca.fr with CNRS research director Marc Antonini (I3S — CNRS/UCA). Based on an original idea by Play Azur Prod. Video coordinated by Gulliver https://www.gulliver-sciences.fr and Play Azur Prod: https://playazur-prod.fr/
Calculations and sources of the figures :
0:42: https://lejournal.cnrs.fr/articles/pe…
0:46: 100ZB for an ADSL speed of 20Mb/s = 1.2 billion years.
0:54: DVD of 1.2mm and 8.5GB, approximately 1013 DVD for 100ZB or 12 million km.
1:04: https://www.nature.com/articles/s4154…
1:12: https://www.arcep.fr/uploads/tx_gspub… / https://www.carbone4.com/analyse-faq–…
1:18: https://datacentrereview.com/2022/01/.…
2:21: human genome of 3 billion base pairs, not including redundancies = 6Gb ~ 1GB
2:34: https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-huma…
2:56: ~10µm core containing ~1GB: 1015GB/m^3. SD card of ~100mm^3 containing 1TB: 1010GB/m^3
6:35: Capsule of ~100mm^3 and compactness 1PB/mm^3 (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/s…) ~ 100PB. Disk of 1TB and 100cm^3: compactness ratio of 108
6:39: For 100‑1000 ZB, need 1000–100000 capsules of 100mm^3 each containing 10-100PB, i.e. a volume of 100-10000cm^3 ~ shoebox.
11:45: https://www.nature.com/articles/nbt862
This video is narrated by Octave Masson.
Scientists engineer CRISPR enzymes that evade the immune system
The core components of CRISPR-based genome-editing therapies are bacterial proteins called nucleases that can stimulate unwanted immune responses in people, increasing the chances of side effects and making these therapies potentially less effective.
Researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and Cyrus Biotechnology have now engineered two CRISPR nucleases, Cas9 and Cas12, to mask them from the immune system. The team identified protein sequences on each nuclease that trigger the immune system and used computational modeling to design new versions that evade immune recognition. The engineered enzymes had similar gene-editing efficiency and reduced immune responses compared to standard nucleases in mice.
Appearing today in Nature Communications, the findings could help pave the way for safer, more efficient gene therapies. The study was led by Feng Zhang, a core institute member at the Broad and an Investigator at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT.
Mapping the brain’s self-healing abilities after stroke
A new study by researchers at the Department of Molecular Medicine at SDU sheds light on one of the most severe consequences of stroke: damage to the brain’s “cables”—the so-called nerve fibers—which leads to permanent impairments. The study, published in The Journal of Pathology, which is based on unique tissue samples from Denmark’s Brain Bank located at SDU, may pave the way for new treatments that help the brain repair itself.
A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is blocked, leading to brain damage. Following an injury, the brain tries to repair the damaged nerve fibers by re-establishing their insulating layer, called myelin. Unfortunately, the repair process often succeeds only partially, meaning many patients experience lasting damage to their physical and mental functions.
According to Professor Kate Lykke Lambertsen, one of the study’s lead authors, the brain has the resources to repair itself, “We need to find ways to help the cells complete their work, even under difficult conditions.”
Behavior-based dependency networks can shape the resilience of cities following economic shocks
Unexpected crises or events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic or natural disasters, can cause disruptions to a city’s economy. For instance, forcing businesses to temporarily close or hindering their daily operations. As businesses often rely on each other, changes in the operation of one company can cause ripple effects, like influencing its suppliers, distributors or other businesses it depends on.
To explore the widespread economic impact of shocks and adverse events, past studies primarily examined the proximity between businesses, assuming that businesses are primarily connected to nearby companies or establishments. However, some findings suggest that people’s movements between businesses (i.e., behavior-based dependencies) also contribute to the resilience of cities following economic disruptions.
These dependencies are essentially relationships between businesses shaped by the behavior and habits of shared customers. For example, if a tech company is forced to close its offices, this might impact not only other nearby restaurants, but also gyms or other establishments located in different parts of a city, which some employees typically visit before or after work.
Scientists uncover how cancer cells hijack T-cells, making it harder for the body to fight back
Research led by the Chiba Cancer Center Research Institute in Japan has discovered a surprising way cancer evades the immune system. It essentially hacks the immune cells, transferring its own faulty mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) into the T-cells meant to attack it.
This sneaky move weakens the immune cells, making them less effective at stopping the tumor. The findings could help explain why some cancer treatments, like immunotherapy, are effective for some patients but not others.
In the study, “Immune evasion through mitochondrial transfer in the tumor microenvironment,” published in Nature, the multi-group collaboration looked at how cancer cells interact with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, a type of T-cell that typically fights tumors. The research is also featured in a News and Views piece.
Blood vessel growth factor alleviates anxious behaviors in mouse study
Anxiety disorders, characterized by an excessive apprehension about real or perceived threats and dysfunctional behaviors aimed at avoiding these threats, are among the most common mental health conditions. Estimates suggest that around 4% of the world’s population, so a few hundred million people, experiences these disorders, which can have debilitating effects, significantly lowering their quality of life.
While there are currently various treatment options for anxiety disorders, many existing medications do not prove effective for all individuals. Some neuroscientists worldwide have thus been trying to identify new promising neuro-biological targets for relieving anxiety and anxious behaviors.
Recent studies uncovered an association between anxiety disorders and the impaired functioning of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a protective layer comprised of endothelial cells that regulates the flow of substances between the bloodstream and the brain. However, the precise neural mechanisms underpinning the link between BBB dysfunction and anxiety remain elusive.