#New lab-on-a-chip could revolutionize early diagnosis of cancer Scientists have been laboring to detect cancer and a host of other diseases in people using promising new biomarkers called exosomes.
Indeed Popular Science magazine named exosome-based cancer diagnostics one of the 20 breakthroughs that will shape the world this year.
Exosomes could lead to less invasive earlier detection of cancer and sharply boost patients'odds of survival.
Exosomes are minuscule membrane vesicles --or sacs--released from most if not all cell types including cancer cells said Yong Zeng assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Kansas. First described in the mid-'80s they were thought once to be'cell dust
Now Zeng and colleagues from the University of Kansas Medical center and KU Cancer Center have published just a breakthrough paper in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal describing their invention of a miniaturized biomedical testing device for exosomes.
Zeng and his fellow researchers have developed the lab-on-a-chip for early detection of lung cancer--the number-one cancer killer in the U s. Today lung cancer is detected mostly with an invasive biopsy after tumors are larger than 3 centimeters in diameter and even
Unlike some cancer types such as breast or colon cancer no widely accepted screening tool has been available for detecting early-stage lung cancers.
Tumor biopsy is often impossible for early cancer diagnosis as the developing tumor is too small to see by the current imaging tools.
and more sensitive thus suitable for large population screening to detect early-stage tumors. Zeng said the prototype lab-on-a-chip is made of a widely used silicone rubber called polydimethylsiloxane
Beyond lung cancer Zeng said the lab-on-a-chip could be used to detect a range of potentially deadly forms of cancer.
Our technique provides a general platform to detecting tumor-derived exosomes for cancer diagnosis he said.
In addition to lung cancer we've also tested for ovarian cancer in this work. In theory it should be applicable to other types of cancer.
Our long-term goal is to translate this technology into clinical investigation of the pathological implication of exosomes in tumor development.
Such knowledge would help develop better predictive biomarkers and more efficient targeted therapy to improve the clinical outcome.
Cells have adapted further autophagy for other purposes as well including recycling dysfunctional components immune response to pathogen invasion surveillance against cancer
and is very surprisingsaid La Spada. s let-7 is known to be a tumor suppressor its ability to activate autophagy could be a major component of its anti-tumor forming activitythough La Spada noted that autophagy may also contrarily promote tumor progression
by supporting the altered metabolism of growing cancers. With let-7 revealed to be a master regulator of metabolism helping to modulate anabolic growth (the creation of new molecules in cells) with catabolic destruction (the breakdown of molecules in cells) researchers say the overall picture
and colleagues have shown that a lentivirus encoding let-7 injected into mouse neurons promotes the autophagic turnover of toxic misfolded proteins associated with neurodegenerative disease. e also demonstrate that treatment with anti-let-7 can block autophagy
and Eliza Hall Institute scientists have discovered a small molecule that blocks a form of cell death that triggers inflammation opening the door for potential new treatments for inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis Crohn's disease
and psoriasis. The researchers made the discovery while investigating how a protein called MLKL kills cells in a process known as necroptosis.
while warning the immune system that something has gone wrong such as during viral infection. However when necroptosis is activated inappropriately it can promote inflammation and the development of inflammatory disease.
Dr Joanne Hildebrand Ms Maria Tanzer Dr James Murphy Associate professor John Silke and colleagues studied how MLKL changes shape to trigger cell death.
Understanding how it becomes active can help uncover new ways to treat disease. Dr Hildebrand said the research team found that a particular part of the protein became'unlatched
and improve treatments for inflammatory disease e
#Anorexia/bulimia: Bacterial protein implicated Eating disorders (ED) such as anorexia nervosa bulimia and binge eating disorder affect approximately 5-10%of the general population
but the biological mechanisms involved are unknown. Researchers at Inserm Unit 1073 Nutrition inflammation and dysfunction of the gut-brain axis (Inserm/University of Rouen) have demonstrated the involvement of a protein produced by some intestinal bacteria that may be the source of these disorders.
Anorexia nervosa bulimia and binge eating disorder are all eating disorders (ED) . If the less well defined and atypical forms are included ED affect 15-20%of the population particularly adolescents and young adults.
The sensation of satiety is reached (anorexia) or not reached (bulimia or overeating). Moreover the bacterial protein itself seems to have anorexigenic properties.
Furthermore their immunological response determined the development of eating disorders in the direction of anorexia or bulimia.
#New pathway discovered regulating autoimmune diseases The main function of the immune system is to protect against diseases and infections.
which can result in diseases such as multiple sclerosis type 1 diabetes lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. There are currently no existing cures for these diseases.
Now in a new study by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) a potential treatment maybe on the horizon.
and food protects against autoimmune diseases by altering the immune response and turning destructive cells into protective cells.
The molecule is also able to reverse disease progression by restoring damaged tissue caused by the autoimmunity process.
The scientists performed preclinical trials using experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis a preclinical model for human multiple sclerosis.
Mice receiving CD4+T cells along with NAD+present had delayed a significant onset of disease as well as a less severe form
not only autoimmune diseases but other acute or chronic conditions such as allergy chronic obstructive pulmonary disease sepsis and immunodeficiency said Stefan G. Tullius MD Phd BWH Chief of Transplant Surgery
which may benefit patients that have advanced tissue damage caused by autoimmune diseases. In terms of next steps Elkhal notes that the lab is currently testing additional pathways and the clinical potential of NAD+.
Thus we hope that its potential as a powerful therapeutic agent for the treatment of autoimmune diseases will facilitate its use in future clinical trials.
#Thyroid carcinoma: Biomarker reveals cancer cause The expression of the protein CLIP2*provides information on
whether a papillary thyroid carcinoma was induced by radiation or had a sporadic origin. With this discovery, scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum München have identified a new biomarker for the diagnosis of the cancer cause.
Their findings have been published in the journal Oncogene. CLIP2 serves as a radiation marker: After exposure to radiation from radioiodine, both the genetic activity and the protein expression are increased,
as the scientists'studies were able to substantiate. CLIP2 appears to be particularly significant in the development of tumours in the thyroid gland after radiation exposure.
Dr. Horst Zitzelsberger from the Radiation Cytogenetics Research Unit at the Helmholtz Zentrum München discovered a connection between high CLIP2 levels and the radiation history of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma."
"In our study, we were able to verify radiation-associated CLIP2 expression at the protein level in three different cohorts of patients with thyroid carcinoma,"reports first author Selmansberger.
The research paper was prepared at the Helmholtz Zentrum München in cooperation with the Institute of Radiation Protection and the Analytical Pathology Research Unit.
Radiation marker CLIP2 allows distinction of cancer cause and risk assessment"CLIP2 serves as a radiation marker
and allows us to distinguish between radiation-induced and sporadic thyroid carcinomas, "adds study leader Heß.
and to evaluate the risk of thyroid cancer after exposure to high level radiation, for instance, following a radiation accident,"reports Heß.
The Helmholtz Zentrum München focuses its work in health research on major widespread diseases. In addition to diabetes and lung diseases, this also includes cancer.
The objective of the Helmholtz Zentrum München is the rapid further development of the results of basic research
*CAP-GLY domain containing linker protein 2. The exact function of CLIP2 in the carcinogenesis of thyroid carcinoma is unknown.
#Non-coding half of human genome unlocked with novel sequencing technique An obscure swatch of human DNA once thought to be nothing more than biological trash may actually offer a treasure trove of insight into complex genetic-related diseases such as cancer
and diabetes thanks to a novel sequencing technique developed by biologists at Texas A&m University.
We know that there is hidden variation there like disease proclivities or things that are evolutionarily important
and disease and finding personalized therapies Maggert said. However this topic is incomplete unless biologists can look at the entire genome.
#New device for heart failure safely improves heart function, quality of life, study shows A new implantable device to control heart failure is showing promising results in the first trial to determine safety and effectiveness in patients according to lead researcher Dr. William Abraham of The Ohio State university Wexner
Medical center. Results of the study are published in the Journal of American College of Cardiology Heart failure.
Heart failure is one of the fastest growing forms of heart disease and it's one of the most common reasons people are hospitalized said Abraham director of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at Ohio State's Wexner Medical center.
The optimal drug therapies we have today often aren't enough to manage this disease for some patients
so we are always looking for new types of therapies. Abraham and other cardiovascular researchers at seven U s. centers examined an extra-aortic counterpulsation system called C-Pulse made by Sunshine Heart Inc. It's a cuff that wraps around the aorta
In the pilot study 20 patients with New york Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III or ambulatory functional class IV heart failure were implanted with the device.
At the one year mark three of the patients had mild or no symptoms of heart failure.
I effectively reversing their heart failure Abraham said. Additionally patients were able to walk an average 100 feet farther during standardized measures
Drug and device therapies that are currently available for heart failure improve that same quality of life score by only five or 10 points.
The most common adverse effect during the trial was infection of the exit site experienced by 8 out of 20 participants.
There were no hospitalizations among the participants for stroke thrombosis sepsis or bleeding which often occurs in patients using left ventricular assist devices (LVADS).
To test this hypothesis the researchers used a device Han had developed previously to capture circulating tumor cells based on their size.
and bone injuries while cells identified as osteogenic stromal cells were able to repair bone but not muscle.
and purification of bone marrow-derived stem cells for tissue repair in human patients suffering from a range of tissue-degenerative diseases The team is now working on high-speed methods for separating MSCS.
Creating more pure populations of such cells should lead to more effective stem-cell treatments for tissue injuries Van Vliet says.
which could prove useful for treating bone injuries. Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by Massachusetts institute of technology.
#How rabies hijacks neurons to attack brain Rabies causes acute inflammation of the brain, producing psychosis and violent aggression.
Some 55,000 people die from rabies every year. For the first time, Tel aviv University scientists have discovered the exact mechanism this killer virus uses to efficiently enter the central nervous system,
The study, published in PLOS Pathogens, was conducted by Dr. Eran Perlson and Shani Gluska of TAU's Sackler Faculty of medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience,
"Rabies not only hijacks the nervous system's machinery, it also manipulates that machinery to move faster,
"We have shown that rabies enters a neuron in the peripheral nervous system by binding to a nerve growth factor receptor, responsible for the health of neurons, called p75.
and when disrupted it can lead to neurodegenerative diseases, "said Dr. Perlson.""Understanding how an organism such as rabies manipulates this machinery may help us in the future to either restore the process
or even to manipulate it to our own therapeutic needs.""Hijacking the hijacker"A tempting premise is to use this same machinery to introduce drugs or genes into the nervous system,"Dr. Perlson added.
the researchers hope their findings will allow scientists to control the neuronal transport machinery to treat rabies and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Disruptions of the neuron train system also contribute to neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS.
because they have a large amount of crop pathogen. However this species has other subspecies that does not harm their host plants
Both research studies are about the same discovery made for two different viruses namely that viruses can convert their DNA to liquid form at the moment of infection.
Our results explain the mechanism behind herpes infection by showing how the DNA of the virus enters the cell said Alex Evilevitch a researcher in biochemistry and biophysics at Lund University and Carnegie mellon University.
which could then reduce the infection capability and limit the spread of the virus. A drug of this type affects the physical properties of the virus's DNA
in order to facilitate infection indicates that this could be a general mechanism found in many types of virus. In previous studies Alex Evilevitch
and his colleagues have succeeded in measuring the DNA pressure inside the virus that provides the driving force for infection.
and biotechnology to precisely manipulate small volumes of fluids for use in applications such as enzymatic or DNA analysis pathogen detection clinical diagnostic testing and synthetic chemistry.
#Artificial membranes on silicon Artificial membranes mimicking those found in living organisms have many potential applications ranging from detecting bacterial contaminants in food to toxic pollution in the environment to dangerous diseases in people.
because they offer the possibility of containing membrane proteins--biological molecules that could be used for detecting toxins diseases and many other biosensing applications.
--and cancer Scientists reveal the structure of one of the most important and complicated proteins in cell division--a fundamental process in life
and the development of cancer--in research published in Nature. Images of the gigantic protein in unprecedented detail will transform scientists'understanding of exactly how cells copy their chromosomes
A team from The Institute of Cancer Research London and the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular biology in Cambridge produced the first detailed images of the anaphase-promoting complex (APC/C). The APC/C
Discovering its structure could ultimately lead to new treatments for cancer which hijacks the normal process of cell division to make thousands of copies of harmful cancer cells.
In the study which was funded by Cancer Research UK the researchers reconstituted human APC/C
Dr David Barford who led the study as Professor of Molecular biology at The Institute of Cancer Research London before taking up a new position at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular biology in Cambridge said:
Professor Paul Workman Interim Chief executive of The Institute of Cancer Research London said: The fantastic insights into molecular structure provided by this study are a vivid illustration of the critical role played by fundamental cell biology in cancer research.
The new study is a major step forward in our understanding of cell division. When this process goes awry it is a critical difference that separates cancer cells from their healthy counterparts.
Understanding exactly how cancer cells divide inappropriately is crucial to the discovery of innovative cancer treatments to improve outcomes for cancer patients.
Dr Kat Arney Science Information Manager at Cancer Research UK said Figuring out how the fundamental molecular'nuts and bolts'of cells work is vital
The above story is provided based on materials by Cancer Research UK. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Using this EHPS approach to create the nanocrystalline spinel the NRL research team did not observe any decline in density or fracture resistance due to residual porosity.
but they have had all problems with the final product such as a reduced density reduced fracture resistance or reduced transparency.
which can reduce hardness fracture resistance and transparency. NRL's Wollmershauser notes that some theories suggest that fracture resistance should decrease
when you make a ceramic material nanocrystalline. However in their work the NRL researchers have shown that the fracture resistance does not change suggesting that nanocrystalline ceramics can have an equivalent toughness to microcrystalline ceramics
which is important for high window lifetimes. The Hall-Petch relationship has been used to describe the phenomenon where a material's strength
and for treating complex tumors and degenerative spine problems resulting in fewer complications and better outcomes for patients.
The surgeons said the technology has others applications for treating spinal disorders serving as a tool to remove tumors decompress the spinal column
A third study determined that the image-guided technique can be useful for other minimally invasive procedures including thoracic endoscopic spine surgery to remove tumors infections
and treat human waste result in serious health problems and death--food and water tainted with pathogens from fecal matter results in the deaths of roughly 700000 children each year.
Linden's team is one of 16 around the world funded by the Gates Reinvent the Toilet Challenge since 2011.
and transferred to the fiber-optic cable system--similar in some ways to a data transmission line--can heat up the reaction chamber to over 600 degrees Fahrenheit to treat the waste material disinfect pathogens in both feces and urine and produce char.
#A plague of fleas: Tiny Eurasian exotic is upending watery ecosystems across the northern Great lakes The zooplankton never saw it coming.
Unfortunately that doesn't stop the odd Typhoid Mary. In some places along Highway 41 in Upper Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula every lake we tested with a boat ramp had Bythotrephes.
hold great promise for treating cancer and other diseases. However, several inefficiencies have limited their translation to the clinic
says Gregory Szeto, a postdoc at MIT Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and the paper lead author.
a professor of microbiology at the University of Iowa Carver School of medicine and director of the school Center for Immunology and Immune-Based Diseases, says that this paper presents a reative new approach with considerable potential in the development
and putting them back into your body to fight your disease, whatever that may be, Sharei says.
This research was funded by the Kathy and Curt Marble Cancer Research Fund through the Koch Institute Frontier Research Program, the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of General medicine Sciences
releasing a bit of stress, and making it easier for a second atom to climb out of a trough
a discovery that could have therapeutic potential for diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic diseases. Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) scientists have found a way to both make more energy-burning human brown fat cells
and make the cells themselves more active, a discovery that could have therapeutic potential for diabetes, obesity,
and other metabolic diseases. Unlike energy-storing white, or ad, fat cells, oodbrown fat cells make a protein called UCP1 that converts energy stored in glucose
and fatty acids into heat to keep the body warm. When active brown fat cells can also use energy stored by white fat cells,
and at Harvard-affiliated Joslin Diabetes Center and led by HSCI principal faculty member Yu-Hua Tseng,
This could potentially allow the brown fat cells to remove the high numbers of circulating glucose associated with type 2 diabetes
and circulating fatty acids and triglycerides that are the hallmark of metabolic syndrome. y further understanding how adipose cells become thermogenically active,
and metabolic disease, said Chad Cowan, an HSCI principal faculty member who, among other things, also studies the therapeutic potential of brown fat cells.
Tseng Laboratory, Joslin Diabetes Cente T
#Deriving Power Directly from Evaporation Eva, the first evaporation-powered car, rolls along, thanks to a moisture mill a turbine engine driven by water evaporating from wet paper strips lining its walls.
While conventional lithium-ion batteries are composed of brittle electrodes that can crack under stress the new formulation produces battery cells that can be bent,
The breakthrough could be important in developing effective molecules for use in a wide range of industries everything from the development of safer new drugs and disease diagnosis to less toxic pesticides.
for instance the well-known malformation of the limbs of infants of pregnant women taking the Thalidomide drug to relieve morning sickness that occurred around 1960.
In addition to the development of effective new drugs and diagnosis methods for diseases including cancer, it could potentially lead to new reenpesticides using pheromones tailored specifically to attract pollinators
and trees when under stress and detectors to identify concentrations in air samples could be used to monitor our changing ecology.
Such devices could be used to diagnose diseases, especially skin conditions, or to detect environmental pollutants and food conditions,
and a member of the Broad Stem Cell Research center. e also think this approach could possibly be extended to other diseases.
In a healthy immune system, T cells can usually rid the body of viral or bacterial infection.
As a result, HIV infection causes disease similar to that in humans. The researchers found that the CAR-carrying blood stem cells successfully turned into functional T cells that could kill HIV-infected cells in the mice.
The findings strongly suggest that stem cell-based gene therapy with a CAR may be a feasible and effective treatment for chronic HIV infection in humans.
This kills the T cells and weakens the immune system so much that the body can fight even a simple infection.
and millions more at risk of infection, do not have adequate access to prevention and treatment,
and is affiliated with UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and a member of the Broad Stem Cell Research center.
The robot body transitions from soft to hard, reducing the stress where the rigid electronic components join the body
#Yale Researchers Successfully Treat Eczema with Rheumatoid arthritis Drug A team of scientists at Yale university used a rheumatoid arthritis drug to successfully treated patients with moderate to severe eczema.
The same rheumatoid arthritis drug (tofacitinib citrate) has shown recently to reverse two other disfiguring skin conditions, vitiligo and alopecia areata.
Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is a chronic condition that causes severe itching and leaves the skin red and thickened.
such as steroid creams and oral medicines, commonly fail to relieve symptoms in patients with moderate to severe eczema.
Based on current scientific models of eczema biology, assistant professor of dermatology Dr. Brett King. hypothesized that a drug approved for rheumatoid arthritis,
would interrupt the immune response that causes eczema. In the new study, King and his colleagues report that treatment with the drug led to dramatic improvement in six patients with moderate to severe eczema who had tried previously conventional therapies without success. During treatment all six
patients reported significant reduction in itch as well as improved sleep. The redness and thickening of the skin diminished
They also published findings reporting the successful treatment of a patient with vitiligo, which can leave widespread irregular white patches all over the body.
The new study suggests that a change in the standard of care for eczema a condition for
and adults in the United states, said King. hopeful we are entering a whole new era in treatment. he researchers note that further research is needed to confirm the treatment long-term efficacy and safety for eczema patients f
for Integrative Cancer Research. Eliana Martins Lima, of the Federal University of Goiás, is the other co-author.
A multidisciplinary team at Yale, led by Yale Cancer Center members, has defined a subgroup of genetic mutations that are present in a significant number of melanoma skin cancer cases.
Their findings shed light on an important mutation in this deadly disease, and may lead to more targeted anticancer therapies.
The study is published in Nature Genetics. The role of mutations in numerous genes and genomic changes in the development of melanoma a skin cancer with over 70
000 new cases reported in the United states each year is established well and continues to be the focus of intense research.
Yet in approximately 30%of melanoma cases the genetic abnormalities are unclear. To deepen understanding of melanoma mutations,
the Yale team conducted a comprehensive analysis using whole-exome sequencing of more than 200 melanoma samples from patients with the disease.
The multidisciplinary team drawing on their expertise in genetics, cancer, computational biology, pharmacology, and other disciplines also tested the response of tumor cells with specific mutations to anticancer drugs.
The researchers confirmed that a gene known as NF1 is a ajor playerin the development of skin cancer. he key finding is that roughly 45%of melanomas that do not harbor the known BRAF or NRAS mutations display loss of NF1 function,
which leads to activation of the same cancer-causing pathway, said Dr. Michael Krauthammer, associate professor of pathology and the study corresponding author.
Additionally, researchers observed that melanoma patients with the NF1 mutation were had older and a greater number of mutations in the tumors.
These include mutations in the same pathway, collectively known as RASOPATHY genes. Yet mutations in NF1 are not sufficient to cause skin cancer,
said Ruth Halaban, senior research scientist in dermatology, a member of Yale Cancer Center, and lead author of the study. oss of NF1 requires more accompanying changes to make a tumor,
she explained. ur study identified changes in about 100 genes that are present only in the malignant cells
and are likely to be causative. This panel of genes can now be used in precision medicine to diagnose malignant lesions
and can be applied to personalized cancer treatment. By testing the response of the melanoma samples to two cancer drugs,
the researchers also determined that, in addition to loss of NF1, multiple factors need to be tested to predict the response to the drugs. t opens the door to more research,
said Halaban, who is also principal investigator at Yale SPORE in Skin cancer. Other Yale authors include Yong Kong
Antonella Bacchiocchi, Perry Evans, Natapol Pornputtapong, en Wu, James P. Mccusker, Shuangge Ma, Elaine Cheng, Robert Straub, Merdan Serin, Dr
. arcus W. Bosenberg, Dr. Stephan Ariyan, Dr. Deepak Narayan, Dr. Mario Sznol, Dr. Harriet M. Kluger, Shrikant Mane, Joseph Schlessinger,
The study was supported by the Yale SPORE in Skin cancer, funded by the National Cancer Institute, U s. National institutes of health, under award number 1 P50 CA121974;
the Melanoma Research Alliance; Gilead sciences, Inc.;the Howard hughes medical institute; the Department of Dermatology; and the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Publication: Michael Krauthammer, et al, xome sequencing identifies recurrent mutations in NF1 and RASOPATHY genes in sun-exposed melanomas, Nature Genetics, 2015;
doi: 10.1038/ng. 3361 Source: Ziba Kashef, Yale Universit
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