UT Austin Licenses Technology for Skin Cancer Detection

Detection and treatment of cancer for any patient can be emotionally and physically difficult, especially with the current methods used today. Biopsies are invasive and can be painful, and having to wait long amounts of time for a diagnosis can be almost torturous. At the University of Texas in Austin, a team under Dr. James Tunnel has licensed the technology that they believe can detect skin cancer using a probe.

The company sponsoring this is DermDx, based out of California. The company is sponsoring further research at Dr. Tunnel’s laboratory, as well as at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where the ideas of the detection probe were first discussed. Researchers believe this will change skin cancer detection in many god ways because patients will not have to go through invasive biopsies and they will get the results faster.

The probe works by emitting pulses of light from the probe onto the skin or tissue in question and the results are sent to a computer system for analysis. The light that is emitted onto the skin is measuring the cellular and molecular signatures of skin cancer. The probe can be moved to all different parts of the skin.

The probe is not on the market yet because it is to undergo more clinical trials. So far, the results are promising, as they have tested it on over 80 patients at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center with good results.

This article is very interesting to me because I am very interested in cancer research, and hope to study cancer advancements as a future career after I graduate. The technology researchers are using today is fascinating, and since cancer is one of the most dominant diseases today, any bit of research will help in curing the disease.

http://insciences.org/article.php?article_id=1893

Alicia Capps

From the Ground Up

Generating tissue growth has always been a difficult and arduous process. Producing functional tissue (those containing blood vessels) samples is extremely slow. However, recently University of Rice and Baylor School of Medicine have discovered a new way to generate tissue with functional capillaries. The much improved method was a step in the right direction and much more efficient than the current known process involving charging plastic blocks that provided the foundations for blood vessel growth. The need of a blood supply is required for the development of new tissues. However creating a suitable network for which that blood vessel can foster has proven to be difficult. The old method of using plastic as a basis was too cumbersome and time-consuming. This pushed for the need of a better technique and it was answered recently in the labs of Rice and Baylor. The new method involves the use of polyethylene glycol or PEG. PEG is a common substance found toothpaste, anti-freeze and printer ink. The PEG was modified to resemble a cellular matrix for which blood vessels can grow mimicking the protein coated scaffolds found in tissue. Using this, researchers used umbilical cells aided with human growth factors to further the growth of a network of vessels. Next, the network was exposed to UV light aiding researchers to track the growth in a 72 hour time span. The development of new blood vessels can be clearly indentified. Researchers are hoping to model this growth in a 3-D model to better display the results.

The development of all complex organisms begins with the basics and this article showed an improved method to laying down those basic foundations that are the tissues and the blood vessel network. Because of that, I believe this to be an incredible breakthrough in bioengineering. With an efficient method of developing tissues, everything down the line can be that much easier to develop. Of course refining this technique may take a while but to know that it is possible show how fast modern medicine is progressing.

Article

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-01/tissue-engineering-breakthrough-lab-grown-tissue-can-grow-its-own-blood-vessels

UV imaging

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtMifCkTHTo&feature=player_embedded

Angdi Liu

Researchers Induce Blood Vessel Growth in Artificial Tissues

Researchers from Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine grew a system of and capillaries on a nontoxic plastic matrix. They were able to control where cells grew in their plastic gel.

Before now, inducing angiogenesis in artificial tissues has entailed driving nails through electrically charged blocks, and using the network of created tubes as the scaffolding for blood vessels or nerve cells.  In addition, full assembly of vessels is possible, though the process is apparently very slow.

With this breakthrough, the idea of growing tissues thicker than a few hundred microns has become feasible because blood vessels can deliver the necessary supply of nutrients to the tissues.  In the long term, tissue structures with a native blood supply introduced could one day result in new lab-grown tissue implants.

The new method involved polyethylene glycol, or PEG, a common ingredient in many consumer products like laxatives, toothpaste, and printer ink.  Modifying PEG to resemble the body’s extracellular matrix, the protein-sugar scaffold that makes up most tissue, the combined this with a culture of human umbilical cells and added growth factors derived from platelets to would help promote blood vessel formation.

Then, the team exposed their PEG to UV light, modifying it into a hydrogel, and then seeded it with the cells.  When they injected a fluorescent dye to observe the results, their platelet plastic grow a series of tubules.

I found this article interesting because I am fascinated by the idea of growing artificial organs and futuristic "miracle medicine."  The fact that the mechanisms of a system as complex as the human body is slowly being unlocked by modern research makes me excited for a future where man can cure the vast majority of diseases and impairments.  A future where medicine can restore people's health in an otherwise hopeless situation is one that I am eager to contribute toward.

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-01/tissue-engineering-breakthrough-lab-grown-tissue-can-grow-its-own-blood-vessels

[If you click the link, you can view a video of the vessels forming.]

Woolly Mammoth Clone

Researchers in Japan are working on a project to clone a woolly mammoth. Woolly mammoths have been extinct for a very long time; it is believed that they went extinct during the last Ice Age. The goal of this project is to resurrect a woolly mammoth by extracting tissue from a preserved carcass of a woolly mammoth and inserting the mammoth cells’ nuclei into an emptied elephant egg. It is hoped that the elephant will then give birth to a woolly mammoth clone. This project is expected to be completed within five to six years. Researchers hope that this will allow them to study the woolly mammoth species and to learn new things about the species’ ecology and genes. They believe that this will help them to hypothesize about how and why the mammoth went extinct around 65 million years ago.

This article seemed interesting to me because it raises a lot of ethical issues. Is it ethically justifiable to resurrect a species that naturally went extinct so very long ago? Are there any foreseeable adverse consequences to this undertaking? There are so many intriguing issues and questions that arise from this research project, but I am excited to see how well their plan actually works out.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110117/wl_asia_afp/japansciencemammoth_20110117104445

Abigail Hueske

VTPP 435-501

Discovery of a Biochemical Basis for Broccoli's Cancer-Fighting Ability

They say mother knows best. Turns out, she might be. Researchers discovered a biochemical factor in broccoli that potentially could stop cancer growth. Apparently, broccoli, cauliflower, water cress, and other related vegetables contain the naturally occurring chemical isothiocyanate (ITC). The tumor suppressing gene, p53, plays a significant role in maintaining the health of cells and preventing them from turning cancerous. In a little over half of cancer cases, this gene is mutated and no longer effective. ITCs remove the defective p53 proteins and leave the correctly operation p53 proteins alone. Scientist tested ITCs effectiveness on colon, breast, and lung cancer. They are currently working on custom-engineered drugs that improve the effectiveness of other drugs and for coming up with new techniques for combating cancer.

Cancer runs in my family so finding more methods of fighting the terrible disease only improves my chances of survival. My hope is that researchers will find more naturally occurring compounds in foods and plants that could potential eliminate cancer as a life threatening disease if not in entirety.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110126131906.htm

New Findings on Pancreatic Cancer Give Hope for Early Detection

Pancreatic cancer has one of the lowest five-year survival rates of all cancer types: just 5%. This is typically because it is not detected until it has reached a highly aggressive stage. Recent studies at Johns Hopkins University found that approximately fifteen years pass between the first cancer-causing mutations and the start of the stage in which the cells metastasize and become deadly.

In the study, scientists examined the genomes of patients who had died of late-stage pancreatic cancer. The tumor cells contained various mutations which were analyzed in a mathematical model to determine their age. The models suggested that the cells arose approximately ten years after the mutation, dispelling the popular belief that pancreatic cancer is too aggressive for screening to be effective. On the contrary, a screening that detects cancerous pancreatic cells could be highly promising and increase survival rates because the cancer could be treated before metastasizing aggressively.

Some screening techniques are already being tested. A year ago, UCLA scientists identified RNA that could indicate cancer in the saliva of treatable pancreatic cancer patients. There are also advances in optical technology (endoscopy) that uses light scattering to recognize cancerous cells. Until those technologies are made commercially available, doctors will be limited to screening high-risk patients using other imaging techniques like CT scans or MRI. While those techniques can (and have) saved lives with early detection, the recent findings about the timeline of pancreatic cancer could make development of alternatives more worthwhile.

This article caught my attention because of some of the recent imaging tests that I had to undergo recently. Given the wide variety of cancers, it'd be one's hope that doctors could screen for multiple cancers (or diseases in general) with a simple and minimally invasive test. I'd like to see technology move in the direction of effectively consolidating those tests - maybe the salivary analysis could someday be an easy lifesaver for many.

Scientific American, Feb. 2011
"How Old Is Your Cancer?"
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-old-is-your-cancer

Team creates 'engineered organ' model for breast cancer research

Researchers are Purdue have engineered a new model for breast cancer research. This new model mimics the branching mammary duct system, where most breast cancers begin. By using this new model with nanoparticles, the team hopes to be able to detect and target tumor cells within ducts of a natural breast.

The team plans to introduce magnetic nanoparticles through the opening of the nipple. By using a magnetic field, they will be able to guide the nanoparticles through the ducts where they could attach to cancer cells and deliver anticancer agents directly to the cancer cells. By using nanoparticles, a smaller tumor size can be identified. This results in finding cancer much more earlier.

Currently, the team has been able to successfully grow cells that line the mammary ducts within the mold. They have also been able to move nanoparticles within the bare channels of the mold filled with fluid. Future research involves moving the nanoparticles through the finished model lined with living cells.

This is interesting research due to its potential to identify breast cancer early, and its ability to target cancer cells within the ducts. This study offers a new perspective on how to identify and treat a common cancer in women.

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-01-team-breast-cancer.html

Cardiologists Employ Biomedical Engineering to Safeguard Heart Patients

Cardiologists and biomedical engineers have come together again and delivered a device that drastically reduces the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. More than two million Americans have atrial fibrillation, a heart condition in which the atria of the heart quiver, or fibrillate, instead of contracting normally. These patients are five times more likely to have a stroke.

The drug currently used to reduce the risk of stroke in these patients is Coumadin, a blood thinner, which is essentially rat poison. Patients taking Coumadin have to be monitored and have their blood drawn and tested regularly to ensure the drug is not causing any internal damage. This new device basically eliminates the need for these patients to take Coumadin. The parachute-like device is implanted at the opening of the left atrium (where more than ninety percent of clots in these patients occur), using a procedure similar to stent placement in angioplasty. The patients' blood filters through the device, which is able to detect and remove clots. Patients with the implanted device have a 60% less chance of having a stroke than if they were on Coumadin.

More research is being conducted to see if the device can be used to prevent stroke in all patients, not just those with atrial fibrillation. The FDA has yet to approve the use of the device in patients without atrial fibrillation, but clinical trials are ongoing.

I found this article interesting because it relates directly to research I am interested in performing. I plan on being a cardiologist who does engineering research on the side, and seeing the combination of both cardiology (in terms of implantation and biological function of the device) and biomedical engineering (in terms of creating the device) gives me a perspective of what I might one day do.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2005/1203-stopping_strokes.htm

New Mechanism for Controlling Blood Sugar Level Discovered

Scientists at the University of Leicester have identified for the first time a new way in which our body controls the levels of sugar in our blood following a meal in the form of a particular protein whose role involves helping to maintain correct blood sugar levels. This protein, called the M3-muscarinic receptor, which is present in the cells that release insulin in the pancreas, must not only be active, but also needs to undergo a specific change in order to trigger insulin release and thus control the level of sugar in the blood. Without this change in protein conformation, sugar levels increase similar to that in diabetes. Researchers are currently testing if this mechanism of controlling blood sugar levels is a process disrupted in diabetes. A positive result could have a dramatic impact on the future for diabetes.

I found this article particularly interesting because diabetes is a common disease and runs in my family. Both my grandfather and my younger brother are plagued by diabetes. A possible breakthrough in diabetes research such as this one could lead to simpler and more effective treatments for the numerous complications the disease brings.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101129111735.htm

Understanding the forces that shape our bones

Two studies in Ireland are helping us understand more about the forces that shape our bones and joints. The first study led by Dr. Laoise McNamara is studying the stress and strain on bones. She will be monitoring the stretch and pull on cells to shed light on how cells handle the loads we apply on them. Mechanobiology could help us solve health issues such as bone thinning, loss of bone density of astronauts, and hormone effects. They hope to discover appropriate loading (or how much force to exert) for different ages that could ultimately reduce bone loss. This may also lead to developing a bioreactor to grow new bone tissue for grafts. “Biologists have come nowhere near being able to grow new bone in lab because they can’t get the cells to make strong bone tissue – it’s jelly-like and you wouldn’t be able to stand on it,” says McNamara. “So by understanding which cells are most appropriate, and what mechanical loads, how much we put on the cell or how much fluid flow we put over them, [we want] to try and develop a method to grow new bone in the lab.”

The second project will focus on cartilage since there are limited treatment options for damaged cartilage. They are hoping to develop a way of using a person’s own stem cells to rebuild the cartilage. With the use of microbeads, adult stem cells are isolated from the patient’s knee and then used create a biological scaffold. The scaffold is then put back into the joint to grow into cartilage.

Our bones and skeletal system are vital to our everyday life. When something goes wrong, the effects can be devastating. These two studies are leading us down the path to understanding more about the forces are bones handle and a new way to regrow cartilage to help expand the quality of life.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sciencetoday/2011/0120/1224287933858.html

Blood Vessels in Lab Grown Tissue

Researchers from Rice and Baylor School of Medicine have made a breakthrough that will change the field of tissue engineering forever. Tissue grown in a lab could formerly only grow a few microns thick according to Jennifer West, chair of Bioengineering at Rice university, because of the lack of a blood supply in the tissue. Texas researchers have found a way to efficiently stimulate cells to create artificial blood vessels. How did they induce the cells to make these capillaries? With a common laxative. The researchers took polyethylene glycol (PEG), a common ingredient in laxatives, and changed it to be synonymous with the extracellular matrix found in the human body. They placed umbilical cells from a human and other growth factors to enhance the formation of the blood vessels, and, 72 hours later, had a working network of tubules.

I found this article extremely interesting due to the impact it will have on tissue engineering. If we can create tissues with working networks of blood vessels, how large of a tissue can we create? A liver? Or maybe even brand new hearts cultured from those whose inherent heart is failing. This type of research makes me eager to get into a lab and expand medicine even more.

URL: http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-01/tissue-engineering-breakthrough-lab-grown-tissue-can-grow-its-own-blood-vessels