3D Brain Tissue Engineering Hints at Personalized Medicine

3D Brain Tissue Engineering Hints

at Personalized Medicine

Article may be found here.

        Scientists from MIT and Harvard Medical School have developed a cheap and simple method for fabricating 3-dimensional brain tissues by borrowing techniques from the semiconductor manufacturing industry. The tissue constructs that they have manufactured closely mimic the functions of the brain relating to plasticity, thus allowing scientists to model the interactions between individual brain chemistry and drugs, as well look at potential methods for damaged CNS tissue replacement!

        Obviously there are significant limits to current modeling techniques; the brain is so heterogeneous and complexly circuited. To counteract this complexity, researchers embedded a mixture of neurons and support cells from the primary cortex of rats in hydrogel sheets, along with extracellular matrix components. These sheets were then stacked and then wrapped to induced variable light exposure, thus attempting to mimic 3D brain structure. This same method of photolithography is used to embed integrated circuits onto semiconductors.

        Researchers say this process met three crucial requirements: cheapness, precision, and ability to generate complex patterns. And because this process was successful in mimicking the neuron/cupport cell ratios of specific regions of the brain, they could be used to study how neurons form the connections that allow them to communicate with each other.

        I enjoyed this article because it illustrates a desired model that can help scientists to understand the brain's ability to form new connections, which is a theme we have touched on multiple times this year. I hope that as time moves forward, we will be able to further understand the daunting complexity of the brain.

Cancer Fighting Fungus

A fungus has been discovered that can fight cancer in according to research in Advanced Functional Materials. This fungus is known as arthrobotrys oligospora. The researchers discovered that the nanoparticles made by this fungus can stimulate the immune system which in turns can destroy cancer cells. This was discovered after the head associate professor biomedical engineering ad the University of Tennesee, Knoxville, Mingjun Zhang, turned to nature in seeking to solve sciences unanswered questions. Zhang discovered that the fungus trap roundworms which produce nanocomposites which are made up of highly uniform nanoparticles. The nanoparticles serve as a stimulant for the immune system within a white blood cell.  This procedure has been practiced on mice and has found that nanoparticles can shrink ovarian cancer tumors.

There are still a huge amount of unanswered questions out there that nature can potentially be used to solve in the future. Nano-structures, which are nature produced, can evolve to potentially any structure. This allows for a potentially unlimited amount of possibilities for enhancing our lives.

I found this article interesting because our generation will most likely have a great struggle with cancer in our later years with all the advances in life that our potentially harmful when used in excess, and of course our generation does not carry good self control and abuses a lot of substances. Knowing that the fungus can evolve based off how the scientists want in order to attack the cancer cells that are growing is a huge booster to my hope that we all will not die at the age of 50 from multiple types of cancer.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/253768.php

Regenerative Medicine Help for Soldiers

http://www.mirm.pitt.edu/news/article.asp?qEmpID=456

Currently, The McGowen Institute for Regenerative Medicine is working closely with the U.S. Army Institute for Surgical Research to attempt to restore function to hands of soldiers who have lost fingers. The main focus of the research institute is to use mammalian extracellular matrix as a template to recreate tissues. Effectively, through this procedure, the research institute attempts to recreate the fetus' ability to heal wounds. Although this research lab has been successful in regrowing portions of muscle in soldiers with muscle loss due to explosives, the possibility of regrowing a finger is much more difficult as it contains nerves, bones, skin, and blood vessels. In order to regrow this muscle, extracellular matrix from a pig bladder or intestine is placed at the wound site. To isolate the ECM, the cells are scraped away so the collagen and growth factors remain. These growth factors have been known to recruit stem cells to the site of the wound. After a few days, the body's cells with replaced the scaffolding tissue. This treatment has only been successful; however, when the ECM is placed to regrow muscle damaged in between two joints.

I am interested in designing prosthetic technology. With techniques such as this one developed by the McGowan Institute, it may be possible to use living tissue as a material to develop such prosthetic instruments.

New Technique to Deliver Stem Cell Therapy May Help Damaged Eyes Regain Their Sight

New Technique to Deliver Stem Cell Therapy May Help Damaged Eyes Regain Their Sight

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121205103010.htm

A technique was developed at the University of Sheffield for delivering stem cells to a person's cornea to help regain sight. It involves a lens made utilizing microstereolithography and electrospinning which recreates the normal indents in around a person's cornea, promoting stem cell survival. This lens is biodegradeable and thinner at the center, allowing the stem cells to quickly have access to the center of the cornea.

This technique is superior to the traditional method because it is more suitable for the stem cells. With other techniques, the stem cells eventually get used up and the patient's eye will scar; this new design has the ability to keep a suitable supply of stem cells to prevent scar tissue from forming. Another advantage is that it is quick and takes its stem cells from the patient's other eye, avoiding the possibility of rejection as is possible in other methods.

The research will be able to progress quickly into human trials due to its use of pre-approved materials.

I found this article interesting because many of the stem cell treatment articles I've read have discussed treatments still years away from consistent human trial (even the stem cell SNBAL seemed doubtful). This article not only showed that stem cells are being used, but it presented a quick and affordable alternative. It will probably be several years before the results of this study are released, but it was still nice to see a positive outlook on the subject for once.

One question that the article did not make clear for me was whether or not the stem cells will multiply within the corneal niches, or if they are intended to be easily replenished. I assume the former.

$30 Million Project Aims to Produce 1,500 Stem Cell Lines for Drug Discovery

View the article here:  http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=30-million-project-aims-to-produce-1500-stem-cell-lines-for-drug-discovery

At the University of Oxford, tens of millions of dollars have already been appropriated for the development of 1500 new stem cell lines, which are intended for use in research on neurological diseases and disorders.  The current state of the pharmacology industry in the development of new neurological drugs is bleak: generally, it is considered a money pit due to the complex nature of the nervous system and the intricate barriers and chemicals involved.  Scientists hope that by creating several hundred new stem cell lines to work with, research can move forward from its currently stagnated position.  One important feature about these new stem cell lines is their origin: 3 new lines will be derived from each of 500 patients, many of whom suffer from commonplace neurological disorders, and many who are perfectly healthy (a control group).  In this way, scientists will have a large base of options from which to choose when starting research.  This article is brings to light an important point: in many major areas of drug research, new innovations are stagnating.  It will take new and ingenious innovation for drug developers to keep up with the demand for new products.

Human T-Cells Seen To Make Life Or Death Decisions Through Super-Resolution Microscope

Link Here
This article talks about how researchers are using advanced imaging technology, the super resolution fluorescent microscope, to view cell signaling processes involved in the activation of T cells. By viewing the activity of a particular kinase (Lck), researches were able to observe the actual protein processes that causes the immune response seen in the human body. It was hypothesized that this kinase is involved in deciding whether or not the T cells will respond properly to the foreign stimuli. Identifying pathogenic responses that T cells have (or may not have due to some adaptation by the pathogen) to virus-infected and cancer cells will be key in identifying cures for such ailments. he advancement of such technologies is offering today's physiologists a better understanding of how small scale cell processes work, and give insight as to how treatments could be devised to treat a faulty step in the complex biological pathways.

I found the above article interesting because it's amazing that imaging is beginning to reach the level that it can actually observe biological processes on such a small scale. Technology like this will allow for incredible breakthroughs once processes are completely understood on a physical and chemical scale. Also, the chemical process that allows cells to make decisions are very interesting because they illustrate how the body acts in unison based on signalling between various chemical systems, which is the basis for the existence of life.

Friendly Way To Make Stem Cells

Scientist have found a way to make induced pluripotent stem cells from a blood sample. Before this, scientist had a difficult time finding a cell that could be turned into a stem cell. They would have to make the IPS from skin cells or other tissues which would require surgical procedures. The iPS cells can be turned into any other cell in the body, for example blood vessels or heart cells. Using these cells, scientist can study diseases and grow these cells into tissue to repair damage by heary and circulatory diseases. Scientist are able to freeze and store the blood cells and then turn them into iPS cells at a later stage.

I found this article interesting because it will allow for a common procedure of getting your blood taken and can use your blood to develop stem cells. This will make it so that we can develop any type of cell from taking a blood sample and be able to use it to study different diseases and possible help prolong human life.

Article

Ketamine's Possible Use in Fighting Depression

          Researchers from Yale and the National Institue of Mental Health have found that ketamine, an FDA-approved anesthetic and popular club drug, could possibly be used to fight depression much more quickly than current antidepressants.  They found that ketamine appears to create a rapid burst in new connections between nerve cells in areas of the brain involved in emotion and mood.  This quick increase has been shown to combat the loss of synaptic connections that cause depression and also appears to reverse deficits caused by stress.  Research has shown that ketamine seems to reverse depression in hours, compared to weeks with traditional antidepressants.  However, ketamine also causes hallucinations (thus why it' a popular club drug) which poses a problem with its use as an antidepressant.  Researchers are currently trying to produce drugs that work like ketamine, but without the hallucinations.  Several preliminary alternative drugs have already been tested in people, and one of these drugs, GLYX-13, is already moving towards FDA approval.
          This article interested me because I find the possibility of a new way to combat depression very exciting.  It is also weird, but cool, that ketamine, a drug used in clubs to escape reality, can be used to better reality for depressed patients.  The possibility of a ketamine based antidepressant that works in hours instead of weeks could be a huge game changer in the fight against depression.

El Linko

Toxoplasma's Control of the Brain

In this article, the pathways that the parasite, toxoplasma, takes to control its host were examined. Toxoplasma also know as the "cat parasite" has been observed to effect the host's risk-taking ability and other behaviors. The parasite has been living among humans for ages and about 30 to 50 percent of the world's population is infected. The initial infection of the parasite causes mild-flu like symptoms and then the parasites retreat into a long, dormant phase. Although toxoplasmosis in the brains' of humans with immune deficiency and fetuses can be fatal. Research was also conducted to show that even in their dormant phase, they still exhibit some control over the host. When rats are affected with toxoplasmas. they become unafraid of cats and even develop a level of attractiveness to their scent. Researchers infected human dendritic cells with toxoplasma and examined their affects. The toxoplasma caused an up secretion in GABA which in turn inhibits the sensations of fear and anxiety.
The implications of this research are immense. If researchers could find a way to use parasites to inhibit or facilitate signal molecules it could potentially cure many diseases like Alzheimer and etc. The develop of new innovating ways to inhibit/facilitate molecules and drug delivery can lead to many medical breakthrough.

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=16325325#editor/target=post;postID=8989015767870887336

Nanotechnology Drug Delivery

link here.

Nemours Center for Childhood Cancer Research and the Materials Science and Engineering Department at the University of Delaware have been doing research on nanotechnology used to deliver chemotherapeutic drugs to cancer cells without harming the healthy cells surrounding them. They encapsulated the drugs in dexamethasone and they have seen an improvement in the health and lifestyle of the patients treated with the encapsulated drugs. The problem with desamethasone is that long term exposure to the drug has considerable side effects. So Nemours added polymeric nanoparticles which control the movement of the drugs to cancer cells only. This is particularly useful in treatment of children with leukemia.

I am interested in this because I recently applied for a therapeutical engineering job and could one day be working with and perfecting this model to help children in need.

Cancer Killing Nanoparticles

  

 Following the nanoparticle theme of the second half of the semester i came upon a 17 year old who developed the "Swiss Army Knife" of cancer treatment. Angela Zhang submitted a project which she has been working on for the past 2 years to the Siemens competition in math and science technology.

Her creation is a nanoparticle which can be delivered to tumor sites through the use of drugs. Upon arrival at the tumor, the particle focuses and kills cancer stem cells. Due to the inclusion of gold and ion components in her design, the eradication of these cancer cells can me monitored in real time through MRI and Photoacoustic technology. Zhang's project was officially called the design of image-guided, Photo-thermal controlled Drug Releasing Multifunctional Nanosystem for the Treatment of Cancer Stem Cells and needless to say she not only took first place and the $100,000 grand prize, but also the eyes of many research facilities in the nation. 

This research shows that students at every age level have the potential to formulate advanced ideas and unique solutions to tired and tried problems. Hopefully Angela can one day see her research fabricated in reality and used to noninvasively cure may cancer patients.

Original link here

Gene Map of Pain Receptors Developed

Examining Flies leads to Discoveries about Pain in Genes

Find article here!

Professor Josef Penninger analyzed the 14,000 genes in a fruit fly, and identified a select 580 that were involved in heat perception. Then, scientists were able to identify 400 equivalent genes in humans. By comparing the two sets of data (from the fly and form the human), scientists identified a specific molecular signaling in the pain network that involved phospholipids.This mapping of the pain perception gene network is significant, because it allows scientists to develop new analgesic drugs to treat pain in the future. They are able to do this, because they know what regions of the brain to target more specifically. Also noted was the exceptional way in which species have evolved, but kept the same pain signaling pathways in tact over generations.

I found this article to be interesting, because in 12th grade I watched a video about pain and how it is all a mental reaction to changes in the physical body. The video discussed how people could train themselves to isolate the pain/ eradicate it, and since then, pain has been an interesting subject of study for me. Also the idea of being able to prevent pain because of genetic and mental components is intriguing.

MRI Sensor That Responds to Dopamine

This article outlines the sensor that MIT scientists have developed. This sensor responds to dopamine specifically, improving the specificity and resolution of brain imaging. This gives a more accurate and precise measurment of direct brain activity. In the past this could only be measured by detecting the blood flow of the brain using classic MRI techniques. This new molecular probe changes allows researchers to detect dopamine by changing its magnetic propeties in response to the neurotransmitter.

This molecular probe was designed by obtaining a magnetically active protein similar to hemoglobin that researchers knew was visible to MRI, and then evolving it through artificial mutation and selection so that it could bind to dopamine. This molecular engineering at such a small scale has allowed to advance neuroimaging with less invasive procedures.


This sensor will be used to study how the spatial and temporal patterns of dopamine relate to the experiences of reward, learning, and reinforcement in animals for the near future. The researchers hope to develop it so that one day it can also measure and map neural activity in the human brain.

You can red the rest of the article here.

Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Mycophenolate in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

    Myocphenolate is one of the most commonly used antimetaboilte immunosuppressants that is currently available. It is primarily used as part of treatment for those patients who receive an organ transplnat.

    The active ingredient in myocphenolates is mycophenolic acid, and there are currently two compounds that are available (mycophenolate mofetil (MM) and enteric-coted mycophenolate sodium (EC)). The reason that mycophenolic acid is the drug of choice for organ transplants is because it is a selective and reversible inhibitor of inosine monophospate dehydrogenase, which leads to the eventual arrest of T- and B-lymphocyte proliferation.

   MM and EC are hydrolysed to mycophenolic acid by esterases located in the intestinal wall, blood, liver and other tissues throughout the body. The oral bioavailavilty of mycophenolic acid after dosing with MM ranges from 80.7% to 94%, while after dosing with EC the absolute bioavailavilyt of mycophenolic acid is approximately 72%.

   Myocophenolic acid binds 97-99% to serum albumin in patients who have normal renal and liver function, it is metabolized in the liver, intestine, and kidneies by uridine diphosphate gluconosyltransferases.

   When used in conjunction with ciclosporin (another iimmunosuppressant ) MM produced mycophenolic acid levels 30-40% lower than when used in alone or in combinations with other immunosuppressing agents. It is suggested that high doses of corticosteroids my induce the expression of uridine diphosphate gluconosyltransferases, which would effectively reduce the reduce the patient's exposure to mycophenolic acid. It has aso been found that other medications can interfere with the absorption, such as enterohepitc recycling and the metabolism of mycophenolte. For undescribed reasons most of the parmacokinetic investigations of mycophenolic acid have been with the use of MM instead of EC.

   It has been found that patient body weight, serum albumen concentrations and immunosuppressant co-therapy have a significant influence on the apparent oral clearance of mycophenolic acid. Oral clearance means the rate of clearance of drugs that are administered orally.

   The majority of data collected on mycophenolic acid has been obtained from patients who have not only received MM, but was done within the first year of a renal transplant. I personally feel that this tends to bias the findings of any study since it only takes into account one drug and one organ system, but I can only present on the information that is at hand.

Low levels of mycophenolic acid in circulation after 24 hours has been associated with increased incidences of "biopsy-proven rejection," but gastrointestinal events may be related to the administered dose. On the other end of the spectrum high levels of mycophenolic acid in circulation have been shown to be associated with leukopenia and anaemia in some studies. By keeping track of the levels of mycophenolic acid in circulation for the first 12 hours the risk of rejection and toxicity have been shown to be reduced. It is important that each patient be treated with indivudualism, as each case is different, so dosing should be done accordingly.

I selected this article because while I was working at the Texas Heart Institute I actually learned quite a bit about kidney transplants, so I wanted to look a little further into organ transplantation.

url:
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=31c1d7d8-1cc3-4a27-bd00-52f4243bb1eb%40sessionmgr11&vid=2&hid=25

Folic Acid Receptors for Cancer Drug Delivery

Link: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169409X12002803

This article outlines the successes and failures of using the folic acid receptor for cancer drug delivery. It could be predicted an efficient method of delivery because folic acid receptors are hard to access in normal tissues that express it, are upregulated in many human cancers, and their density appears to increase as the cancer worsens. The article discusses the structure of the folic acid receptor and the expression of the folate receptor in normal and malignant tissues. The folic acid receptors can be used as a way of moving therapeutic molecules into the tumor cells, or as a marker that allows ligand-mediated enrichment of therapeutic molecules on tumor cell surfaces. Delivery of toxins, polymers, gene therapy vectors, and liposome encapsulating drugs into cancer cells can be aided by folic acid receptors functioning as a way to get into the cytoplasm of cancer cells. Folate-targeted enzyme-prodrug therapy and folate-targeted immunotherapeutics would be aided by folic acid receptors functioning as markers. Poor penetration of macromolecular conjugates into tumors is the primary limitation to this application of Folic acid receptors. The article proposes possible solutions to this problem.

Stem Cell-Derived Dopaminergic Neurons Rescue Motor Defects in Parkinsonian Monkeys

Link can be found here.

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disease caused by the loss of neurons that produce dopamine.  Symptoms include shaking and trouble with movement. It is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, so research on Parkinson’s disease is essential.

A research center in Japan is experimenting with a way to coax stem cells into becoming dopamine producing neurons. A recent study involved extracting bone marrow from monkeys. The cells extracted were treated with growth factors which caused them to differentiate into dopaminergic neurons. The monkeys were given a chemical to induce Parkinson’s, and then their own stem cells (which are now dopaminergic neurons) were transplanted into their brains. The monkeys who received the transplant had improved motor function.

This study is significant because it shows that adult stem cells can be coaxed to differentiate into dopaminergic neurons, and that these neurons can have a positive effect on motor function. However, further testing is still needed to see if this method would have the same effects on humans.

Super-Resolution Microscope Shows How Human T-Cells Make Life or Death Decisions

Using a super-resolution fluorescent microscope, researchers at the University of South Wales observed the distribution and activity of lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase I (Lck) in individual T-cells. Lck plays a key role in the signal cascade initiated by the T-cell receptor complex, which is responsible for recognizing antigens and initiating immune response. The highly advanced microscope allows researchers to track the activity of individual proteins and molecules within a cell. With this technology, researchers were able to visually determine the location of Lck within a cell and see it open and close as it phosphorylated other molecules in the signalling pathway. 

This advancement is very promising for its potential to reveal in greater detail the process by which T-cells initiate immune response. The proper functioning of the immune system is absolutely vital to human health, as many diseases result from its inability to target serious threats within the body or its tendency to wrongly attack a patient's own healthy tissue. This research could also prove invaluable for the development of immunotherapies as treatments for otherwise incurable diseases, such as Alzheimer's or cancer. It is especially interesting to me due to the fact that nearly every pathology in the world could be treated effectively by altering some function of the immune system. The ability to directly see the activity of proteins is also extremely interesting, and can be used to unlock countless untold secrets of the human body.

Effect of the rest interval duration between contractions on muscle fatigue

Researchers at Universidade do Vale do Paraíba experimented to find the correlation between resting interval time and muscle fatigue. The researchers used 18 non-athletic subjects to study. Torque was measured using an isokinetic dynamometer. Each subject performed 30 contractions of the flexor muscle in the antagonist group of the elbow joint. Some subjects performed all 30 contractions at a set, but different from other subjects', angular speed, while others performed the 30 contractions at different angular speeds. The researchers discovered the greatest reduction in fatigue at the resting interval of 2.59 seconds while the greatest increase in fatigue at 0.54 seconds. These results were produced by measuring the greatest tangent to the graph of torque created. These results show that longer resting intervals slow down the process of fatigue while shorter resting intervals expedites the process of fatigue. These results can be used to increase optimum results in athletics as well as physical rehabilitation.

  

Surprising discovery about physical properties of cancer cells

Researchers have found that the ability of cancer cells to survive turbulent fluid better than normal cells. This tough property of cancer cells could potentially be used for detection and further study of cancer. Before, scientists believed that cancer cells circulating in the blood were very fragile. Now, they believe that resistance to fluid shear stress might be an indicator between benign and malignant cells. This property also makes it easier for scientists to count the number of harmful cells. Additionally, trials showed that earlier exposure to fluid shear stress caused the cancer cells to become adaptive. This article stuck out to me because it dealt with cancer, which is my future focus area. This article also was interesting because it discussed cell types and properties, which we have been learning about recently in class.

Here is the link.

Embryonic blood vessels also make heart muscle cells

Studies have been made in the university of California in Los Angeles that the thin layer of cellslining the interior of blood vessels, where blood stem cells are made may become cardiomyocytes, or heart muscle cells instead just by the absence of a single transcription factor, which is Scl. When Scl is removed it converts a hematopoietic organ into a cardiogenic organ. It turns that Scl tells the other genes in the endothelium what to do and when.

This findings opens new possibilities of potential source of cardiac stem cells, which could help us treat heart attacks by creating new heart muscle cells to replace those that were damaged.

http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/28131

Microarray vs. Karyotype: Detecting Fetal Abnormalities

Article
The chromosomal microarray was more efficient than karyotyping while trying to detect irregularities in the chromosomes that could eventually lead to genetic diseases. The microarray was able to detect the DiGeorge syndrome and genetic changes resulting in autism that the karyotype could not detect. Doctors are suggesting that this new way of detecting fetal abnormalities is better, but there are some defects that it is picking up that the doctors don't know about. Therefore, the suggest counseling for the parents pre and post testing to reveal the results and what they could potentially mean for their child. Microarrays will be the future of determining fetal abnormalities, but as with most good things comes a cost.

This article is enlightening to me  because of the new abilities humans are acquiring to try to reproduce and bring offspring into the world that are as genetically normal as possible. Who knows how something of this power could be used...what if all embryos are detected with the genetic defects like autism or the gene linked to Huntington's was seen and all of the embryos were aborted and only genetically normal babies were brought into the world. There is an endless possibility with this new technology.

Implantable Brain "Pacemaker" for Alzheimers disease

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine in surgically implanted a pacemaker device into the brain of a patient who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.  This was the first time that this surgery has ever taken place in the United States.  The device, which provides deep brain stimulation and has been used in thousands of people with Parkinson's disease, is seen as a possible means of boosting memory and reversing cognitive decline.

This research focuses more on the use of low-voltage electrical charges that are delivered directly to the brain instead of drug therapies that have not worked too well in the past.  Patients who had that pacemaker implanted showed increase in glucose metabolism, which is an indicator of neuronal activity.  By using this therapy, the physicians are trying to enhance the function of the brain mechanically. This procedure is very common in patients with Parkinson’s disease.  More than 80,000 people have undergone this procedure in the past 15 years. 

The surgery involves drilling holes into the skull and then implanting wires on either side of the brain.  These wires are connected to the pathway that leads to the hippocampus.  The hippocampus is the main place of the brain where learning begins and memories are made.  These wires are attached to a stimulator that puts out small electrical pulses. 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121205102615.htm

Bionic eye implants now allow blind people to read

Second Sight, a retinal prothesis manufacturing company, developed a bionic eye that allows patients with retinal failure or degeneration to once again see shapes and color.  This bionic eye is not actually an eye, rather, it is a pair of glasses with a built in camera and processor.  The camera reads light absorptions and sends information to the processor that modulates this information and transmits it to a diode running from the camera to the optic nerve.  The optic nerve then relays the signals to the brain where perception of sight is created.  The Argus II costs $115,000 and is currently in use by 50 patients.  This bionic eye is not near as perfect as the natural eye as it contains only 60 electrodes.  The electrodes correspond to the resolution of generated images, 1 electrode per pixel resolution.  This makes complex shapes difficult to recognize.

I found this article interesting because age-induced deteriorating eyesight is common in my family.  If my eyes do begin to fail later in life, it seems there will be plenty of options to have it restored.  Bionic eyes will only become more effective as technology advances and by the time my eyes do begin failing, I believe there will be a fully functional bionic alternative.  Eventually, bionic eyes could even become more effective than natural eyes.

http://www.naturalnews.com/038177_bionics_eye_implants_blind_people.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6368089.stm

Optical Tweezers and understanding a disease.

Elliot Botvinick, at UC, Irvine utilizes optical tweezers to see how certain diseases take hold. The optical tweezers are capable of altering single molecules within a cell, which clearly is very useful. The research he is doing is expected to provide crucial information on the origins and workings of diseases including cancer.
http://bmesblog.org/aws/BMES/pt/sd/news_article/63544/_PARENT/layout_blog/false

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20121205/e28098Pain-as-rewarde28099-raises-tolerance-threshold.aspx

The link above, "Pain as reward", caught my eye because it was so obviously about "mind over matter". The ability of our minds to mask such high levels of pain is extraordinary. The body will naturally follow through with the necessary processes but the mind can make a conscious decision to continue on if it wants to. The brain is such an interesting place because its possibilities are endless. Typically, if the mind can overcome the external issue, it will. The article was important to me because neurology has always been facinating to me and I hope to persue a career in the field.

New coating for hip implants could prevent premature failure

A group of chemical engineers from MIT have developed a new coating for artificial hip or knee prosthesis. This finding will minimize the need for early replacement surgery, a procedure needed for people who receive total joint replacement. This procedure often causes serious complications for older patients-tremendous secondary tissue loss and chronic pain.

The new coating help the implants last longer and better adhere with the bone preventing any infection or failure. The coating consists of a thin film (100 nanometers to 1 micron thick) made up from layers of materials that help encourage a rapid growth of bone, such as hydroxyapatite. This material attracts mesenchymal stem cells from the bone marrow and provides an interface for the formation of new bone, while the other layer releases a growth factor, which encourages mesenchymal stem cells to transform into bone-producing cells called osteoblasts. These cells generate new bone to fill in the spaces around the implant creating a stronger bone and lowering the risk of infection. Using the method of layer-by-layer assembly, researched controlled the right thickness of the material and the amount of the growth factor needed  

The team has tested the coating in animal studies and the results showed rapid bone formation, securing the implants in place. In addition, the coating could be used for fixation plates and screws used to set bone fractures. It can also be used for dental implants and help heal fractures.

I chose this article because I am very interested in implants. It is amazing how such research affect people’s lives. It is very hard for patient, especially the elderly ones, to go for another operation after receiving a joint replacement. Hopefully, this new coating will be applied and make the patient’s life much easier.

"New coating for hip implants could prevent premature failure." Biotech Week 9 May 2012: 1039. Health Reference Center Academic. Web. 4 Dec. 2012.

Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com.lib-ezproxy.tamu.edu:2048/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA289001598&v=2.1&u=txshracd2898&it=r&p=HRCA&sw=w

Link Between Vitamin D and Women's Cognitive Performance

Researches have discovered a link between vitamin D intake and women's cognitive performance as they age. Higher vitamin D intake has been associated with a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's as discovered by researchers at the Angers University Hospital in France. At a similar time, researchers in Virginia found that low vitamin D in older women increases the risk for cognitive impairment and other disorders. A sample of 6,257 women were tested daily for vitamin D levels and cognitive function (tested by a mini- mental state exam). This news came after a article published last year about men and women having and increased risk of mobility impairment and disabilities if they do not have enough vitamin D in their diet, or from the sun.

I found this article interesting because it directly pertains to me as a woman. It also gives me an excuse to keep tanning in the sun to maintain my vitamin D levels. And I like any excuse to tan.

Shape Memory Polymers

Shape memory polymers (SMPS) are thermo-responsive materials which switch from a temporary shape to a permanent shape by heating above its transition temperature. The development of this shape memory polymers enables high recovery stress levels as well as novel functions such as electrical conductivity, magnetism, and biofunctionality. Dr. Grunlan’s lab is working on developing shape memory polymers with silicon-containing segments in order to achieve excellent mechanical properties such as shape fixity, and shape recovery. SMPs were prepared by photocuring diacrylated PCL_n-block-PDMS₃₇-block-PCL_n macromers with tailored PDMS [polydimethylsiloxane] and PCL [poly(ε-caprolactone)] segment lengths. Both solid SMPs and shape memory foams are being studied.

In the biomedical field, shape memory polymers may permit the development of superior interventional devices. This technology could help my grandfather potentially someday. Currently, my grandfather suffers from reoccurring blood clots. The SMPs can be used for blood clot removal by forming a self-expanding stent.

 

http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-642-12359-7_28?LI=true#

Monitoring Your Vital Signs Through A Bandage

Electrical engineers at Oregon State University developed monitoring sensors that are amazingly the size of a postage stamp.  This technology is related to an ongoing engineering research project to reduce the size of body monitoring sensors. Initial testing of the small sensors has shown that they are able to fit onto a bandage. Researchers believe that these monitor sensing bandages can be manufactures in high volumes and cost less than 25 cents to produce. The size of the sensor holds numerous potential and advances for heart monitoring and physical activity recording to be used in future studies These tiny monitoring sensors have caught the attention from healthcare professionals involved in the care of patients with dementia. The device is also able to measure perspiration rate and body temperature, which is a useful source of information in disease prevention, or even as a lie detector. Current technology measures these body signals using bulky, power-consuming, costly instruments. These large devices have been integrated onto a single microchip. Now vital biomedical measurements can be made more portable, routine, convenient and affordable. The electrical engineering team have conducted test that have shown that the new technology cuts the cost of comparable technology by approximately ten times. These monitoring sensors don't have a battery. They gather the spare radio-frequency energy from a nearby device. By being able to dramatically reduce the size, weight and cost of these devices, it opens new possibilities in medical treatment, health care, disease prevention, weight management and other fields."

I found this article interesting because the idea that biomedical instruments can be integrated into a device small enough to fir onto a Band-Aid astounds me. Compared to the current biomedical instruments, these monitoring sensors provide a similar degree of power consumption in a smaller sensor. The body monitor market is currently oversupplied with products, some of which can cost up to $100.  By being able to dramatically reduce the size, weight and cost of these devices, it opens new possibilities in medical treatment, health care, disease prevention, weight management and other fields.

 Link Here

mRNA Flu Vaccine

Life long protection against the flu maybe possible

The discovery of a protein called protamine makes it possible for mRNA to exist without being destroyed in the blood. This will allow the immune system to incorporate the new mRNA as a protein signal against the flu.  DNA flu vaccines are being studied but these are unlikely to proceed to human trials due to the fear that cells may integrate the DNA vaccine into their DNA. mRNA also has the ability to survive as a freeze dried powder which will make shipment and production easier than current methods requiring refrigeration for the vaccine. mRNA also allows for the vaccine to trigger cell-mediated response along with the typical antibody response. This will allow for greater protection against the virus and quicker response to clear any infection of the virus that might get started.

As news of A&M's bioterror grant still fresh in our minds these kinds of vaccines maybe closer to us than we think.

Antibodies for Combating Parkinson's and Alzheimer's

Article can be found here.

According to a new study, it appears that antibodies developed by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are quite effective in preventing protein particle formations linked to Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, as well as Type 2 diabetes.

As we have learned previously, both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's share the common trait of inappropriate clumping of proteins, mainly beta-amyloid and lewy bodies, respectively.  If these protein masses can be prevented, it is possible the condition is also preventable.  In order to combat the formation of aggregations, researchers are utilizing a potent, manufactured antibody.  The antibody works by binding to 10 target proteins so they cannot gather together. Typical antibodies only bond to up to 2 proteins, so this new development is much more effective.

The reasoning behind the increased potency is because a very low percentage would be able to cross the blood-brain barrier and be able to get into the brain, where the diseases take hold. By this reasoning it makes sense to try and increase effectiveness so that what little antibody that accesses the brain can preclude as much protein aggregation as possible.

I found this research incredibly interesting because if this development could be put into action and be successfully utilized, who knows what other diseases can be prevented or precluded.  Not only that, but through these trials, we can gain a better knowledge of how to improve immunity.  Overall, it appears that antibody inhibitors have a promising future in research.

Decay-Fighting Microbes

The article can be accessed HERE

Bacteria living on teeth convert sugar into lactic acid, which erodes enamel and causes tooth decay. A Florida-based company ONI BioPharma has engineered a new bacterial strain that they call SMaRT that cannot produce lactic acid. Also, it releases an antibiotic that kills the natural decay-causing strain. Dentists will only need to swab SMaRT onto teeth once to keep them healthy for a lifetime. This advancement is now in clinical trials.

This article caught my eye because cavities are annoying and preventing them is a big task, especially with young children. I would be very happy to get this treatment and not work about cavities anymore. This is a great advancement for our society and will keep the job of dentists a lot easier. Also, my aunt is a dentist and she thought this discovery was amazing.

Aspirin Tied To Lower Risk For Liver Cancer And Death From Liver Disease (November Post)

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/253407.php

A new study published on the journal of the national cancer institute shows that aspirin is associated with a risk reduction of liver cancer and death from chronic liver disease.

The study involved more than 300,000 people aged from 50 to 71, who reported their use of aspirin and monsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for 12 years. The results showed that people who have been taking aspirin were 45% less likely to die from chronic liver disease and 41% were less likely to develop liver cancer (also called hepatocellular carcinoma HCC). The researchers stated that the aspirin, when taken exclusively or with other non-aspirin NSAIDs showed a consistent protective effect related to both HCC and incidence and CLD mortality, regardless of the frequency. The study seems to be very promising. If the results have been confirmed, the chronic liver disease and liver cancer could be prevented.

I chose this article because the liver cancer strikes nearly 29,000 Americans each year, and kills more than 20,000 people according to the national cancer institute. It is very encouraged to have such research seeking solutions for such a terrible disease and making people’s life easier.

Master Regulator of Skin Development Discovered

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121202164434.htm

A new molecule, TINCR, is required to direct precursor molecules to help them in their processes of differentiation. It binds and stabilizes differentiation genetic messages, mRNA. Blocking this activity stops differentiation of skin cells. TINCR is however not a protein, but it is a relatively new class of regulatory molecules called non-coding RNAs or IncRNAs.  They do not carry instructions the instructions to make proteins. They are longer than microRNAs. It stabilizes certain mRNA transcripts and it can perfect gene expression. These researchers looked at RNAs that are more expressed in keratinocytes than progenitor cells. TINCR levels of expression were 150 times greater. Researchers developed two assays: one for identifying interactions in RNA molecules, and another to suss out interactions between a regulatory RNA and its corresponding protein. Another approach involves a microarray with over 9400 different proteins.  These proteins were exposed to TINCR and STAU1 bound strongly to TINCR.

I think this article is pretty cool considering they are pinpointing RNA molecules that will be able in the far future be able to help with skin grafting or to make other types of cells.  Starting with this small molecule and its role in epidermal cell differentiation could change the way of stem cell research in humans. These RNA molecules can code for proteins that can help repair skin in whatever type of situation and it gives hope to people with damaged skin such as a burn victim. This differentiation non-regulatory RNA gives sight into how much we are still learning and discovering about the genome and gives hope in the fact that we might finally pinpoint other genes to help with other disease or differentiation.

NIH-funded Researchers Show Possible Trigger for MS Nerve Damage

Using high-resolution images from a technique called in-vivo two-photon laser scanning microscopy, researchers from the Gladstone Institute for Neurological Disease have provided evidence for how nerves may be damaged during the early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS). 

Previous studies have suggested that the leakage of fibrinogen, a blood clotting protein, through a disruption in the blood-brain barrier and into the central nervous system activated resident macrophages called microglia.  This in turn caused the immune cells to destroy myelin and eventually cause nerve damage.  Using a mouse model, the researchers found that the fibrinogen leakage was followed by the clustering of microglia and other immune cells around the blood vessels. Furthermore, microglial activation occurred only days before any damage to the nerves began. 

The researches also found data suggesting that fibrinogen binding to the microglial receptor CD11b/CD18 caused the microglia to release reactive oxygen molecules that caused neuronal damage.  Genetically modifying fibrinogen’s blood clotting activity, in turn, prevented activation of the microglia and nerve damage, suggesting a new direction for therapeutic strategies.

We’d previously spoken about MS in class as one of our SNBAL assignments, but we spoke about the use of stem cells as a treatment for MS instead.  I found this article interesting because after providing some evidence for the mechanism of neuronal damage, they provided a new strategy to prevent the onset of MS.  Stopping the disease early on would prevent any permanent damage.

Article:  NIH-funded Researchers Show Possible Trigger for MS Nerve Damage