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Neuroscience

Knowledge of Protein Structure in the Brain Could Lead to Novel Drugs – Technology Networks

After five years of experimentation, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have succeeded in crystallising and mapping a novel conformation of LeuT, a bacterial protein that belongs to the same family of proteins as the brain's so-called neurotransmitter transporters.

These transporters are special proteins that sit in the cell membrane. As a kind of vacuum cleaner, they reuptake some of the neurotransmitters that nerve cells release when sending a signal to one another.

Some drugs or substances work by blocking the transporters, increasing the amount of certain neurotransmitters outside the nerve cells. For example, antidepressants inhibit the reuptake of the neurotransmitter serotonin, while a narcotic such as cocaine inhibits the reuptake of the neurotransmitter dopamine.

'Transporters are extremely important for regulating the signalling between neurons in the brain and thus the balance of how the whole system works. You cannot do without them', says Kamil Gotfryd, first author and Associate Professor at the Department of Biomedical Sciences who, during the study, was a postdoc at the Department of Neuroscience.

'Not only does the new discovery give us additional basic scientific knowledge about the complex transporter proteins. It also has perspectives in relation to developing pharmacological methods, with which we can change the function of transporters. In other words, the discovery may lead to better drugs', he adds.

From bacteria to human brains

Evolutionary, transporters derive from the most primitive bacteria, which have developed them to absorb nutrients, such as amino acids, from the environment in order to survive.

Since then, specialised transporters have developed to perform a variety of functions. For example, to transport neurotransmitters into neurons in the human brain. Still, the basic principle is the same, namely that the transporter functions by alternately opening and closing to the interior and exterior of a cell, respectively.

When a transporter is open outwardly, it may capture transmitter substances or amino acids. Thereafter, the protein uses sodium ions to change its structure so that it will close outwardly and instead open to the interior of the cell where the transported substance is released and absorbed.

Full cycle

In recent years, X-ray crystallography has enabled researchers to map three stages of the transporter mechanism: Outwardly open, outwardly occluded and inwardly open.

In order for the cycle to be complete, researchers have long concluded that there must also be an inwardly occluded stage of the protein. However, since this structure is unstable, it has long been difficult to freeze it and thus be able to map it.

But now, after many trials, researchers at the University of Copenhagen have succeeded in retaining a transporter for the transmitter leucine - a LeuT - in precisely that stage.

'We have been working on this for five years, and no matter what we did, we never got the structure we wanted. But suddenly it happened', says Professor and Head of Department Ulrik Gether of the Department of Neuroscience.

'Our study is in fact - I would say - 'the missing link'. This structure has been missing and it has been important to understand the entire cycle which the transporter is going through', he adds.

A key to more discoveries

Ulrik Gether explains that the key to solving the long-standing mystery was partly a mutation of the transporter and partly a replacement of the substance leucine by the related, but slightly larger phenylalanine molecule.

The combination, so to say, held the transporter long enough in the desired position for researchers to purify, crystallize, and map its structure.

At the same time, Ulrik Gether explains that the high degree of similarity between different types of transporters allows researchers to draw parallels to the transporters of a wide range of other neurotransmitters.

'Now that we know more about LeuT, the result may be transferred to other transporters of other neurotransmitters. We believe that we can generalise and create better models for, in example, dopamine, serotonin and GABA transporters which are targets for drugs to treat ADHD, depression and epilepsy, respectively', says Ulrik Gether.

According to the Head of the Department, the next step is to continue working with the transporters found in human nerve cells.

Reference:Gotfryd, K., Boesen, T., Mortensen, J.S. et al. (2020) X-ray structure of LeuT in an inward-facing occluded conformation reveals mechanism of substrate release. Nat Commun. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14735-w

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

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Knowledge of Protein Structure in the Brain Could Lead to Novel Drugs - Technology Networks

Neuroscience

Our brains aren’t computers and why it hinders research to think of them that way – Genetic Literacy Project

By viewing the brain as a computer that passively responds to inputs and processes data, we forget that it is an active organ, part of a body that is intervening in the world, and which has an evolutionary past that has shaped its structure and function.

The metaphors of neuroscience computers, coding, wiring diagrams and so on are inevitably partial. That is the nature of metaphors, which have been intensely studied by philosophers of science and by scientists, as they seem to be so central to the way scientists think. But metaphors are also rich and allow insight and discovery. There will come a point when the understanding they allow will be outweighed by the limits they impose, but in the case of computational and representational metaphors of the brain, there is no agreement that such a moment has arrived.

There are many alternative scenarios about how the future of our understanding of the brain could play out: perhaps the various computational projects will come good and theoreticians will crack the functioning of all brains.

Or we will accept that there is no theory to be found because brains have no overall logic, just adequate explanations of each tiny part, and we will have to be satisfied with that.

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Our brains aren't computers and why it hinders research to think of them that way - Genetic Literacy Project

Neuroscience

A chance for all to play at BOP open week – The Bay’s News First – SunLive

Playcentres around the Bay of Plenty are opening their doors to everyone for Playcentre Open Week.

At Playcentre we pride ourselves on the social connections we foster, says Playcentre spokesperson Claire Gullidge.

Both children and adults often make lifelong friends while attending Playcentre.

So, this year we are celebrating friendships by encouraging both members and non-members to bring a friend to Playcentre.

Playcentre Aotearoa is an Early Childhood Education provider with a difference; it is parents and whnau who care for the children attending.

Friendship is important to us all, but at no time is it more important than during early childhood; current research indicates that social skills in pre-schoolers are more predictive of outcomes in adulthood than early academic achievement.

At Playcentre children get an opportunity to make friends with others outside of their own age group with mixed age play, with children from newborn to six 6-year-olds, being a predominant feature of every Playcentre session.

"The friendships that you establish in early childhood, and the social skills that underpin those, are more of an indicator of the child's future academic success than any of the cognitive outputs, like colours, alphabet and numbers, says Neuroscience Educator, Nathan Wallis.

Playcentre has a long and proud tradition of focusing on developing children's social skills and they remain today as consistent with the literature and the research on what is best for children. I think we should be really proud as New Zealanders that we have something like Playcentre - it's a world leading movement. "

Playcentre welcomes you and your family and invites you to meet new friends and explore our village, says Claire.

If you cannot make a visit during Playcentre Open Week, feel welcome to visit any time. New members are always welcome.

Open week runs from March 16 to 20.

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A chance for all to play at BOP open week - The Bay's News First - SunLive

Embryology

Learning lessons from the farm – Gaston Gazette

Second grade students at Township Three Elementary School were able to witness the life cycle of a chick beginning when the babies began developing in the eggs up until they made their big debut.

The kids helped turn the eggs to ensure they developed properly and monitored them in the classroom for three weeks as they stayed warm in a special incubator provided as part of the 4-H Embryology Program.

A celebration was held once the chicks hatched and the children did a chicken dance, made a clucking cup and had a chick birthday party.

Charlie Godfrey, 4-H Youth Development Agent for Cleveland County, said the goal of the embryology in the classroom project is to teach students the stages of development and growth in chickens from fertilized egg through full development and hatching.

He said the program has been in place for many years and is one of the staple school programs completed every year.

Its one of our flagship or main projects, he said. It's well established.

Godfrey said it gives the students direct, hands-on experience with living things and their life cycles.

The classrooms are provided with a curriculum notebook, incubator, brooder box and other necessary supplies and are given assistance throughout the project.

Godfrey said the program focuses on second grade because it aligns with the grades life cycles curriculum.

Case Farms provides the eggs, and they are then distributed around to the local elementary schools. The program was recently completed at Township Three, Washington, Bethware and Pinnacle Classical Academy.

Godfrey said they bring the equipment back to the extension office, get it cleaned up and ready for the next round of schools.

He said they are preparing to kick off the chick program at Springmore, Boiling Springs, Casar and Union elementary schools.

It takes approximately 21 days for the eggs to incubate and hatch.

Once the chicks emerge from their eggs, the kids usually have a couple of days to observe and hold them. The chicks are kept in a special box with a heat lamp and food. Then the students get to celebrate the end of the project with a birthday party, and Godfrey and one of the members from Greene Family Farms answers questions.

Typically teachers hold a birthday party for the babies in their classroom as a end of project celebration.

Godfrey and Sherri Greene from Green Family Farms were available at Township Three to answer any questions the kids might have, and then Greene took the chicks back to the farm to raise.

The kids have all kinds of questions, Godrey said. We want the kids to know where they go from here. She takes them and raises them all.

Kids asked how to tell the difference between boy and girl chicks, their lifespan and what kind of chickens they were.

Godfrey said they get the whole trajectory of the life of a chick from egg to farm.

For most of the kids, and even many of the teachers, it is the first time they get to witness a chick hatching.

If other teachers are interested in offering this project at their schools, they can contact Charlie Godfrey with Cleveland County 4-H at charlie_godfrey@ncsu.edu or call 704-482-4365.

Rebecca Sitzes can be reached at 704-669-3339 or rsitzes@shelbystar.com

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Learning lessons from the farm - Gaston Gazette

Embryology

Transgendered Man Fights To Not Be "Mother" On Baby’s Birth Certificate – BabyGaga

When someone decides to come out as a transgendered person, with the rare exception, there is fear and anxiety as to how friends and family are going to treat them once the truth has come to light. Every person's journey is different and some may have a very supportive core group of people surrounding them or perhaps have to take the journey on their own.

Regardless of the reaction received, many people who have come out report a weight being lifted off of their shoulders and a sense of relief, as they are going to be able to start their authentic life without any sort of incorrect label defining who they are. For some, this includes everything from surgery and taking hormones to make the outer shell match what the inside feels like. For others, they simply want to do nothing more than change their appearance and name.

RELATED: Transgender Man Loses Legal Fight To Be Recognized As Father Of Baby He Birthed

For Freddy McConnell, who gave birth to his child earlier this year, the fight has been uphill ever since hospital staff designated McConnell as the "mother" of the baby.

McConnell is fighting a September 2019 decision made by the High Court in which it was decided by the president of the court's Family Division that because McConnell physically birthed a baby, something that only a mother can do, McConnell has to be listed as the mother on the baby's birth certificate.

McConnell started the process of matching how he felt on the inside to reflect how he looked on the outside back in 2013. At that time, between hormones and an augmentation to the chest, McConnell began to feel more masculine and gain confidence in who he was. During that time, however, McConnell decided that he wanted to have a child and put any further surgeries on hold. He also stopped hormones so that intrauterine insemination could be performed, as McConnell wanted to carry his child himself.

RELATED: Former Soldier & Actor Face Hurdles As Transgender Parents

The procedure that McConnell underwent is governed by the Human Fertilization and Embryology Act of 2008, which by definition is used to assist "women to carry children," according toThe Guardian.As a result of this definition as well as the fact that the deciding judge claimed that "mother" is not a gendered term, the Court made the ultimate decision that McConnell being listed as his baby's mother on the birth certificate was the correct parental designation.

McConnell is not alone with what he feels is the incorrect label on a child's birth certificate in the UK. If he is successful in his quest to be identified as his baby's father on the birth certificate, it could open doors for many who are dealing with a situation similar to his.

RELATED: Documentary Recounts Challenges A Trans Man Faces In Having A Baby

McConnell's journey from transitioning to a man to giving birth to his child is the subject of the documentarySeahorse: The Dad Who Gave Birth.

There currently is not a date as to when a decision on the appeal is expected.

Source:The Guardian, LGBTQ Nation, WebMD

NEXT: Utah Passes A Bill That Requires Women To Get Ultrasound Before Abortion

Khloe Kardashian's Daughter True Had An Adorable Playdate With Kim Kardashian's 4 Kids

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Transgendered Man Fights To Not Be "Mother" On Baby's Birth Certificate - BabyGaga

Embryology

Supervisory Clinical Laboratory Scientist Job in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri – Department of the Army – LemonWire

The United States government is a massive employer, and is always looking for qualified candidates to fill a wide variety of open employment positions in locations across the country. Below youll find a Qualification Summary for an active, open job listing from the Department of the Army. The opening is for a Supervisory Clinical Laboratory Scientist in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri Feel free to browse this and any other job listings and reach out to us with any questions!

Supervisory Clinical Laboratory Scientist Fort Leonard Wood, MissouriU.S. Army Medical Command, Department of the ArmyJob ID: 222868Start Date: 03/03/2020End Date: 03/16/2020

Qualification SummaryWho May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Basic Requirement for Supervisory Clinical Laboratory Scientist: A. A Bachelors or graduate/higher level degree from a regionally accredited college/university including courses in biological science, chemistry and mathematics, AND successful completion of a Medical Laboratory Scientist/Clinical Laboratory Scientist program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. OR B. At least a full 4-year course of study that included 12 months in a college or hospital-based medical technology program or medical technology school approved by a recognized accrediting organization. The professional medical technology curriculum may have consisted of a 1-year post- bachelors certificate program or the last 1 or 2 years of a 4-year program of study culminating in a bachelors in medical technology. OR C. A bachelors or graduate/higher level degree from an accredited college/university that included 16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) of biological science (with one semester in microbiology), 16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) of chemistry (with one semester in organic or biochemistry), one semester (one quarter) of mathematics, AND five years of full time acceptable clinical laboratory experience in Blood Banking, Chemistry, Hematology, microbiology, Immunology and Urinalysis/Body Fluids. This combination of education and experience must have provided knowledge of the theories, principles, and practices of medical technology equivalent to that provided by the full 4-year course of study described in A or B above. All science and mathematics courses must have been acceptable for credit toward meeting the requirements for a science major at an accredited college or university. Acceptable experience is responsible professional or technician experience in a hospital laboratory, health agency, industrial medical laboratory, or pharmaceutical house; or teaching, test development, or medical research program experience that provided an understanding of the methods and techniques applied in performing professional clinical laboratory work. Certification/licensure as a medical technologist (generalist) obtained through written examination by a nationally recognized credentialing agency or State licensing body is a good indication that the quality of experience is acceptable. Evaluation of Education and Experience: The four major areas of clinical laboratory science are microbiology, clinical chemistry, hematology, and immunohematology (blood banking). Qualifying course work in these areas includes bacteriology, mycology, mycobacteriology, tissue culture, virology, parasitology, endocrinology, enzymology, toxicology, urinalysis, coagulation, hemostasis, cell morphology, immunology, serology, immunoserology, immuno-deficiency, hemolysis, histocompatibility, cyto-genetics, and similar disciplines or areas of laboratory practice. Related fields include physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, cell biology, embryology, pathology, genetics, pharmacology, histology, cytology, nuclear medicine, epidemiology, biostatistics, infection control, physics, statistics, and similar areas of science where the work is directly related to the position to be filled. Exemption: You are exempt from the basic requirements above if you are a current federal employee occupying a position in the 0644 occupational series and have been continuously employed in this occupational series since September 27, 2017 or before. Note: You will be required to provide appropriate documentation to the respective Human Resources Office to validate your status. In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: Experience required: To qualify based on your work experience, your resume must describe one year of specialized experience which includes providing various verification duties in a laboratory. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09). OR Education: I have at least two and a half years (45 semester hours) of progressively higher level graduate education leading towards a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited college or university that is directly related to the work of the position. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages. Experience or graduate education must have been in (1) the general field of medical technology; (2) one of the disciplines or specialized areas of medical technology; or (3) a field directly related and applicable to medical technology or the position to be filled. AND Certification: Certification from the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), American Medical Technologist (AMT) or other board or registry deemed comparable by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (OASD(HA)) or their designee as a Medical Technologist (MT) or Medical Lab Scientist (MLS) is required.

If youd like to submit a resume or apply for this position, please contact Premier Veterans at abjobs@premierveterans.com. All are free to apply!

Apply

Post a job on LemonWire. Email jobs@lemonwire.com.Want to advertise on listings like this? Email ads@lemonwire.com.

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Supervisory Clinical Laboratory Scientist Job in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri - Department of the Army - LemonWire

Immunology

Gut bacteria can boost effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy, mice study suggests – The Medical News

Could the response to cancer immunotherapy depend on bacteria that originate in the gut and travel to the tumor?

A study by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center and the University of Chicago suggests exactly that, revealing that gut bacteria can penetrate tumor cells and boost the effectiveness of an experimental immunotherapy that targets the CD47 protein.

Using mouse models of malignancy, the scientists found that the intestinal microbe Bifidobacterium accumulates within tumors, transforming anti-CD47 unresponsive tumors into responsive ones.

The team's study, published today in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, discovered that the response to treatment depends on the type of bacteria living in the animals' guts. They then identified the mechanism, finding that the combination of antibodies against CD47 and gut bacteria works via the body's STING pathway of innate immunity - the body's first line of defense against infection.

Their experiments used mice from different resource facilities, antibiotic-fed mice, and mice raised in a germ-free environment.

In one experiment, they studied mice raised in two different facilities and that had distinct mixtures of bacteria in their intestines. One group was responsive to anti-CD47 and another was not. The second group became responsive, however, after being housed with the responders, indicating that oral transfer or contact transmission of gut bacteria occurred between groups, the researchers say.

The protein CD47 is expressed in high levels on the surface of many cancer cells, where it acts as a "don't eat me" signal to the immune system's macrophages, commonly known as white blood cells. As a result, anti-CD47, also known as CD47 blockade therapy, is currently under investigation in multiple clinical trials. However, the mouse studies that predated those trials had mixed results, with only some mice responding to the anti-CD47 therapy, explains corresponding author Yang-Xin Fu, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pathology, immunology, and radiation at UT Southwestern.

"We felt we needed to improve anti-CD47 therapy and understand the mechanisms," he says, leading them to wonder about the gut microbiome, the bacteria that grow in the intestines and aid with digestion. That bacterial ecosystem, sometimes called the microbiota, is also known to affect the gut's ability to resist pathogens and the host's response to cancer immunotherapy.

But how the microbiota does that has been unclear. This study finds that some of the bacteria from the gut travel to the tumor and get into the cells, or microenvironment, where the bacteria facilitate CD47 blockade's ability to attack the tumor. We found it does that via the immune signaling pathway called stimulator of interferon genes (STING)."

Yang-Xin Fu, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pathology, immunology, and radiation at UT Southwestern

The findings suggest that a probiotic might someday be used to improve anti-CD47 therapy, says Fu, a Cancer Prevention and Research Institute (CPRIT) Scholar and holder of the Mary Nell and Ralph B. Rogers Professorship in Immunology at UT Southwestern.

The researchers also found that tumor-bearing mice that normally respond to anti-CD47 treatment failed to respond if their gut bacteria were killed off by antibiotics. In contrast, anti-CD47 treatment became effective in mice that are usually nonresponsive when these animals were supplemented with Bifidobacteria, a type of bacteria that is often found in the gastrointestinal tract of healthy mice and humans.

They further discovered that the bacteria migrate into tumors, activating the STING immune signaling pathway. This sets off production of immune signaling molecules such as type 1 interferons and activating immune cells that appear to attack and destroy the tumor once the anti-CD47 agent nullifies the CD47's "don't eat me" tag, the researchers report. The researchers found that mice genetically unable to activate type 1 interferon failed to respond to the bacteria-immunotherapy approach. Similarly, mice unable to access the STING pathway showed no benefit from the combined bacteria-immunotherapy approach, confirming that STING signaling is essential.

"It is very possible that more than one type of gut microbiota could enhance tumor immunity in a similar way and we would like to investigate that," he adds.

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Gut bacteria can boost effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy, mice study suggests - The Medical News

Immunology

Peanut allergy may begin in the microbiome: Study – NutraIngredients-usa.com

New research is shedding light on the mechanisms behind the existence of peanut allergies, which currently affects 3 to 6% of the US population and is increasing in prevalence, according to a new report published in the journal Science Immunology.

With that in mind, the researchers investigated the underlying cause of peanut allergies by sequencing antibody genes from B-lineage (which produce IgE) plasma cells collected from five body locations in people with peanut allergies.

We characterized IgE+ clones in blood, stomach, duodenum, and esophagus of 19 peanut-allergic patients, using high-throughput DNA sequencing.

The team of researchers, from Stanford University, the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, reported that B cells in human food allergy have been studied mostly in the blood, but little is known about IgE+ B cells or plasma cells in tissues exposed to dietary antigens.

Previous research has linked IgEs origin to bone marrow, but this research suggests the gut is full of IgE antibodies, which cause severe allergies.

Patients with peanut allergies were assessed by a double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge. The researchers collected samples of B-lineage plasma cells from 19 peanut allergy sufferers who were about to take part in a clinical trial set to test the effectiveness of prescribed doses of peanut proteins for allergy treatment.The researchers studied samples of peripheral blood and endoscopic biopsies of five sites in the GI tract, including proximal esophagus, medial esophagus, distal esophagus, stomach, and duodenum.

The participants were divided into three groups: Peanut allergy, non-food allergy and non-drug allergy (NA).

The team also sequenced the DNA of their tissue, finding shared genetic patterns in the participants. These commonalities suggest people with a peanut allergy might have a similar tendency to produce IgE in response to the nut.

The report notes that at the time of sampling, participants were not receiving immunotherapy for allergies and were avoiding peanut-containing foods.

After sequencing the cells, the researchers found that the cells were being made in the stomach and the duodenum of the small intestine, with high levels of immunoglobulin E antibodies in the guts of those with peanut allergies. Control patients without allergies did not harbor plasma cells that expressed IgE.

The team also reported that their research found evidence of the plasma cells that experienced a class switch recombination (CSR), which involves a cell that stops producing one type of antibody and starts producing another. In this study, IgE. Its not clear why these cells might be more likely to make this switch in the guts of people with peanut allergies.

IgE+ cells in allergic patients are enriched in stomach and duodenum, and have a plasma cell phenotype. Clonally related IgE+ and non-IgEexpressing cell frequencies in tissues suggest local isotype switching, including transitions between IgA and IgE isotypes. Highly similar antibody sequences specific for peanut allergen Ara h 2 are shared between patients, indicating that common immunoglobulin genetic rearrangements may contribute to pathogenesis. These data define the gastrointestinal tract as a reservoir of IgE+ B lineage cells in food allergy, the paper noted.

The findings could lead to life-changing treatment by giving patients with peanut allergies therapies that target the prevention of CSR. The results could also pave the way for similar therapies for other food allergies.

The research team said they dont know when these allergy-causing antibodies first show up in the gut, or if they would disappear as allergies diminish.

Source: Science Immunology

06 Mar 2020 Vol. 5, Issue 45 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.aay4209

Origins and clonal convergence of gastrointestinal IgE+ B cells in human peanut allergy

Authors: R. Hoh et al.

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Peanut allergy may begin in the microbiome: Study - NutraIngredients-usa.com

Immunology

Therapy Could Halt Viral Infections – Technology Networks

Viral infections are currently more topical than ever. Not only are coronavirus and influenza constantly in the news but it is also the season for colds and, as we all know, colds are caused by rhinovirus. A Medical University of Vienna start-up, "G.ST Antivirals GmbH" now has viral infections in its sights particularly the rhinovirus. The scientists there found a way to stop the virus and therefore might have discovered a new therapy for treating colds in the future.The Achilles heel of virusesViruses do not have their own metabolism and are therefore entirely dependent on the host cell to supply the building blocks they need to multiply. Since proliferation of viruses entails an extremely high nutrient intake, viruses have found strategies to force host cells to increase their uptake of nutrients, since an efficient infection cycle is only possible with increased energy turnover.

The researchers at G.ST Antivirals (www.gst-antivirals.com) are exploiting this situation to develop treatments that stop the virus from having access to the host cell's metabolic products. The first virus for which the founding team was able to apply this concept is rhinovirus, the pathogen that causes the common cold. In the course of studies conducted at the Medical University of Vienna, they discovered that the virus is particularly vulnerable to inhibition of sugar utilization.Sugar as a remedy for the common cold"Based on these concepts, our team has identified a substance that is highly effective against rhinoviruses, 2-Deoxyglucose. The compound inhibits glycolysis in the host cell, thus starving the virus inside the cell," explain Guido Gualdoni (MedUni Vienna's Department of Medicine III) and Johannes Stckl (MedUni Vienna's Institute of Immunology). "Since it is cheap to produce and highly effective, the molecule has the ideal pre-requisites for widespread application as a cold remedy."

Since a lot of data is already available regarding the good tolerability of the substance, G.ST Antivirals wants to start clinical testing of the molecule at Vienna General Hospital and/or MedUni Vienna during the course of 2020. The substance could therefore be marketed within what is a very short timeframe for a drug. MedUni Vienna's Technology Transfer Office only filed the patent application for this invention in 2018 (for more information see: http://www.meduniwien.ac.at/technologietransfer).Effective against other viruses as well?"Since all viruses rely on the metabolism of the host cell, we are currently intensifying our efforts to apply this therapeutic strategy to other viruses as well, such as coronaviruses, for example," say the researchers.

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Therapy Could Halt Viral Infections - Technology Networks

Immunology

Coronavirus could live on your phone for nine days here’s how to clean it – New York Post

Before you pick up that smart device and refresh your social media feeds to reveal the latest coronavirus news: beware. The dreaded virus could be festering on your phone for long periods.

According to German researchers, coronavirus can live on an inanimate surface like metal, glass or plastic as in, all of the materials used to make phones for up to nine days.

Published in the Journal of Hospital Infection, the study analyzed data from 22 previous studies on human coronaviruses including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and endemic human coronavirus (HCoV).

Although the viral load of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces is not known during an outbreak situation, it seem plausible to reduce the viral load on surfaces by disinfection, especially of frequently touched surfaces in the immediate patient surrounding where the highest viral load can be expected, the authors wrote.

The study suggested using a solution that contains 0.1% sodium hypochlorite (bleach), or 62% to 71% ethanol (a key ingredient in most hand sanitizers) within one minute to clean their devices. Apple recently told customers that they can safely use Clorox disinfecting wipes and 70% isopropyl alcohol on their products screens. But, people shouldnt use aerosol sprays, bleaches or abrasives. Cleaners shouldnt be sprayed directly onto the device, rather applied using a soft, lint-free cloth.

The more scientists learn about novel coronavirus, the more youll want to clean that phone.

Researchers from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently found that people affected by COVID-19 have live virus in their stool. That unsavory bit of information means that the virus can and is likely spread through fecal matter as well as droplets from sneezing and coughing.

And given that many folks have become accustomed to bringing their phones to the loo as they do their business, it means they can become breeding grounds for unthinkable germs.

In addition to the bathroom brouhaha, Charles Gerba, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Arizona, tells Mens Health that the phone is particularly vulnerable because our grubby fingers mindlessly touch dirty surfaces and then repeatedly pick up our phones.

You do not have to sneeze on a cell phone to transmit disease-causing organisms, Gerba says. What we found out in studying virus movement on surfaces in office buildings is that you touch a surface with a virus on it and then you place it on your cell phone. (A door handle, for example.)

You then go home or to another location and you touch your phone again and, say, touch a table moving it to another location great way to spread viruses around an office.

Gerba recommends using an alcohol wipe or microfiber cloth. I would do it every time I have been out in public.

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Coronavirus could live on your phone for nine days here's how to clean it - New York Post