Category Archives: Cell Biology

Cell Biology

Accelerating Antibody Discovery with Next-Generation Single-Cell Analysis – News-Medical.net

Why are therapeutic antibodies traditionally produced in vivo during early drug discovery?

Typically, in vivo models are used because they are cost-effective and relatively fast at generating candidate antibodies that can be tested. Introduced by Khler and Milstein in 1975, the traditional mouse hybridoma technique begins by injecting a validated or known antigen into the animal model, for example, mice, which causes an immune response that generates novel antibodies. These novel antibodies can then be harvested and fully characterized downstream to ensure that they have the desired molecular function and properties.

Image credit: extender_01 | Shutterstock

Scientific and technological advances have further improved in vivo studies. More recently, humanized mice have been immunized to express human immunoglobulins, rather than the mouse antibody genes, which enhances how translational these are downstream.

Animal models continue to be prevalent, primarily because they are tried and tested in the industry with good results. Despite the challenges, hybridoma technology is a well-established platform, and the humanization of animal models has further promoted this method. Most FDA approved therapeutics have been produced using humanized platforms.

However, fully rodent animal models can result in rodent specific immunogenicity and proteins from the animal model may remain at a later stage. In fact, not all antibodies produced in humanized animal models will be entirely human.

Other technologies, for instance, phage display provide a compelling alternative as they dont require animal models, have shorter timelines and researchers can use a fully human antibody library. These libraries can be quite diverse and can contain different constructs within them, for example, single-domain antibodies. Using next generation sequencing (NGS) with phage display helps characterize immunoglobulin genes from large populations, which better represents natural human antibodies.

Phage display isnt without downsides either; as it is a prokaryotic system rather than mammalian, there may be issues with affinity and other properties of this in vitro platform.

After successfully immunizing an animal, a lymphoid organ, for example, the spleen, is harvested. This is processed and B-cells are isolated. B-cells that produce antigen-specific antibodies that bind to the target antigen then need to be separated from those that bind to other antigens.

Next, the reactivity to the target antigen is tested to ensure that selected antibodies bind specifically to the antigen (rather than to a range of antigens) and that this affinity and sensitivity is above the required level. Once the unique B-cells have been isolated, scientists will screen for binding characteristics, cross-reactivity and more.

Research teams will typically use flow cytometry to screen the B-cells directly or more often produce hybridomas which are then screened.

Producing a hybridoma population requires a fusion reaction between the B-cell and a cancerous myeloma cell. This allows the B-cell to proliferate and survive indefinitely in culture, which is essential to safeguard potential cells of interest. Unfortunately, when creating hybridomas, the whole B-cell population is unable to be fused; therefore, only a fraction of the total population can be screened, thus leading to the loss of a large part of the B-cell repertoire.

Traditionally, flow cytometry is favored because of its high-throughput, and antibodies secreted from the B-cells can potentially be screened using cold capture, a technique used to manipulate the cell to prevent the full secretion of antibodies by trapping them at the cell surface. However, this is a representation rather than direct measurement of antibody secretion.

Alternative screening methods include ELISA and Elispot, which can measure B-cell secretion. Although these techniques often need to be completed manually, making them tedious and limited to low-scale screening.

A research team typically spends many months during this process cycle, from immunizing the animal model, collecting cells and creating hybridomas or directly screening B-cells. The population of target cells can be as low as 0.001% of the original ~40 million cells in the harvested organ. Further loss due to diminishing cell viability and cell death due to the harsh processing of these cells can severely impact productivity.

After completing this cycle, the target cells may not be found because they have either not been successfully fused during the hybridoma fusion process or died during culture due to the harsh processing. This is a big challenge in the industry.

The Cyto-Mine Single Cell Analysis System can overcome numerous challenges in the industry. First, the need for high-throughput yet gentle technology that enables the deep interrogation of whole B-cell repertoires and hybridoma populations while preserving cell viability. Second, the need for highly sensitive and specific assays to find rare antibody-secreting cells with the desired antibody characteristics.

Cyto-Mine can be used in screening entire cell populations to find that rare B-cell or hybridoma that secretes the antigen-specific antibody. In fact, researchers can input isolated B-cells directly into the Cyto-Mine, which drastically cuts down the process cycle timelines, and removes the possibility of losing cells in culture. Additionally, Cyto-Mine offers the flexibility in assay design, of which there is a great need due to the varying nature of the targets and the biologics.

Underpinned by Sphere Fluidics patented picodroplet technology, Cyto-Mine integrates the selective screening of tens of millions of single cells in miniaturized aqueous picoliter compartments called picodroplets.

Picodroplets provide individual micro-reaction chambers where secreted proteins accumulate and can be assayed to identify valuable proteins (e.g. antibodies with antigen-specificity), to find rare cells of interest or to find high-producing cells.

The picodroplets themselves provide a protective environment for the fragile B-cells, shielding them from shear stress as the picodroplets travel through the microfluidic channels. Cells can also be encapsulated in their preferred culture media, so there are no harmful culture transitions.

By combining B-cell isolation and identification of antigen-specific hits into a process that takes only 1-2 days in Cyto-Mine, you significantly reduce the stress on the fragile cells and accelerate the steps to downstream analysis such as functional testing or sequencing.

Image credit: Sphere Fluidics

Users must know whether the antibody is an IgG or an IgM, before making detection probes that will bind to the target of interest. The assay format is based on a simple FRET reaction, and two detection probes must be encapsulated into the picodroplet along with the cells. One that binds to the Fc region of the antibody and another that targets the antigen on that antibody. Both probes are conjugated to a fluorophore, making a pair of detection probes that can induce a FRET reaction.

When the detection probes are in close proximity, i.e. if they have bound to the Fc and Fab regions of the secreted antibody, they will induce a FRET-mediated shift on fluorescence where the excitation of one probe will transfer energy to the other which will emit a fluorescent signal. Cyto-Mine detects for an energy transfer within the picodroplet, and as the detection probes are customized to target only the antigen of interest, there will not be a fluorescent energy transfer if the antigen of interest isnt present.

Cyto-Mine supports flexible assay design, so the assay format can be tailored to make it specific to the target.

Developed with biopharma in mind, the initial design of Cyto-Mine relied on input from key pharma companies, to solve their most significant challenges and automation was vital to do this.

The current process is incredibly time-consuming and tedious. New techniques need to have a high-throughput, diversity and flexibility of the assay. Rather than automating pipetting, weve made an entirely novel system to approach antibody discovery.

The Cyto-Mine is also applicable to cell line development, where there is a similar need to automate inefficient processes, and Cyto-Mine has single cell imaging and dispensing capacity making it a great fit.

Theres an incredibly high demand for antibody-based biotherapeutics, and its easy to see how successful they are with over 500 antibody-based therapeutics beginning to come through clinical trials. This demand is exemplified with one of the Antibody Societys 20 antibodies to watch in 2020, an antibody against the Ebola virus. The company producing this antibody could stop trials before completion because it was so successful compared to any other treatments.

Over the next decade, the antibody discovery process needs to become quicker, and as new technology is incorporated, should become more rapid. This optimization will shorten the time to market and get new therapeutics in the hands of patients faster.

Dr Zoe Nilsson is the Global Product Marketing Manager for Sphere Fluidics. Zoe has a BSc, MPhil and PhD in Neuroscience and Cell Biology from the University of St Andrews, UK. Zoe works closely with the R&D team to develop new features of Cyto-Mine and novel assay reagent kits to help biopharma customers identify and isolate rare cells of interest.

Zoe is an experienced Product Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the biotechnology industry. Before joining Sphere Fluidics, Zoe led the development of novel cell types from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for use in basic research, drug discovery and safety toxicity testing.

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Accelerating Antibody Discovery with Next-Generation Single-Cell Analysis - News-Medical.net

Cell Biology

Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer to Host Fundamental Two-Day Workshop Focused on Cytokines in Cancer Immunotherapy – PR Web

Because cytokines control many aspects of immune cell biology, we see a resurgent interest in developing these agents either alone or in combination with immune checkpoint modulators for anti-cancer therapy, said SITC President Mario Sznol, MD.

MILWAUKEE (PRWEB) April 22, 2020

The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) will host a new workshop Oct. 1213, 2020, in New York, which will focus on providing a deeper understanding of cytokines in immune cell proliferation, differentiation, and function, as they pertain to tumor immunobiology and cancer immunotherapy approaches.

The SITC Cytokines in Cancer Immunotherapy Workshop is intended for basic, translational and clinical researchers with a vested interest in the topic of cytokine immunology and the impact of cytokines in cancer immunotherapy. The program is organized by prominent members of the immuno-oncology community, including Susan M. Kaech, PhD, from Salk Institute, Anne OGarra, PhD, from The Francis Crick Institute and Aaron Ring, MD, PhD, from Yale University, the workshop will feature oral presentations by leading experts in the field, including keynotes by Warren J. Leonard, MD, from National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute and Harriett Kluger, MD, from Yale University.

Because cytokines control many aspects of immune cell biology, we see a resurgent interest in developing these agents either alone or in combination with immune checkpoint modulators for anti-cancer therapy, said SITC President Mario Sznol, MD. However, there is a great deal we dont yet know about optimal application of the many different cytokines in the clinic, for example how cytokines interact with each other or with agents such as the PD-1/PD-L1 antagonists. We plan to cover current knowledge in this conference and identify potential areas of research that will lead to rational clinical development. The conference will also provide opportunities for young investigators to present their research and to interact with leading senior investigators in the field.

The workshop will aim to foster renewed exchange and research on the promising topic of cytokines and their interactions in cancer development and therapy, lead to further research and provide a solid scientific foundation for future clinical interventions to modulate anti-tumor immunity with combinations of cytokines and other immunotherapies.

The program will also provide an intimate opportunity for attendees to discuss their work with experts in the field, develop collaborations and learn about novel studies of cytokines. Abstract submissions are being accepted through Sept. 1, 2020, from young investigators working with cytokines in their research, including several oral abstract presentation opportunities. These presentations will be judged on scientific merit, and the top presenter from each category will receive a research funding award. Abstract submitters not selected for oral presentation will have the opportunity to present their research as a poster.

The SITC Cytokines in Cancer Immunotherapy Workshop will take place on Oct. 1213, 2020, at the Millennium Times Square New York hotel. Registration rates, criteria for abstract submissions and program schedule are available on SITC Cancer Immunotherapy CONNECT.

About SITCEstablished in 1984, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) is a nonprofit organization of medical professionals dedicated to improving cancer patient outcomes by advancing the development, science and application of cancer immunotherapy and tumor immunology. SITC is comprised of influential basic and translational scientists, practitioners, health care professionals, government leaders and industry professionals around the globe. Through educational initiatives that foster scientific exchange and collaboration among leaders in the field, SITC aims to one day make the word cure a reality for cancer patients everywhere. Learn more about SITC, our educational offerings and other resources at http://www.sitcancer.org and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

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Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer to Host Fundamental Two-Day Workshop Focused on Cytokines in Cancer Immunotherapy - PR Web

Cell Biology

Researchers uncover how cancer cells don their invisibility cloaks – News-Medical.Net

Immunotherapy drugs that target a protein called programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) on the surface of cancer cells have quickly become a mainstay to treat many forms of cancer, often with dramatic results. But exactly how cancer cells turn on this protein was not completely understood. New research by UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists, published online today in Nature Cancer, lays out key pieces of this mechanism. The findings could offer new targets that may further improve how well current cancer immunotherapies work.

Nearly a decade ago, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first drug in a new class of pharmaceuticals called checkpoint inhibitors. These drugs reverse a cloaking mechanism that many types of cancer cells use to avoid being discovered by the immune system, allowing cancer-fighting immune cells called T cells to attack tumors. Blocking the interaction between one of these cloaking proteins, PD-L1, and its receptor on T cell surfaces forms the basis of several pharmaceuticals currently on the market, including nivolumab, pembrolizumab, and atezolizumab.

Although these drugs have made headway in several types of cancer, notably non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) the leading cause of cancer-associated deaths worldwide how cancer cells overexpress PD-L1 to shield themselves from immune system attack has been a mystery.

To help answer that question, Kathryn A. O'Donnell, Ph.D., an associate professor of molecular biology at UT Southwestern, and her colleagues started by looking broadly at which genes might serve as regulators for manufacturing PD-L1 in NSCLC. Using CRISPR, which acts as molecular scissors to remove specific genes, the researchers individually removed 19,000 genes in a human NSCLC cell line. Then, they used a fluorescent PD-L1 antibody to see which cells had more or less PD-L1. This allowed them to identify genes that normally encourage PD-L1 production, or positive regulators, and those that stymie PD-L1 production, or negative regulators.

Surprisingly, they found that a potent inhibitor for the manufacture of PD-L1 is a gene called UROD, which plays a key role in producing heme. This iron-containing chemical is pivotal for carrying oxygen in red blood cells, but is also broadly necessary in other cells for maintaining normal balance, or homeostasis. To confirm these findings, the researchers used other methods to remove heme in NSCLC cells, which also triggered the lung cancer cells to make more PD-L1 protein. When tumors in which UROD was depleted were implanted into healthy mice, they grew significantly faster than those in mice lacking working immune systems. These findings suggest that by activating PD-L1 production, this gene accelerates cancer by suppressing anti-tumor immunity, O'Donnell says.

Further experiments showed that hampering heme production turned on a pathway called the integrated stress response (ISR) that cells broadly use to deal with diverse stress conditions such as low oxygen, toxins, or nutrient starvation. Under these conditions, NSCLC cells used a specialized mechanism, relying on a protein known as eIF5B, to increase PD-L1 production. Just stimulating cells with this single protein could turn up PD-L1 production, the researchers found, even without tampering with heme synthesis.

By examining a database of genes that are over- or underproduced in various cancers, O'Donnell and her team found that the gene encoding eIF5B is frequently overproduced in lung cancers, and that this overproduction in lung cancer patients was a marker for poor prognosis. "Developing new drugs that specifically target this protein, or other proteins involved in making PD-L1, could help improve the success of immunotherapy drugs currently in use," says O'Donnell, also a member of UT Southwestern's Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Investigating the relationship between stress responses and immune evasion in cancer will be an important priority for future work."

Shruthy Suresh, Ph.D., former graduate student researcher and first author of this study

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Researchers uncover how cancer cells don their invisibility cloaks - News-Medical.Net

Cell Biology

A novel method to precisely deliver therapeutics inside the body – Biophotonics.World

A team of Penn State researchers are interfacing chemical biology and nanotechnology to develop ultrasound-controlled nanomaterials that can provide on-demand, high precision delivery of proteins into human cells

Image source: Jennifer McCann/Penn State

A new way to deliver therapeutic proteins inside the body uses an acoustically sensitive carrier to encapsulate the proteins and ultrasound to image and guide the package to the exact location required, according to Penn State researchers. Ultrasound then breaks the capsule, allowing the protein to enter the cell.

"When you expose the particle to ultrasound it opens a hole in the cell membrane that lasts for a couple of microseconds," said Scott Medina, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, Penn State. "We can use this temporary opening to deliver antibodies, which are attractive therapeutic molecules in precision medicine that cannot otherwise get inside cells."

These antibodies are emerging therapeutics for cancers, infectious diseases and rheumatoid arthritis, he said.

But getting the protein inside the nanoparticle carrier was not easy, which is why other researchers have had to resort to complicated and often poorly performing methods, such as attaching the cargo to the exterior of nanoparticles, resulting in inefficient protein release and off-target delivery.

The challenge with the new method was that the protein did not want to interact with the interior of the particle, which is made of a fluorous liquid, similar to liquid Teflon. Medina's doctoral student, Janna Sloand, came up with a creative work around -- a fluorous mask. These chemical masks have a counterbalance of polarity and fluorine content that allows the protein to interact with the fluorous liquid medium while maintaining the protein's folded state and bioactivity.

"We had a lot of challenges developing this new method," said Sloand, first author on the paper published recently inACS Nano. "The most difficult was figuring out what kind of chemicals could mask the protein. That was definitely my eureka moment when I saw that it worked."

In future work, the team will explore the use of their ultrasound-programmable material as a platform for image-guided delivery of therapeutic proteins and gene editing tools.

In related therapeutic applications, they are leveraging this technology to deliver antibodies that can alter abnormal signaling pathways in tumor cells to effectively 'turn-off' their malignant traits. In other work they are delivering gene editing tools, like CRISPR constructs, to enable ultrasound-controlled genome engineering of cells in complex 3D tissue microenvironments.

Importantly, these delivery applications can all be performed using ultrasound techniques already employed in hospitals, which they hope will enable the rapid translation of this technology for precision healthcare.

Source: Penn State

Related journal article:http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.9b08745

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A novel method to precisely deliver therapeutics inside the body - Biophotonics.World

Cell Biology

Chemical tool developed to examine lipids in living cells – Drug Target Review

A new method has been developed by researchers using chemical tools activated by light to influence lipid concentration in living cells.

So far, it has been difficult for researchers to analyse the functions of lipids in living cells. Now, scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) and the Leibniz Research Institute for Molecular Pharmacology (FMP), both in Germany, have now developed chemical tools that can be activated by light and used to influence lipid concentration in living cells.

According to the researchers, this approach could enable medical doctors to work with biochemists to identify what molecules within a cell actually do.

Every cell can create thousands of different lipids (fats). However, little is known about how this chemical lipid diversity contributes to the transport of messages within the cell. This is mainly due to the lack of methods to quantitatively study lipid function in living cells. An understanding of how lipids work is very important because they control the function of proteins throughout the cell and are involved in bringing important substances into the cell through the cell membrane.

The research groups developed chemical tools to control the concentration of lipids in living cells, which can be activated by light. Milena Schuhmacher, the lead author of the study, explained: Lipids are actually not individual molecular structures, but differ in tiny chemical details. For example, some have longer fatty acid chains and some have slightly shorter ones. Using sophisticated microscopy in living cells and mathematical modelling approaches, we were able to show that the cells are actually able to recognise these tiny changes through special effector proteins and thus possibly use them to transmit information. It was important that we were able to control exactly how much of each individual lipid was involved.

Molecular probes (in blue) for the analysis of lipid messengers [credit: Schuhmacher et al., MPI-CBG].

Andr Nadler, who supervised the study, added: These results indicate the existence of a lipid code that cells use to re-encode information, detected on the outside of the cell, on the inner side of the cell.

The results of the study could enable membrane biophysicists and lipid biochemists to verify their results with quantitative data from living cells, say the researchers.

Andr Nadler concluded: Clinicians could also benefit from our newly developed method. In diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, more lipids that act as biomarkers are found in the blood. This can be visualised with a lipid profile. With the help of our method, doctors could now see exactly what the lipids are doing in the body. That was not possible before.

The study was published in the journal PNAS.

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Chemical tool developed to examine lipids in living cells - Drug Target Review

Cell Biology

Global Live Cell Imaging Market : Industry Analysis and Forecast (2018-2026) – Research Columnist

Global Live Cell Imaging Marketwas valued at US$ 1.5Bn in 2017 and is expected to reach US$ XX Bn by 2026, at a CAGR of XX% during a forecast period.

The report study has analyzed revenue impact of covid-19 pandemic on the sales revenue of market leaders, market followers and disrupters in the report and same is reflected in our analysis.

REQUEST FOR FREE SAMPLE REPORT:https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/request-sample/28816/

Global live cell imaging market is majorly influenced by the growing incidence of chronic diseases and the consistent need for swift diagnostic techniques. Availability of exact and accurate live cell imaging techniques also help in accelerating drug discovery processes and other biotechnology research.

Growth in expenditure and funding for the development of advanced cell imaging is further expected to boost the live cell imaging market in the future. It is also observed that collaborations of market players with research and academic institutions to develop and introduce breakthrough products have recently gained pace. Small players are being increasingly acquired by large incumbents for procurement of breakthrough technologies to secure their stronghold in the market.

Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching is the most commonly used technique for live cell imaging. The technique has found rapid adoption in genetic targeting peptides and appropriately offers a determination of spatial proximity at a protein level that is not possible through fluorescence microscopy. Rapid introduction of FRET systems with an insight to offer better cell imaging techniques will so determine the major market trends.

Cell biology segment is leading the application owing to the increasing number of researchers working on molecular interaction networks. Innovations, for instance, filter techniques and advanced illumination devices further enable the procedure. Cell biologists use live cell imaging to understand the fundamental cellular structures and their interaction on the tissue level. Benefits are clarity of structural components and spatial heterogeneity of a cell offered by live cell imaging are expected to further boost the market.

North America dominated by market share in 2017 closely followed by Europe. Substantial investments and funding available for research in this field is the key driver in the North America region. The growing adoption of live cell imaging by research laboratories and academic institutions, particularly in the U.S. is one of the major factors driving market growth in this region.

One of the recent acquisition in the industry was done in March 2017 by Sartorius who agreed to buy Essen Bioscience in a transaction worth US$ 320Mn. Essen was energetic in developing equipment, reagents, and software.

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Nikon Corporation Company has strategic partnerships with research groups to gain professional expertise. They have established imaging centers and offer microscopes, automation, software, and support to various institutes, for instance, Harvard Medical School.

The objective of the report is to present a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, industry-validated market data and projections with a suitable set of assumptions and methodology. The report also helps in understanding Global Live Cell Imaging Market dynamics, structure by identifying and analyzing the market segments and project the global market size.

Further, the report also focuses on the competitive analysis of key players by product, price, financial position, product portfolio, growth strategies, and regional presence. The report also provides PEST analysis, PORTERs analysis, SWOT analysis to address the question of shareholders to prioritizing the efforts and investment in the near future to the emerging segment in the Global Live Cell Imaging Market.Scope of Global Live Cell Imaging Market

Global Live Cell Imaging Market, by Product & Service

Instruments Consumables Software ServicesGlobal Live Cell Imaging Market, by Application

Cell Biology Stem Cells Developmental Biology Drug DiscoverGlobal Live Cell Imaging Market, by End User

Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies Academic & Research Institutes Contract Research OrganizationsGlobal Live Cell Imaging Market, by Region

North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa South AmericaKey players operating in Global Live Cell Imaging Market

Danaher Corporation Carl Zeiss AG Nikon Corporation Olympus Corporation Perkinelmer GE Healthcare Bruker Thermo Fisher Scientific Sartorius AG Biotek Instruments Etaluma Cytosmart Technologies Nanoentek

MAJOR TOC OF THE REPORT

Chapter One: Live Cell Imaging Market Overview

Chapter Two: Manufacturers Profiles

Chapter Three: Global Live Cell Imaging Market Competition, by Players

Chapter Four: Global Live Cell Imaging Market Size by Regions

Chapter Five: North America Live Cell Imaging Revenue by Countries

Chapter Six: Europe Live Cell Imaging Revenue by Countries

Chapter Seven: Asia-Pacific Live Cell Imaging Revenue by Countries

Chapter Eight: South America Live Cell Imaging Revenue by Countries

Chapter Nine: Middle East and Africa Revenue Live Cell Imaging by Countries

Chapter Ten: Global Live Cell Imaging Market Segment by Type

Chapter Eleven: Global Live Cell Imaging Market Segment by Application

Chapter Twelve: Global Live Cell Imaging Market Size Forecast (2019-2026)

Browse Full Report with Facts and Figures of Live Cell Imaging Market Report at:https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/market-report/global-live-cell-imaging-market/28816/

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Cell Biology

Testicles Might Be Making Men More Vulnerable To Coronavirus: Study – SheThePeople

More men are dying of coronavirus than women. Why? A new study shows that the presence of testicles in men makes them more vulnerable to longer and more severe cases COVID-19. The collaborative study was conducted by the Department of Oncology, Cell Biology, and Epidemiology and Population Health, Montefiore Medical Center & Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, andDepartment of Microbiology, Topiwala National Medical College & BYL Nair Hospital, Kasturba Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Mumbai, India.

About the study:

Also Read:Corona Warriors: Odisha Woman Farmer Distributes Her Produce

Why Testicles Make Men More Vulnerable To COVID-19?

The novel coronavirus has been specifically found to be more fatal for men than women. This, according to a new study is because of the host factors. The study included 68 subjects in total, with 48 men and 20 women. There were two important observations made by the researchers

Elucidating the above two observations, viral clearance is defined as the removal of viral contamination using specialized membranes (mostly proteins) or chromatography. Also, for a virus to enter its host, it needs an entry point. This entry point is called a virus receptor. In SARS-COV2, ACE2 is the receptor. The virus enters the host through a complex process but begins with the interaction of the viral surface spike protein with ACE2. ACE2 is a plasma membrane-bound monocarboxypeptidase that converts angiotensin II to angiotensin 1-7 (Ang 1-7), which antagonizes the hypertensive effects of Angiotensin I via stimulation of the MAS receptor. The study examined patterns in patients who were symptomatic and tested positive for coronavirus.

In both men and women, these ACE2 proteins, or receptors, are plentiful in the lungs, the gastrointestinal tract and the heart. Hence, these sites are the most vulnerable ones. However, the observations showed thatthe testicles were one of the sites with the highest ACE2 expression in 3 independent RNA expression databases (Human Protein Atlas, FAMTOM5 and GETx). Moreover, very little expression of the receptor was seen in the ovarian tissue, citing a possibility, why lesser women are dying of the COVID-19 than men.

Also Read:Domestic Violence Perpetrators in Pune to be in Institutional

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Testicles Might Be Making Men More Vulnerable To Coronavirus: Study - SheThePeople

Cell Biology

UCSF Team of Scientists Produces, Distributes Hand Sanitizer for Bay Area’s Incarcerated, Most Vulnerable Populations – UCSF News Services

The UCSF group plans to make and distribute 15,000 bottles of hand sanitizer. Photo credit: Amir Aziz

Its been repeated continuously as one of the first preventive measures during the COVID-19 pandemic: wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. But what if soap and water arent readily available?

Alcohol-based hand sanitizer is an effective alternative, and the Science Policy Group at UCSF (SPG) has initiated a project to provide sanitizer to incarcerated populations, as well as people living in public or transitional housing or experiencing homelessness.The group launched a GoFundMe campaign on April 12, 2020, to procure supplies, manufacture and distribute the sanitizer and also received funding from the California Wellness Foundation and San Francisco Democratic Socialists of America for the initial phase.

While some correctional facilities have reduced their inmate population, COVID-19 outbreaks continue to be of growing concern. As social distancing is not an option, inmates must rely on secondary measures like hand sanitizer use to prevent COVID-19 spread.

Elina Kostyanovskaya, a graduate student in developmental and stem cell biology at UCSF and an SPG leader, was especially concerned by the humanitarian and public health crisis associated with a potential COVID-19 outbreak among incarcerated people. In response, she and other SPG members have manufactured hand sanitizer in accordance with World Health Organization protocol. The group not only manufactures but also bottles, labels, affixes education pamphlets and distributes.

People tend to dehumanize people who are incarcerated, so the focus, for the most part, has not really been on serving these communities, Kostyanovskaya said. But jails and prisons are actually a relatively unique congregate setting in that not only are people unable to socially distance but these facilities also are not closed systems. You have hundreds or thousands of staff moving in and out of them every day, and any one of them could be an asymptomatic carrier of COVID-19. As weve already seen around the country, outbreaks in jails spread quickly, can be deadly and have the potential to overload nearby hospitals.

The SPG has manufactured and delivered 30 gallons of hand sanitizer refills to more than 900 inmates at the San Francisco County Jail and will continue refilling the jail until the pandemic ends. The group also produced and distributed 4,000 four-ounce bottles (125 gallons) of sanitizer to San Quentin State Prison and 1,000 bottles (31.25 gallons) to San Mateo County jails this week.

Because SPG is committed to serving undeserved communities in congregate settings, members manufactured and distributed 612 bottles to Sunnydale and Oakdale housing projects, as well as San Francisco-Marin food bank at Bessie Carmichael Elementary School.

The next batch of 5,688 bottles of hand sanitizer should be distributed in the next week to 4,000 people incarcerated in two jails in Bay Area counties, the remaining public housing complexes and shelters. In partnership with actor ("Last Black Man in San Francisco") and community organizer Jamal Trulove, the group will continue to supply sanitizer and educational materials to historically underserved public housing complexes.

Overall, the group will manufacture and distribute about 15,000 bottles (500 gallons) in the next two weeks.

Hand sanitizer and information are both powerful tools to help at-risk communities stop the spread of COVID-19, Kostyanovskaya said. As scientists, we have the ability to provide both. In the midst of a pandemic and uneven resource distribution, we have to provide both. We all do what we can.

About UCSF: The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is exclusively focused on the health sciences and is dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. UCSF Health, which serves as UCSF's primary academic medical center, includes top-ranked specialty hospitals and other clinical programs, and has affiliations throughout the Bay Area.

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UCSF Team of Scientists Produces, Distributes Hand Sanitizer for Bay Area's Incarcerated, Most Vulnerable Populations - UCSF News Services

Cell Biology

Of Science and Squid Emojis – UConn Today

Molecular and cell biology assistant research professor Sarah McAnulty made a splash in December 2018 when she was quoted in various national media outlets calling out Apples squid emoji for being anatomically incorrect. The placement of the squids siphon, McAnulty said, would be like having a butt on your forehead.

That type of candid comment is par for the course for squid expert McAnulty, who earned her Ph.D. at UConn in 2019 and has made a name for herself by breaking down barriers between scientists and everybody else.

A wildly successful effort to crowdfund a research project in 2014 showed McAnulty how much she enjoyed science communication and how important it was. Three years later, she foundedSkype a Scientist, a nonprofit organization that connects students in classrooms around the country with real live scientists.

McAnulty recently stopped by the UConn 360 podcast studios to discuss her research on the adorable Hawaiian bobtail squid, the latest Skype a Scientist initiatives, and why showing the public that scientists are human is vital, now more than ever.

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Read the fall 2017UConn Magazinefeature on Skype a Scientist.

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Of Science and Squid Emojis - UConn Today

Cell Biology

Decoy Proteins That Bind and Trap the Coronavirus in Development – Technology Networks

Decoy proteins that bind and trap the coronavirus to stop it infecting cells in our bodies are being developed by the University of Leicester.

Using pioneering techniques in molecular evolution, a method used in protein engineering to evolve a protein to optimise its use, the research team led by Professor Nick Brindle at Leicester, and with Dr Julian Sale at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB), are working on the creation of a new soluble protein that binds to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, thereby preventing it from being able to bind to and infect our cells.

The COVID-19 virus normally infects lungs and tissues by binding to a receptor called ACE2 on the surface of our cells. The decoy mimics these receptors, but it is engineered to be more attractive to the virus, so it will bind to the decoy and not ACE2, preventing the virus from hijacking and reproducing within our cells.

Nick Brindle, Professor of Cell Signalling at the University of Leicesters Departments of Molecular & Cell Biology and Cardiovascular Sciences, said:

This is an innovative approach in the ongoing fight against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. By hijacking the receptors on cells in our lungs and other tissues the virus can grow and spread throughout the body and lead to disease.

By creating an attractive decoy protein for the virus to bind to, we are aiming to block the ability of this virus to infect cells and protect the function of the cell surface receptors.

If this approach is successful, it could have the potential to prevent new cases of this deadly disease across the globe.

The initial set of results will be available in two to three months.

To facilitate their research, Professor Brindles team is using a technique called Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM), which enables scientists to image whole virus or parts of the virus in a native environment. The biological sample is frozen rapidly and then imaged by targeting a beam of high energy particles called electrons, which have a wavelength much smaller than the biological molecules being imaged.

As part of its world-leading efforts to support research into COVID-19 and diagnostic testing, the University of Leicester has been working on a number of research projects including the development of adiagnostic maskthat could potentially detect the presence of coronavirus before symptoms appear.

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Decoy Proteins That Bind and Trap the Coronavirus in Development - Technology Networks