Cell Biology

Generation of muscle cells in 3 easy steps – News-Medical.net

Mar 4 2020

AMSBIO offers a Skeletal Muscle Differentiation kit that enables you to differentiate human pluripotent stem cells to skeletal muscle myotubes with high yields, without cell sorting or genetic manipulation. Myotubes are contractile, express typical muscle markers that show striated sarcomeres.

Skeletal muscle precursor cells (stage II and III) produced with the Skeletal Muscle Differentiation Kit. Image Credit: Douglas Smith - Doles Lab

Until recently methods of studying muscular disease and potential therapies were dependent on invasive muscle biopsies to produce limited batches of primary cells. Use of primary cells presents challenges, not only in the collection process but also related to inconsistencies in cell growth, behavior and life span, making it difficult to generate reliable experimental models.

Using AMSBIO's revolutionary Skeletal Muscle Differentiation kit allows researchers to generate muscle from human pluripotent stem cells in 3 easy steps, via satellite-like or progenitor cells and myoblasts that then fuse to multinucleated myotubes in the third step.

The myotube differentiation kit from AMSBIO is simple to use and it has produced consistent results every time.

Jason D Doles, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Head of Doles Lab in Rochester, Minnesota

Dr Doles and the research team in his Skeletal Muscle Wasting and Progenitor Cell Biology group are currently studying muscle regeneration, wasting disorders and stem cell activation using diverse experimental model systems and cutting-edge cell and molecular biology tools and technologies.

Tested on a wide range of human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cell lines the new kit follows a simple 3-step process of media changes and cell passaging. Eliminating the need for cell sorting or transfection of myogenic transcription factors, the Skeletal Muscle Differentiation kit protocol generates a highly pure population of approximately 70 per cent skeletal muscle myotubes in a reproducible fashion.

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Generation of muscle cells in 3 easy steps - News-Medical.net

Cell Biology

MSU researcher aids discovery of new cellular mechanism related to aging, chronic illnesses – Valleyjournal

Issue Date: 3/4/2020Last Updated: 3/3/2020 10:33:03 PM |By Reagan Colyer, MSU News Service

BOZEMAN A Montana State University biotechnology researcher was part of an international team that recently discovered an internal mechanism, which may protect human cells from oxidative damage.

The discovery could lead to strides in understanding many problems associated with aging and some chronic illnesses. Ed Schmidt, a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in MSUs colleges of Agriculture and Letters and Science, worked with research teams from Hungary, Sweden and Japan on the project, published earlier this month in the journal Science Advances. The mechanism, Schmidt said, is a previously unknown tool that cells can use to protect their proteins from being irreversibly damaged by cellular processes called redox reactions, which are common and necessary but which, in excess, can cause extensive damage.

Redox reactions are any reaction where youre moving electrons from one molecule to another, said Schmidt. Almost everything that goes on in our cells, chemically and energetically, involves the transfer of electrons. But its critical that these be kept in balance. Our cells invest an enormous amount of effort and machinery into maintaining the right redox balance.

The discovery made by Schmidts team focuses on sulfur atoms as part of protein molecules inside cells. When cells are exposed to external stressors from things humans eat, chemicals the cells are exposed to or any number of other sources that oxidative stress can damage parts of the proteins. It was previously thought that cells had no way to reverse that oxidation, instead relying upon making new proteins to replace the damaged ones. However, said Schmidt, it appears that our cells are sometimes able to protect themselves by adding an extra sulfur atom onto existing sulfurs in certain protein molecules. Then when the cell is exposed to stress, only that extra sulfur is damaged and can then be cleaved off by the cell, leaving behind a whole and undamaged protein.

We suspect that once exposure begins, its too late for the cell to do this, said Schmidt. We think that cells have a subset of proteins already in this state with extra sulfur atoms, which makes them probably inactive, but kind of on reserve. These proteins on reserve get damaged but can be repaired and allow the cell to begin recovery to make new proteins.

Extreme oxidative damage can cause DNA mutations, said Schmidt. When those mutations accumulate, there is some evidence that points to an increased risk for cancers, inflammatory diseases and illnesses such as Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers disease and diabetes. This new discovery may help lead to future strides in medicine by helping to predict or even mitigate those health problems, if human cells can utilize this mechanism more efficiently, Schmidt said, adding that there are even potential applications for medical procedures such as organ transplants.

During transplants, the organ goes through a period where it doesnt have any oxygen or blood flow, but once it is transplanted, it gets a rush of oxygenated blood that causes a burst of oxidative stress, said Schmidt. Now that were starting to understand these mechanisms, maybe we can do something more sophisticated to allow the cells in a transplanted organ to prepare and protect themselves.

Schmidts research team, which is also a part of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station, worked with four other teams that brought expertise in biological sulfur chemistry, redox biology, cell biology and cell signaling from around the world. Next steps in this research, Schmidt said, include investigating exactly how cells manage to add those extra sulfur molecules and how that process is regulated.

Its possible that by understanding this system more, we could make progress, said Schmidt. Understanding some of these mechanisms allows us to come up with new ideas.

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MSU researcher aids discovery of new cellular mechanism related to aging, chronic illnesses - Valleyjournal

Cell Biology

The Role of Inhaled Anesthetics in Tumorigenesis and Tumor Immunity | CMAR – Dove Medical Press

Yichi Xu, Wenxiao Jiang, Shangdan Xie, Fang Xue, Xueqiong Zhu

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Peoples Republic of China

Correspondence: Xueqiong ZhuDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, No. 109 Xueyuan Xi Road, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, Peoples Republic of ChinaTel/Fax +86 577 88002796Email zjwzzxq@163.com

Abstract: Inhaled anesthetics are widely used for induction and maintenance of anesthesia during surgery, including isoflurane, sevoflurane, desflurane, haloflurane, nitrous oxide (N2O), enflurane and xenon. Nowadays, it is controversial whether inhaled anesthetics may influence the tumor progression, which urges us to describe the roles of different inhaled anesthetics in human cancers. In the review, the relationships among the diverse inhaled anesthetics and patient outcomes, immune response and cancer cell biology were discussed. Moreover, the mechanisms of various inhaled anesthetics in the promotion or inhibition of carcinogenesis were also reviewed. In summary, we concluded that several inhaled anesthetics have different immune functions, clinical outcomes and cancer cell biology, which could contribute to opening new avenues for selecting suitable inhaled anesthetics in cancer surgery.

Keywords: inhaled anesthetics, cancer, tumorigenesis, surgery, immune

This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.

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Cell Biology

Study Provides Insights Into How Cells Defend Themselves From Viruses – Technology Networks

A protein known to help cells defend against infection also regulates the form and function of mitochondria, according to a new paper in Nature Communications.

The protein, one of a group called myxovirus-resistance (Mx) proteins, help cells fight infections without the use of systemic antibodies or white blood cells. The authors report that MxB, which is associated with immune response to HIV and herpes virus, is key to mitochondrial support.

"Our work provides new insights into how this dynamin MxB protein assists in fighting viral infections, which could have substantial health implications in the future," says Mark McNiven, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic cell biologist and senior author.

Viral infection

In response to infection, a cell releases interferon and neighboring cells ramp up Mx protein production. The authors replicated previous findings that MxB blocks nuclear pores and MxB increases markedly when cells are treated with interferon. But they also show that some MxB is present in most immune tissues, such as tonsil, prior to a "red alert" and that it has another role.

"We were surprised to see MxB present on, and in, mitochondria," says Hong Cao, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic research scientist and first author. "That it is both induced in response to infection and vital to mitochondrial integrity is exciting, considering that HIV and herpes alter mitochondria during infection."

Protecting the generator

The authors report that during infection, MxB dynamically condenses, dissolves and reforms over time, and traced MxB's travels to the nuclear pores, as well as to the tips and along mitochondria. They also show, via a cell line that can't make MxB in response to interferon, that mitochondrial cristae are affected by MxB, as well.

"Without active MxB protein, mitochondria become nonfunctional, no longer produce energy, and kick out their DNA genome into the cytoplasm," says Dr. Cao. "These cells are not happy, but may have the capacity to survive a viral infection."

History of mitochondrial investigationThe work of Dr. Cao and team builds on the findings of mitochondrial investigators at Mayo.

"Over two decades ago, our lab discovered a set of proteins that perform mechanical work to shape and pinch mitochondria," says Dr. McNiven. That discovery led to a variety of research initiatives across the international mitochondria field into not only basic research questions, but also into clinical areas. This work shows that mitochondrial dynamics, such as fission and fusion, are vital functions. They regulate cell death needed to retard cancer cell growth and the turnover of damaged mitochondria needed to prevent neurodegenerative disorders, and contribute to antiviral cell immunity, to name a few.

The next steps, Dr. McNiven says, are to continue to investigate how MxB is targeted to and internalized by mitochondria, and how its association induces such drastic changes to biology of this organelle.

Reference:Cao, H., Krueger, E. W., Chen, J., Drizyte-Miller, K., Schulz, M. E., & McNiven, M. A. (2020). The anti-viral dynamin family member MxB participates in mitochondrial integrity. Nature Communications, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14727-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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Immunology

Immunology in coccidiosis in chickens: The role of cytokines IL-2 and IFN-gamma – The Poultry Site

Innate immunity is mediated by subpopulations of immune cells that recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Adaptive immunity, which is important in conferring protection against secondary infections, involves subtypes of T and B lymphocytes that mediate antigen specific immune response. Experimental studies in coccidiosis in chickens now support the role of lymphocytes and their secreted products (Lillehoj et al. 2011)

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Immunology in coccidiosis in chickens: The role of cytokines IL-2 and IFN-gamma - The Poultry Site

Immunology

Mitochondria-boosting compound promotes immunotherapy in mice – Drug Target Review

Researchers have discovered that a small molecule can help some T cells combat tumours during PD-1 blockade immunotherapy in mice.

A small molecule that inhibits energy production in T cells allows some tumours in mice to escape treatment with an immunotherapy called PD-1 blockade therapy, says a new study from Kyoto University, Japan.

One kind of cancer immunotherapy blocks PD-1, a receptor on the surface of T cells. Cancer cells express a protein that binds to this receptor and interferes with T-cell ability to kill tumour cells. But while drugs that block this receptor can reactivate the T cells, they are not always effective.

Despite the great success of PD-1 blockade therapy, we need to improve its efficacy because more than half of patients tumours dont respond to it, said lead author Alok Kumar, a PhD student in the Department of Immunology and Genomic Medicine at Kyoto University.

To learn why so many tumours fail to respond to PD-1 blockade therapy, Kumar and his colleagues studied mice with two types of tumour cells: some that were sensitive to PD-1 blockade therapy and others that were not. This allowed the team to identify two different types of tumours that do not respond to PD-1. One type suppressed the immune system and caused even the PD-1-sensitive tumour cells to grow, while the other had no effect on PD-1-sensitive tumour cells.

We found that some human cancer cells release immunosuppressive molecules that inhibit the activity of energy-producing mitochondria in T cells, Kumar explained. Treating the mice with a mitochondria-boosting compound reversed this effect in the immunesuppressing tumour.

However, the immunotherapy treatment had no effect on the other type of tumour. Instead of impairing energy production in T cells, the other tumour made itself invisible to the immune system by failing to produce a protein that helps immune cells recognise tumour cells.

The identity of the molecule that helped the first type of tumour suppress mitochondria is currently unknown. The researchers hope that if they can find it, they can create drugs that hinder its activity. If we could identify these unknown factors and develop drugs that block them, we could save patients lives by using the drugs alongside PD-1 blockade therapy to prevent tumours from defending themselves, says senior author Tasuku Honjo, Professor of Immunology and Genomic Medicine at Kyoto University.

The study was published in eLife.

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Mitochondria-boosting compound promotes immunotherapy in mice - Drug Target Review

Immunology

Tulane scientist named Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology – News from Tulane

Chad Steele, professor and chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Tulane University School of Medicine, has been named a 2020 Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (AAM). Steeles current research focuses on better understanding lung immune responses during acute versus chronic exposure to the opportunistic fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. (Photo by Paula Burch-Celentano)

Chad Steele, professor and chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Tulane University School of Medicine, has been elected to the American Academy of Microbiology (AAM). This prestigious honor recognizes scientists for outstanding contributions in a wide variety of microbiology sectors, including research, education, public health, industry and government service. Steele is one of only 68 scientists worldwide to be elected as new fellows to the Class of 2020.

Steeles current research focuses on better understanding lung immune responses during acute versus chronic exposure to the opportunistic fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. The fungus is found in soil, plant matter and household dust, and produces airborne spores which can cause some people to get a range of illnesses, from asthma to pneumonia. In the Steele Laboratory at Tulane School of Medicine, Steele and his research team have developed experimental animal models that mimic the pathology observed in invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (fungal pneumonia) and fungal-associated allergic airway inflammation (fungal asthma).

Steele says being elected as fellow is exciting and humbling. It means your peers have recognized your contribution to the field of microbiology over many years in terms of contributing to researching, supporting advancement of the field and training the next generation of scientists in microbiology, Steele said.

Fellows of the American Academy of Microbiology are elected annually through a highly selective, peer-review process, based on their records of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology. The Class of 2020 represents fellows from 11 different countries, including Australia, Austria, Brazil, Chile, China, France, Germany, Israel, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Professor Steele is an outstanding scientist, and also brings dynamic, inspirational, and collaborative leadership to Tulane, says Dr. Lee Hamm, dean of Tulane University School of Medicine. He is not only performing outstanding scientific work himself but raising the level of achievement among those around him and in his area of work.

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Tulane scientist named Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology - News from Tulane

Immunology

BEYOND LOCAL: Sniffles and itchy eyes in winter? It could be allergies – ThoroldNews.com

Bad news, allergy sufferers winter wont necessarily give you a break.

There are what we call perennial allergens that never really go away, said Dr. Anne Ellis, professor and chair of the division of allergy and immunology at Queens University.

Things like house dust mites, which are microscopic spider-like insects that live in our mattress and pillow, certain moulds can live indoors in homes, and obviously if people have pets cats and dogs they usually allow them in the house and theyre not leaving, because its wintertime.

Mice also like to come inside during the winter, said Dr. Paul Keith, an associate professor in McMaster Universitys division of allergy and clinical immunology. These rodents can also be an allergy trigger for many people, he said, if they get into the house.

Part of the problem is that we spend more time indoors during the winter, Ellis said, which is not a great environment for allergy sufferers.

In winter, people usually keep their houses closed up and dont have air conditioners running or windows open which means allergens can build up in the closed area, she said. Heaters can make the air drier, which is also irritating for some.

These arent the same as seasonal allergies though.

Theres no pollen in the air right now, she said. Its tempting to think that theres something in the air when you have these intermittent mild melts. But usually whats happening there is that people who have allergies, they have hypersensitive airways anyway and so any changes in climate can trigger irritant-type symptoms in the nose.

Winter is also cold season, she said, and it can be tricky to tell the difference between an allergy and an infection.

Allergies typically would not cause you to have a fever, and you wouldnt get a sore throat.

Swollen lymph nodes and a general icky, not-great feeling are also probably a cold of some kind, not an allergy, she said.

If you do have allergies, there are things you can do to help lessen your symptoms, starting with trying to eliminate the allergen in your home.

With pets, you want to try to keep the pet out of the bedroom, so that [in] the room where you spend at least eight hours a day, youre not exposed to a higher level [of allergens], Keith said.

For dust mite allergy, we recommend covering the pillow and mattress to reduce your exposure, he said.

You should also change your sheets and pillowcases every week and wash them in hot water, Ellis said.

Similarly, Keith said, many people dont wash their winter coats very often, and these can also attract dust mites.

Air purifiers can make a difference, Ellis said, but they must be certified allergy-asthma friendly.

You may also want to try tackling your symptoms with medication. Saline nasal sprays can help wash allergens out of your nose, Keith said.

Pharmacies sell lots of very effective non-sedating antihistamines, Ellis said. She strongly recommends second-generation antihistamines, sold under brand names like Claritin and Allegra, over older antihistamines like diphenhydramine (Benadryl), because they have fewer side-effects and are more effective.

Nasal steroid sprays can also be effective, she said, though people need to be aware it can take a few days for the effect to kick in. You need to use it every day for at least a week to notice a significant improvement in your symptoms.

And, she said, if you find over-the-counter options dont work, you should consult a primary care provider or an allergist.

Allergy specialists love to see patients even with minor concerns, because we really like helping people for things that we know can be a burden to the patients who experience them.

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BEYOND LOCAL: Sniffles and itchy eyes in winter? It could be allergies - ThoroldNews.com

Immunology

2020-2025 Global and Regional Immunology Industry Production, Sales and Consumption Status and Prospects Professional Market Research Report – Monroe…

The global Immunology market report by HNY Research offers users a detailed overview of the market and all the main factors affecting the market. The study on global Immunology market, offers profound understandings about the Immunology market covering all the essential aspects like revenue growth, supply chain, sales, key players and regions. There is a target set in market that every marketing strategy has to reach. This report on Immunology focusses on different categories that define this market with a systematic approach that addresses the consumer base, researchers and market experts like the stakeholders. It also gives a clear perspective towards the competition and demand and supply chain.

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Immunology

The ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ of immune cells – Health Europa

These cells play a key protective role in immunity to infection however, if unregulated, they can also cause tissue damage in autoimmune disorders.

The research, published in theJournal of Experimental Medicine, should help us design more effective vaccines to prevent infections such as MRSA and may also assist help us develop of new therapies for autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis.

The immune system functions to control infection, utilising various immune cells, such as T cells to respond to and control invading microbes. However, if these immune cells are not highly regulated, they can attack and damage body tissues, leading to the development of autoimmune diseases.

Molecules called T cell receptors (TCRs) allow T cells to recognise components of infectious agents with exquisite specificity. The TCRs enable T cells to respond to and eventually eliminate the infectious agent.

Professor Kingston Mills, Professor of Experimental Immunology, School of Biochemistry and Immunology in the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Dublin explained that: Until now scientists thought that there were two discrete populations of T cells, expressing either or TCRs. The s are the most common T cells in the body.

They play a key role in remembering prior infection or immunisation and thereby help protect us against re-infection and mediate vaccine-induced protective immunity. The s are more prevalent at mucosal surfaces, such as the lung or gut, and provide an immediate first line of defence against pathogens that invade through these routes.

We have discovered a new cell type that expresses both and TCRs. This rare population of chimeric or hybrid - T cells has properties of both and T cells. Importantly, they are normally highly activated and poised to act as first responders to control bacterial infection.

However, given this high level of activation, they are effectively Jekyll and Hyde cells because in certain contexts they can also precipitate autoimmune responses.

Using a model of Staphylococcus aureus infection, Mills and his team found that these cells are rapidly mobilised during infection and play a key role in quickly eliminating the microbes from the body.

By introducing these hybrid - T cells, it may represent a novel approach in the design of more effective vaccines against Staph aureus and other infectious diseases, while advancing our ability to control their response may yield additional therapeutic options.

Mills added: In a model of autoimmune disease, we found that the hybrid T cells can also trigger the inflammatory cascade that mediates tissue damage in autoimmunity. Therefore, approaches for inhibiting these highly activated immune cells in susceptible individuals may open up new approaches for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis and multiple sclerosis.

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The 'Jekyll and Hyde' of immune cells - Health Europa