Genetics

Western Pennsylvania beekeepers abuzz on genetic engineering – Tribune-Review

Updated 10 hours ago

A theory to solve the nation's ever-worsening bee decline through genetic engineering has Western Pennsylvania beekeepers split about whether it will work.

We have to start working with bees that are locally adapted to the areas we keep them, explained Dwight Wells, 77, a founding member of the Heartland Honeybee Breeders Cooperative and president of the West Central Ohio Beekeepers Association who was a guest speaker at a weekend seminar in Beaver County. Beekeepers have got to understand their bees like farmers understand their crops and cows and pigs. Farmers are careful on the genetics they have in herds and fields big-time. They're looking for proper genetics.

Beekeepers have to start thinking along the same line and start calling themselves bee farmers.

Wells has worked with Purdue University geneticists since 2013 to improve the genetics of honeybees by mating them with queen bees that have adapted to chew off the legs of Varroa mites, also known as Purdue ankle biters. The parasites have long been blamed for honeybee loss because they transmit deadly diseases.

Wells said there are many theories that attempt to explain the mysterious colony collapse disorder, which surfaced in 2006. But he is convinced the main problem is linked to the Varroa mite and malnourished bees a problem he believes is solvable by combining the genetics of mite-resistant bees with Southern, commercial bees that are not fully adapted to surviving harsh winters.

Al Fine, owner of Fine Family Apiary, is not sure the project will work in the long run.

Fine, who keeps about 130 colonies at farms and backyards throughout Allegheny, Washington and Westmoreland counties, lost about 60 percent of his honey bees this winter.

Beekeepers can't afford not to treat for mites because we have to treat them to keep business going, Fine said.

He makes money by selling bees and honey and by renting out colonies to farmers. Business suffers when bees die off in winter, so Fine said he has a vested interest in keeping his bees alive.

To replenish his stock, he buys packages from large-scale commercial beekeepers in Georgia.

You like your strawberries I like blueberries and squash is really good, and people like zucchini, Fine said. Bees are always going to be moved.

According to the Atlanta-based American Beekeeping Federation, bees contribute nearly $20 billion to the country's agriculture industry by pollinating everything from apples to cranberries, melons and broccoli. Crops such as blueberries and cherries are almost entirely dependent on bee pollination. Almonds are entirely dependent on their pollination.

An estimated two-thirds of the country's 2.7 million bee colonies are transported to different farms across the nation throughout the year, ABF reports.

To keep his bees alive, Fine usually sprays them with an organic pesticide twice a year. The spray, he said, burns Varroa mites with naturally occurring acids. This year, however, he plans on using three or four treatments.

But Wells' genetic improving program is not necessarily targeting large beekeeping operations, which typically move bees long distances, said John Yakim, president of the Beaver Valley Area Beekeepers Association. He thinks the program would work if hobbyists who own five to 10 hives, like himself, introduced Purdue ankle biters to the region.

Yakim met Wells at a Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association seminar in November 2014. Since then, he said he has been learning about the practice and wants others to be exposed to it as well.

BVABA hosted its Queen Raising Seminar on Friday and Saturday in Baden. Participants received unmated queen bees that Yakim and Wells hope mate with local drones.

This is designed for small-scale hobbyist and sideliners, Yakim said of the genetic improving program.

But that doesn't mean he thinks the program couldn't potentially work for large-scale beekeeping operations.

I don't see why not, even for producers with 10,000 colonies. The underlying science isn't going to change, he said.

The science lies in combining the genes of climate survivability and Varroa mite resistance, Wells said.

The problem with bees bought by beekeepers is that most of them are adapted to live in warmer climates, such as Georgia and Florida, where most commercial stock is produced, Wells said.

Beekeepers have been relying on chemicals since the 1980s to treat for mites. But mites develop resistance. And now they're running out of chemicals, Wells said. The smart ones are understanding they got to start developing their own stocks in order to kill mite spells. They're in trouble, and they realize it.

Dillon Carr is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-850-1298, dcarr@tribweb.com or via Twitter @dillonswriting.

Dan Speicher | Tribune-Review

Al Fine, owner of Fine Family Apiary, inspects his bee hives, at Triple B Farms in Monongehala, on Wednesday, May 17, 2017.

Dan Speicher | Tribune-Review

The queen bee, marked with a yellow dot, can be seen inside an observation hut Al Fine, at Triple B Farms in Monongehala, on Wednesday, May 17, 2017. Fine

Dan Speicher | Tribune-Review

Al Fine, owner of Fine Family Apiary, lights a ball of cardboard for his smoker, before he inspects his bee hives, at Triple B Farms in Monongehala, on Wednesday, May 17, 2017. The Smoke is believed to mask the bees alarm pheromones, which blocks the bees ability to raise the alarm of an intruder.

Dan Speicher | Tribune-Review

Al Fine, owner of Fine Family Apiary, removes the cover of a beehive, before inspecting the hive after recently introducing a new queen, at Triple B Farms in Monongehala, on Wednesday, May 17, 2017.

Dan Speicher | Tribune-Review

Al Fine, owner of Fine Family Apiary, removes the cover of a beehive, before inspecting the hive after recently introducing a new queen, at Triple B Farms in Monongehala, on Wednesday, May 17, 2017. The Smoke is believed to mask the bees alarm pheromones, which blocks the bees ability to raise the alarm of an intruder.

Dan Speicher | Tribune-Review

Al Fine, owner of Fine Family Apiary, searches for a newly introduced queen, while inspecting his bee hives at Triple B Farms in Monongehala, on Wednesday, May 17, 2017.

Dan Speicher | Tribune-Review

Al Fine, owner of Fine Family Apiary, inspects his bee hives, at Triple B Farms in Monongehala, on Wednesday, May 17, 2017.

Dan Speicher | Tribune-Review

The dark bodied queen bee, crawls around a frame, as Al Fine, owner of Fine Family Apiary, inspects his bee hives, at Triple B Farms in Monongehala, on Wednesday, May 17, 2017.

Dan Speicher | Tribune-Review

Honey bees, owned by Al Fine, owner of Fine Family Apiary, stand at the uncovered entrance to the bee hives, at Triple B Farms in Monongehala, on Wednesday, May 17, 2017. Fine

Dan Speicher | Tribune-Review

Al Fine, owner of Fine Family Apiary, inspects his bee hives, at Triple B Farms in Monongehala, on Wednesday, May 17, 2017.

Dan Speicher | Tribune-Review

Al Fine, owner of Fine Family Apiary, takes a break while inspecting his bee hives, at Triple B Farms in Monongehala, on Wednesday, May 17, 2017. Fine

Dan Speicher | Tribune-Review

Al Fine, owner of Fine Family Apiary, poses for a portrait in his bee keeper suit, at Triple B Farms in Monongehala, on Wednesday, May 17, 2017.

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Western Pennsylvania beekeepers abuzz on genetic engineering - Tribune-Review

Genetics

Scientists identify 40 genes that shed new light on biology of intelligence – The Guardian

Scientists identify 40 genes that shed new light on biology of intelligence Photograph: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

A major study into the genetics of human intelligence has given scientists their richest insight yet into the biology that underpins our cognitive skills.

The research on 60,000 adults and 20,000 children uncovered 40 new genes that play a role in intelligence, a haul that brings the number of genes known to have a bearing on IQ to 52.

Forming part of the blueprint for the brain, the genes provide instructions for the building of healthy neurons, the paths they take through the 3lb lump of tissue, and the construction of hundreds of trillions of synapses that connect them.

We want to understand how the brain works and learn what are the biological underpinnings of intelligence, said Professor Danielle Posthuma, a statistical geneticist at the Free University of Amsterdam, who led the study published in Nature Genetics.

Previous work with twins has shown that genes account for about half of the difference that is seen in IQ scores across the population, with the rest being shaped by factors such as conditions in the womb, nutrition, pollution and a persons social environment. Genes do not determine everything for intelligence, said Posthuma. There are so many other factors that affect how well someone does on an IQ test.

It is thought that hundreds, if not thousands, of genes play a role in human intelligence, with most contributing only a minuscule amount to a persons cognitive prowess. The vast majority have yet to be found, and those that have do not have a huge impact. Taken together, all of the genes identified in the latest study explain only about 5% of the variation in peoples IQs, the scientists found.

Working with an international team of scientists, Posthuma looked for genetic markers linked to intelligence in 13 different groups of people of European descent. Amid the 52 genes they found, 40 were new ones that predominantly switched on in the brain. The same genes were also associated with better educational attainment, a larger head circumference at birth, living longer, and autism.

While scientists have an idea what many of the newfound genes do, Posthuma said the next step was to block their function in mice to see what impact each gene has on brain function. The same could be done with human neurons made from skin cells in the lab, she said. In time, if researchers can build up a detailed picture of the genetics of intelligence, it could help them understand what goes wrong in conditions that lead to mental impairment.

But research on the genetics of IQ has always raised serious questions about how the information might be used. Could human embryos be chosen according to their future brain power? Could scientists make drugs to enhance human intelligence? If so, would only the richest have access to such powerful technology? There is always the question of designer babies and can we use this knowledge to improve intelligence, said Posthuma. These are valid questions, but its very far from where we are now. You certainly wouldnt be able to design a baby based on the current knowledge.

Such uses are on the horizon. IVF embryos are already screened for genetic faults. With larger studies, scientists expect to find more genes that contribute to intelligence. Eventually, the work may reach a point where the genomes of IVF embryos could be used to rank them according to their intellectual potential, even if the difference is so small as to be insignificant. You can imagine that as soon as it becomes possible to explain a good deal of the variance in intelligence, people are going to start doing this, said Stuart Ritchie, a researcher in cognitive ageing at Edinburgh University and author of the book Intelligence: All that Matters.

The prospect of IQ-boosting drugs should not be dismissed either, Ritchie added. The world is home to an ageing population and cognitive function declines in old age, leaving the aged more prone to error and accidents, more vulnerable to scammers. If we know what genes are involved, and we can develop the treatments, then we might be able to stave of that cognitive ageing to some degree, he said. Over time, you could see an inequality growing there.

Another long-term prospect, perhaps, is using genetic information to tailor teaching for individual students, Posthuma said. Maybe one day we can say that based on your genetic makeup, it could be easier for you to use this strategy rather than that one to learn this task. But thats still very far off, she said. I dont think whats written in our genes determines our lives.

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Scientists identify 40 genes that shed new light on biology of intelligence - The Guardian

Genetics

FDNA Announces Collaboration with GeneDx and Blueprint Genetics in the Launch of Face2Gene LABS – Business Wire (press release)

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, FDNA (www.FDNA.com) announces its collaboration with two of the most reputable genomics testing labs in the world, GeneDx and Blueprint Genetics. The collaboration will fully integrate FDNAs analysis into the genetic testing workflow of these labs by enabling clinicians to share phenotypic data with these labs in real time. This marks the first time clinicians will have the ability to send phenotypic data, including facial analysis collected through FDNAs Face2Gene suite, directly to labs, paving the way for a new precision medicine industry standard.

Founded in 2011, FDNA is committed to helping clinicians, labs and researchers diagnose, treat and create therapies for rare diseases. FDNAs Face2Gene suite of applications helps to quickly evaluate patients clinical signs through artificial intelligence and facial analysis. With a comprehensive database of more than 10,000 rare disease syndromes, this new LABS capability is improving the speed and accuracy of a diagnosis for rare disease patients.

Trying to diagnose patients with genetic sequencing is like searching for a pinin a 22,000-needle haystack, said Dekel Gelbman, CEO of FDNA. By providingaccurate phenotypic and clinical data to the lab directly at the point of genetic interpretation, we are truly realizing the promise of precision medicine. And, with the power of artificial intelligence behind it, clinicians will be pointed toward potential diagnoses that they may have never otherwise considered. GeneDx and Blueprint Genetics are both examples of innovative and renowned labs adopting technology that will lead the way in pinpointing rare disease and promote further medical advancements.

The results of PEDIA, a recent study led by the Berlin Institute of health and Charit University of Medicine, displayed exciting results of this collaboration on the accuracy of genetic sequencing. We estimate that the addition of phenotypic features [encoded in HPO terms] increases the diagnostic yield to about 60% [from 25% without]. When adding facial analysis, FDNAs technology, to that process, the diagnostic yield increases to more than 85%, explained Dr. Peter Krawitz, Principal Investigator of PEDIA.

One in 10 people worldwide suffer from a rare genetic disease, and often the search for answers is a tiresome journey. With hundreds of millions of patients having their phenotypic information buried in paper files and unstructured data, it is challenging to integrate this information to support the variant interpretation process. With the Face2Gene LABS application, all of this information is available immediately to support the analysis of genetic testing to help clinicians pinpoint the disease-causing genetic variants as they draw clearer and more efficient conclusions.

This is an important collaboration for several reasons, said Dr. Ben Solomon, Managing Director of GeneDx and practicing clinical geneticist.Its a great way to leverage clinical and genetic information and machine learning approaches to find answers for the clinicians, patients and families GeneDx serves.Aside from providing answers, this integration will make the diagnostic testing process easier, smoother and more enjoyable for clinicians.

Since 2012, Blueprint Genetics has been developing technological innovations in sequencing and clinical interpretation to improve the quality and performance of rare disease diagnostics, said Dr. Tero-Pekka Alastalo, PhD and Chief Medical Officer of Blueprint Genetics. Its great to see how these innovations are now helping the genetics community and patients suffering from inherited disorders. Combining these technological innovations with our transparent approach to diagnostics and next generation phenotyping tools like Face2Gene represents the next steps forward in molecular genetic diagnostics.

About FDNA and Face2Gene FDNA is the developer of Face2Gene, a clinical suite of phenotyping applications that facilitates comprehensive and precise genetic evaluations. Face2Gene uses facial analysis, deep learning and artificial intelligence to transform big data into actionable genomic insights to improve and accelerate diagnostics and therapeutics. With the worlds largest network of clinicians, labs and researchers creating one of the fastest growing and most comprehensive genomic databases, FDNA is changing the lives of rare disease patients. For more information, visit http://www.FDNA.com.

About GeneDx GeneDx is a world leader in genomics with an acknowledged expertise in rare and ultra-rare genetic disorders, as well as one of the broadest menus of sequencing services available among commercial laboratories. GeneDx provides testing to patients and their families in more than 55 countries. GeneDx is awholly-owned subsidiaryof BioReference Laboratories,anOPKO Health, Inc.company.For more information, visitwww.genedx.com.

About Blueprint Genetics Blueprint Genetics is a genetic diagnostic laboratory that provides comprehensive genetics testing services through innovative technologies. This includes DNA sequencing and clinical interpretation in human rare diseases that enable improved quality and performance, faster lead-time and overall cost efficiency. With IBM Watson-powered CLINT technology, Blueprint Genetics expert team of geneticists and clinicians provide top-quality clinical interpretation and reporting, changing the standards of molecular diagnostics. For more information, visit http://www.blueprintgenetics.com.

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FDNA Announces Collaboration with GeneDx and Blueprint Genetics in the Launch of Face2Gene LABS - Business Wire (press release)

Genetics

Genetics and animal science added to Fieldays Innovation Awards – Stuff.co.nz

Last updated16:31, May 23 2017

There are 71 entries in this years Innovation Awards at Fieldays including entries in animal science and genetics.

Genetics, animal science and chemical-based innovations are being addedfor the first time to the Fieldays Innovations Awardsthis year.

Competition organisers had expanded the criteriabecause of an increase of focus in thefields,Fieldays Innovations event manager Gail Hendricks said.

As a result, the competition has included two new judges tojudge the science behind theinnovations, she said.

Award organisershave received 71 entriesincluding innovations in fencing, irrigation, pasture management and animal health. Agricultural technology would also be on show, with several app-based innovations entered and a virtual reality innovation.

READ MORE: * Exciting fortunes ahead for the Waikato as it prepares for Fieldays *Steve Hansen talks rugby at Fieldays *Fieldays a chance to learn

The entries are displayed at theFieldays Innovations Centre, which showcases agricultural inventions and new applications with the potential to lead change in the rural sector.

The theme of Fieldaysis 'leading change'.Hendricks said the awards wereat the cutting edge of what was happening in agriculture, and the future of the industry.

"Originally, the Fieldays Innovation Awards was about widgets, gadgets and devices to improve farming, and now, more and more we are seeing how science and technology is impacting agriculture," Hendricks said.

The main entry categories are the Fieldays Prototype Award, Fieldays Launch NZ Award and Fieldays International Award.

Other awards up for grabs include categories for the bestYoung Inventor of the Year, technology innovation, research innovation, agri-innovation, intellectual propertyand commercialisation and intellectual property.

Hendricks said there was always public, business and agricultural industry interest in the innovation awards.

"The Innovations Centre is probably the busiest space at Fieldays and always attracts a lot of attention," said Hendricks. Every year, there is always broad media interest and the television breakfast shows broadcast from the Innovations Centre during Fieldays. The place is just buzzing."

Judges considerinventiveness, design and originality, the process of coming up with the innovation, commercial opportunities, intellectual property protection, technical viability and its benefit to New Zealand agriculture beforedeciding the winners.

The winners will be announced on June 15. Hendricks said they wouldreceive the kudos of winning the awards and any resulting publicity, but also access to expert support and business advice fromcompanies sponsoring each award.

Hendricks said entrants receiveda lot of value from entering the awards, as Fieldays provided access to a large group of potential customers and it gavethem a chance to do valuable market research.

Entrants also have exclusive access to business advisors, legal experts and product development consultants at a dedicated space in the Innovations Centre.

In addition, they have a chance to meet with potential investors at an invitation-only evening, Fieldays Innovations Capitalon June 15.

"The Innovations Centre is an exciting place to be at Fieldays. People visiting will see all sorts of interesting inventions and ideas that have practical and commercial application, to help streamline work on the farm."

-Stuff

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Genetics and animal science added to Fieldays Innovation Awards - Stuff.co.nz

Embryology

Donation to Council Rock Education Foundation to be used for embryology project – Bucks County Courier Times

COUNCIL ROCK SCHOOLS The Council Rock Education Foundation will use a recent $12,000 donation from Customers Bank to fund a district-wide embryology project, CREF officials said.

The project is part of Council Rock's science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics emphasis, school district officials said. It will give more than 800 fourth-graders across the district the opportunity to learn about the stages of embryonic development as they incubate, observe, record data and hatch avian eggs, they added.

This interactive learning project enhances the fourth-grade curriculum, school district officials said.

"Contributions from Customers Bank and others are key sources of funding for student initiatives not covered by the annual school budget," said Council Rock Superintendent Robert Fraser. "We are most fortunate to have a very vibrant and robust education foundation and dedicated local businesses that support innovative programs to enhance our students' learning experiences."

Since 2007, the foundation has awarded more than $200,000 in grants to fund educational initiatives across the school district not possible under the regular budget, CREF officials said.

"Customers Bank is dedicated to supporting local partners like CREF that are working to grow innovative programs that ignite our children's passion for learning," said Customers Bank Vice President Kevin Beaupariant.

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Donation to Council Rock Education Foundation to be used for embryology project - Bucks County Courier Times

Embryology

Medway Public Library announces events – Wicked Local Medway

MEDWAY The following events will take place at Medway Public Library, 26 High St. For information and to register for events and programs, visit medwaylib.org. Contact childrens librarian Lucy Anderson with any questions at landerson@minlib.net or 508-533-3217.

Toddler Jam: 11 a.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays. For newborns to age 3. This drop-in program will include stories, fingerplay and songs accompanied by mountain dulcimer. Children must be accompanied by a parent/caregiver.

Its Story Time!: 11 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays. For ages 10 months to 5 years. A drop-in story time with songs, stories and craft. All children must be accompanied by a caregiver. These ages are flexible.

PAWS to Read: 6 to 7:15 p.m. June 7. Each child will get a 15-minute one-on-one reading session with a visiting therapy dog. Children must be able to read independently, as this is not a tutoring session but rather an opportunity to practice reading skills with a good listener. For grades two to six.

Junior Lego Duplo Club: 11 a.m. June 10. Participants can enjoy an hour of free play with Duplos, easier than Legos for little hands. For ages 3-6.

Parachute Playgroups: 11 a.m. June 6 and 13. Participants will listen to a story, play parachute games, learn new songs, strengthen muscles, sharpen listening skills and make a craft. For ages 2 and older.

Embryology Club: 4 p.m. Thursdays, June 8 through July 13. Participants can learn all about the development and hatching of chicks. Participants can join for a six-week 4-H Impact Club on Embryology. Each child will be assigned an egg to watch over while the group learna about what is happening inside, how to candle the eggs to see them growing and the basics of caring for the baby chicks after they hatch. Registration is required.

BFG Breakout Box: 3:30 p.m. June 12. For ages 8-11. Advanced registration is required.

Summer Reading Kickoff with Davis Bates and Roger Tincknell: 3 p.m. June 27 This is a program for families celebrating reading and the cultural heritage of the United States. Award winning performers Roger Tincknell and Davis Bates share participatory stories and songs designed to amuse, inspire and create a feeling of community, while encouraging reading and awareness of the natural world. The program includes trickster stories, international folktales and folk songs and contemporary childrens songs. Instruments played will include banjo, guitar, mandolin and spoons.

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Medway Public Library announces events - Wicked Local Medway

Cell Biology

Study identifies RNA molecule that shields breast cancer stem cells from immune system – Princeton University

Researchers from Princeton Universitys Department of Molecular Biology have identified a small RNA molecule that helps maintain the activity of stem cells in both healthy and cancerous breast tissue. The study, which will be published in the June issue of Nature Cell Biology, suggests that this "microRNA" promotes particularly deadly forms of breast cancer and that inhibiting the effects of this molecule could improve the efficacy of existing breast cancer therapies.

Stem cells give rise to the different cell types in adult tissues but, in order to maintain these tissues throughout adulthood, stem cells must retain their activity for decades. They do this by "self-renewing" dividing to form additional stem cells and resisting the effects of environmental signals that would otherwise cause them to prematurely differentiate into other cell types.

Many tumors also contain so-called "cancer stem cells" that can drive tumor formation. Some tumors, such as triple-negative breast cancers, are particularly deadly because they contain large numbers of cancer stem cells that self-renew and resist differentiation.

To identify factors that help non-cancerous mammary gland stem cells (MaSCs) resist differentiation and retain their capacity to self-renew, Yibin Kang, the Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis Professor of Molecular Biology, and colleagues searched for short RNA molecules called microRNAs that can bind and inhibit protein-coding messenger RNAs to reduce the levels of specific proteins. The researchers identified one microRNA, called miR-199a, that helps MaSCs retain their stem-cell activity by suppressing the production of a protein called LCOR, which binds DNA to regulate gene expression. The team showed that when they boosted miR-199a levels in mouse MaSCs, they suppressed LCOR and increased normal stem cell function. Conversely, when they increased LCOR levels, they could curtail mammary gland stem cell activity.

Kang and colleagues found that miR-199a was also expressed in human and mouse breast cancer stem cells. Just as boosting miR-199a levels helped normal mammary gland stem cells retain their activity, the researchers showed that miR-199a enhanced the ability of cancer stem cells to form tumors. By increasing LCOR levels, in contrast, they could reduce the tumor-forming capacity of the cancer stem cells. In collaboration with researchers led by Zhi-Ming Shao, a professor at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center in China, Kang's team found that breast cancer patients whose tumors expressed large amounts of miR-199a showed poor survival rates, whereas tumors with high levels of LCOR had a better prognosis.

Kang and colleagues found that LCOR sensitizes cells to the effects of interferon-signaling molecules released from epithelial and immune cells, particularly macrophages, in the mammary gland. During normal mammary gland development, these cells secrete interferon-alpha to promote cell differentiation and inhibit cell division, the researchers discovered. By suppressing LCOR, miR-199a protects MaSCs from interferon signaling, allowing MaSCs to remain undifferentiated and capable of self-renewal.

The microRNA plays a similar role during tumorigenesis, protecting breast cancer stem cells from the effects of interferons secreted by immune cells present in the tumor. "This is a very nice study linking a normal and malignant mammary gland stem cell program to protection from immune modulators," said Michael Clarke, the Karel H. and Avice N. Beekhuis Professor in Cancer Biology at Stanford School of Medicine, Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, who first discovered breast cancer stem cells but was not involved in this study. "It clearly has therapeutic implications for designing strategies to rationally target the breast cancer stem cells with immune modulators."

Toni Celi-Terrassa, an associate research scholar in the Kang lab and the first author of the study, said, "This study unveils a new property of breast cancer stem cells that give them advantages in their interactions with the immune system, and therefore it represents an excellent opportunity to exploit for improving immunotherapy of cancer."

"Interferons have been widely used for the treatment of multiple cancer types, Kang said. "These treatments might become more effective if the interferon-resistant cancer stem cells can be rendered sensitive by targeting the miR-199a-LCOR pathway."

Other authors on the paper were Daniel Liu, Abrar Choudhury, Xiang Hang, Yong Wei, Raymundo Alfaro-Aco, Rumela Chakrabarti, Christina DeCoste, Bong Ihn Koh and Heath Smith of the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University; Jose Zamalloa of the Department of Molecular Biology and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics at Princeton University; and Yi-Zhou Jiang, Jun-Jing Li and Zhi-Ming Shao of the Department of Breast Surgery at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and the Department of Oncology at Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University.

This work was supported by a Susan G. Komen Fellowship to Toni Celi-Terrassa (PDF15332075) and grants from the Brewster Foundation, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the U.S. Department of Defense (BC123187) and the National Institutes of Health (R01CA141062) to Kang's laboratory.

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Study identifies RNA molecule that shields breast cancer stem cells from immune system - Princeton University

Cell Biology

Blood stem cells produced in the lab for the first time – BioNews

In two different studies, US scientists have succeeded in creating the stem cells which produce blood.

Both studies published in Nature are concerned with making haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which are found inside the bone marrow and can divide to generate each of the many types of blood cell.

In the first study, a team at the Daley laboratory at Boston Childrens Hospital, Massachusetts, took human embryonic stem cells or iPS(induced pluripotent stem) cells. They exposed these cells to developmental chemicals called cytokines, and also identified seven transcription factor genes associated with HSCs and introduced them into these stem cells using a viral vector. The resulting cells were not identical to natural HSCs, but appeared to perform the same function: mice injected into the leg bone with the cells, subsequently developed human blood cells of various types in the bone marrow and circulation.

In the second study, the team led by scientistsat Weill Cornell Medical College in New York bypassed the iPSCs stage entirely. They isolated cells from the blood vessel lining of adult mice and inserted four transcription factor genes, again using a virus. They grew these cells on material derived from the human umbilical cord which provided factors to guide development into HSCs.

Again, the cells produced once transplanted into mouse recipients were able to produce mature blood cells, including in mice which were genetically modified to lack an immune system.

Generating replacement HSCs from a patient's own cells, through either method, could allow a therapy to be tailored to an individual. Dr Ryohichi Sugimura at the Daley Lab, a lead author of the first paper, said: 'This step opens up an opportunity to take cells from patients with genetic blood disorders, use gene editing to correct their genetic defect and make functional blood cells. This also gives us the potential to have a limitless supply of blood stem cells and blood by taking cells from universal donors. This could potentially augment the blood supply for patients who need transfusions.'

An article in Nature, co-written by Dr Carolina Guibentif at the Wellcome Trust and MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute in Cambridge, discussed the findings, referring to the production of HSCs in the laboratory as a 'long-sought goal of stem-cell biology'. Dr Guibentif, who was not involved in either study, toldThe Independent:'People have been trying to do this for 20 years unsuccessfully. This is the first time they have got cells that can self-renew and give rise to all sorts of blood cells, so of course its a big step towards the goal, but we are not quite there yet.'

But she also cautioned that such generated cells could be a cancer risk:'Many of the transcription factors used in the current studies have also been implicated in the initiation of leukaemia.'

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Blood stem cells produced in the lab for the first time - BioNews

Cell Biology

Could Humans Ever Regenerate a Limb? – Live Science

From just a bit of genetic information, a human embryo develops into a complete person. So humans have a limited ability to regrow body parts.

If you cut the leg off a salamander, it grows back. Humans, however, can't manage the trick. The reasons are far from simple, and to some extent are still a bit of a mystery.

"We actually regenerate really well; our epidermis, for example," David Gardiner, professor of developmental and cell biology at the University of California, Irvine, told Live Science, referring to the top layer of skin. "Our gut lining, we can regenerate bits and pieces. But we don't regenerate these more complex structures."

Gardiner has studied salamander regeneration for decades, seeking the underlying mechanism of the superpower. Human regeneration, he said, is likely still in the future, but not too far off it's possible one of his current graduate students or postdoctoral researchers will crack it, and limb regeneration will be a part of the medical toolkit. [11 Body Parts Grown in the Lab]

That's because, in theory, regrowing a human limb should be possible. In skin, for instance, if the cuts aren't deep, there will be no scarring due to the healing process that regenerates skin cells. It's also possible for humans to regenerate the very tips of the fingers if the cells under the fingernails are still intact. Bones will knit together if you rejoin the pieces, say, with a screw or a cast. Human livers can also grow to fill the space and rebuild some of the structure that was damaged.

But limb regeneration (of the kind salamanders do) is more than just replacing tissue. For a limb to regenerate, you need bone, muscle, blood vessels and nerves. There are adult stem cells, a kind of undifferentiated cell that can become specialized, that regenerate muscle, but they don't seem to activate. "You can regenerate blood vessels and even nerves," Gardiner said. "But the whole arm can't [regrow]."

Stphane Roy, director of the laboratory for tissue regeneration in vertebrates at the University of Montreal, noted that skin, liver and bone don't regenerate in the same sense that salamanders do it.

"Humans can only replace the superficial layer of skin, (which is, in fact, a continuous process referred to as homeostasis)," he said in an email. "Most of the dust in a house is dead skin cells that we lost."

"Liver is also quite different than limb regeneration in salamanders," Roy said. "Liver regeneration is really compensatory hyperplasia, which means that what is left will grow in size to compensate for what is lost." So the liver tissue that is there will grow larger, but if the entire liver were lost, it couldn't regenerate.

"What has been lost will not regrow, and hence you cannot re-amputate the liver, as opposed to limbs in a salamander, which can be amputated multiple times and each time a new limb will regenerate." [11 Surprising Facts About the Skeletal System]

Gardiner, however, said humans build entire organ systems in the womb; from just some genetic information a human embryo develops into a complete person in nine months. So there is a limited ability to regrow things, and that makes evolutionary sense humans have to be able to heal, he said.

On top of that, the underlying genetic machinery in a human and a salamander is not that different, even though our last common ancestor diverged during the Devonian period, some 360 million years ago. "There's no special genes for regeneration," Gardiner said. "There are these steps they go through and at least one of those steps doesn't work in humans."

To regrow a limb, the cells need to know where they are are they at the very tip of a limb by the fingers, or are they at the elbow joint? and they need to build the right structures in the right order. Salamanders do have certain genes that are "turned off" in humans, Gardiner said. Perhaps those genes enable regeneration, or at least help control the process. Something in humans' evolutionary past selected against expressing those genes the way salamanders do. Nobody knows what that something was, he said.

In 2013, an Australian scientist, James Godwin, at Monash University may have solved part of that mystery. He found that cells, called macrophages, seem to prevent the buildup of scar tissue in salamanders. Macrophages exist in other animals, including humans, and are part of the immune system. Their function is to stop infections and cause inflammation, which is the signal to the rest of the body that repair is needed. Salamanders lacking macrophages failed to regenerate their limbs, and instead formed scars.

Gardiner said Godwin's work was a step toward understanding limb regeneration. Ordinarily salamanders don't develop scar tissue at all. When a human tears a muscle or gets a deep-enough cut, damaging connective tissue, scar tissue forms. This scar tissue doesn't offer the same functionality as the original stuff.

"If I could get a salamander to scar that would really be something," Gardiner said, because that would shed light on the mechanism that makes humans unable to regrow a limb or organ. So macrophages might be part of the story, but not all of it.

The ability to "stay young" may add another insight into the mystery of limb regeneration. Mexican salamanders, called axolotls, or Ambystoma mexicanum, are neotenic, meaning they retain juvenile features into adulthood. This is why axolotls retain gills as they mature, whereas other salamander species don't.

Humans possess neoteny, too, which is why adults look more like our baby selves than is the case with other primates, and why we take longer to mature than, say, chimps do. There's some connection, perhaps, with neoteny and regeneration. Gardiner notes that younger people seem better able to heal than older ones.

In addition, researchers at Harvard Medical School found that a gene called Lin28a, which is active in immature animals (and humans), but shuts down with maturity, has a hand in enabling mice to regenerate tissue or at least to regrow the tips of their toes and ears. Once the animals were more than 5 weeks old, they weren't able to regrow those parts, even when Lin28a function was stimulated. Lin28a is part of the animal's control system for metabolism when stimulated, it can make an animal generate more energy, as though it were younger.

But the exact nature of the connection isn't understood yet. Whereas all salamanders can regenerate limbs, only axolotls are neotenic, Roy noted.

Salamanders, especially axolotls, can recruit stem cells to start regrowing limbs, and the kinds of cells that react to a wound site also appear connected to whether limbs can grow again. Gardiner was able to get salamanders to grow extra limbs by stimulating the growth of nerve cells in a wound site.

"It may have to do with a strong immune response, or the specific release of some growth factors, or a combination of both. It could be partly a question of biophysics: Salamander limbs are much smaller than humans; however, frogs cannot regenerate their limbs, so it may not be just a question of size," Roy said.

This mystery remains one at least for now.

Original article on Live Science.

Read this article:
Could Humans Ever Regenerate a Limb? - Live Science

Biochemistry

Biochemistry Analyzers Global Industry Analysis Research Reports and Forecast 2024 – Digital Journal

This section of the report gives the breakup of the market share of all the key players operating in the global biochemistry analyzers market and observes that the market is highly fragmented owing to the presence of various companies, especially domestic players, in the global biochemistry analyzers market.

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Market Segmentation

By Product Type

Semi-automated Biochemistry Analyzer Fully Automated Biochemistry Analyzer By Application

Clinical Diagnostics Bioreactor Byproduct Detection Drug Development Applications Others By Modality

Bench-top Floor standing By End User

Hospitals Diagnostic Centers Pharmaceutical Companies Biotechnology Companies Academic Research Institutes Contract Research Organizations Academic Research Institutes By Region

North America Latin America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa

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