Stem Cell Recreates 3D Neural Structure of Brain's Cerebellum

Scientist have successfully coaxed undifferentiated stem cells to form functioning cerebellar neurons that mimiced the dorsal/ventral patterning and multi-layer structure found in the cerebellum.

The experiment conducted at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Japan applied signaling molecules to 3D cultures of human embryonic stem cells which prompted the cells to form into cerebellar neurons. These neurons self-organized to form the proper dorsal/ventral patterning and multi-layer structure found in the natural developing cerebellum. The image above are that of mature Purkinje cells (a type of neuron) that was grown from Human Embryonic Stem Cells.

The researchers noted that the experiment may lead to technologies and other discoveries that will be useful for modeling cerebellar diseases such as spinocerebellar ataxia; a progressive, neurodegenerative,genetic disease that has no known treatment or cure.

Neurons are cells of the nervous system that transmits information and signals to and from the brain. They the main component of the nervous system which also includes the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral ganglia (relay points and intermediary connections between different neurological structures in the body). Neurons are not made or replaced after birth. Scientists are looking at stem cell technology to address medical conditions and disorders that are affected by neurons since stem cells can differentiate into neurons.

Stem cells, specifically human embryonic stem cells, are cells that can change itself into a higher form of cell, tissue, or organ.

Their findings are published in Cell Reports.

Imaging The Process of How Blood Stem Cells Take Root

Scientists at Stem Cell Research Program of the Boston Children's Hospital has successfully imaged the process on how blood stem cells work inside the body to generate blood.

Using see-through zebrafish and genetic tagging, the scientists got a direct visualization of how the stem cells take root in the body to generate blood.

Owen Tamplin, PhD, the paper's co-first author says, "Stem cell and bone marrow transplants are still very much a black box--cells are introduced into a patient and later on we can measure recovery of their blood system, but what happens in between can't be seen. Now we have a system where we can actually watch that middle step.

The steps are detailed in the video below.

This discovery can lead to new therapies and processes that can improve bone marrow transplants in patients that require it.

Stem cells are special cells in the body that can differentiate into a higher form of cells such as cell tissues and organs. There are different types of stem cells that are associated with a biological system such as heart stem cells. Pluripotent stem cells are cells that can differentiate into any type of cell regardless of origin.

Hematopoietic stem cells are stem cells that comes from the bone marrow ,umbilical cord blood, embryo, or in peripheral blood of the human body. These are the type of stem cells used to treat blood based diseases such as lymphoma and leukemia.

Safe Medication To Treat Binge Eating Disorder (BED) Studied

Binge-Eating Disorder (BED) is an eating disorder where a person is compelled to eat large quantities of food over a short period of time even when the person is not hungry. This is done on a regular basis through regular binges.

Doctors at the Lindner Center of HOPE is studying the effectivity of the medication lisdexamfetamine dimesylate in decreasing the days patients with BED would binge eat, compared to a placebo. The medicine is currently being used for treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

This is a significant discovery since to date, there is no approved medication for BED. It has been noted that Binge-Eating Disorder is associated symptoms of mental illness and obesity. Randomized clinical trials on the use of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate in treating BED have been conducted in 2011 to 2012 covering 500 patients with the eating disorder with positive results.

Ongoing clinical trials being conducted may lead to a safe and improved pharmacologic treatment for moderate to severe BED.

Sleep Apnea Increases Risk of Osteoporosis Especially Among Older Women

Researchers have found a link between an increased risk of osteoporosis and sleep apnea. They published a study about it in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

The study notes that sleep apnea deprives the body of oxygen, weakens bones, and raises the risk of osteoporosis. It also cites that women and older individuals with sleep apnea are most likely to experience weakening of bones.

Sleep Apnea is a sleep related chronic condition where a person suffers shallow, obstructed or paused breathing during sleep. The duration of these pauses last from a few seconds to a few minutes, occurring five to more than thirty times in an hour.

Osteoporosis is the most common type of bone disease with one out of five American women over the age of 50, suffering from it. It is a disease of the bones where the body's bone density is low which leads to an increased risk of bone fracture. It occurs when the body fails to form enough new bone, when too much old bone is reabsorbed by the body, or both.

Whole Fruit Diet of Blueberries Grapes and Apples Lower Risk of Diabetes By 23%

Based on data gathered between 1984 and 2008 from 187,382 participants, scientists have released a study that show whole fruit diet particularly blueberries, grapes, and apples lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes while fruit juice consumption increases the risk.

The study shows that a daily diet one or more servings of fruit juice increases risk by as high as 21% while 2 servings of whole fruits per week lowers type 2 diabetes risk by 23%.

Diabetes is a disease where the body has difficulty in controlling blood sugar (glucose) levels. Glucose is used as a source of energy by the cells and is transported there through the hormone, insulin. People with diabetes have problems with how insulin is handled by the body; either the cells reject it or that there is not enough insulin produced.

There are two types of diabetes; Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is when the immune system starts attacking insulin producing beta cells which prevents the body to manufacture insulin. Formerly known as Juvenile Diabetes, Type 1 diabetes is generally hereditary and manifests during childhood.

Type 2 diabetes happens when the cells start rejecting the body's produced insulin or that the body does not produce enough insulin. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and can be associated with risk factors such as obesity, physical inactivity and also can be hereditary.

Neurohormone Oxytocin Focusing Ability May Have Links To Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Researchers may have discovered a link between the neurohormone oxytocin and autism. Studies at the NYU Langone Medical Center show that oxytocin help the brain process information by filtering out background signals and increases the strength of desired signals.

From past data, they have noted that people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have low levels of oxytocin and that mutations in the oxytocin receptor gene predispose people to autism.

Oxytocin is a neurohypophysial hormone present in mammals and acts primarily as a neuromodulator in the brain. Neuromodulators affect multiple neurons at once and are diffused through large areas of the nervous system.

Oxytocin is usually associated with parenting and social bonding behavior through psychological behaviors such as trust, pair bonding, and empathy.

Ultrasound Treatment Can Prevent and Treat Acute Kidney Injury (AKI)

Kidney Cross Section

A new study to be published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) shows that applying ultrasound to the kidneys prior to a major operation, where blood flow to the kidneys is disrupted, may help preserve and protect the kidneys after blood flow is restored. It is believed that the ultrasound treatment stimulates an anti-inflammatory response that protects the kidneys.

Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) happens when the kidneys are unable to filter waste products from the blood. This leads to a waste buildup in the blood which may reach to dangerous and even deadly levels. AKI, although reversible, can be fatal for critically ill patients.

Patients who have undergone major surgery are prone to acute kidney injury because the kidneys are deprived of normal blood flow during the procedure.

Ultrasound therapy have been in the forefront of non-invasive and drug free treatments for a host of conditions. Just recently, a study was published showing that ultrasound can also accelerate wound healing and tissue repair.

Another development in the medical utilization of ultrasound is ultrasound surgery which is used as a non-invasive treatment of benign and malignant tumors.

Miracle Anti Cancer Molecule JQ1 Found To Also Protect and Treat Heart Failure

A protein molecule previously known to have anti-cancer properties have recently been discovered to also be able to treat and protect against heart failure.

JQ1, initially developed as a male contraceptive drug, has shown potential to treat cancer and even HIV. It does this by inhibiting cells from behaving abnormally (as shown on the embedded video).

JQ1 attacks by targeting the BRD4 cancer-causing gene. Studies show that for specific blood and lung cancers like myeloma and leukemia, JQ1 mitigates the early growth of the cancerous cells.

The same researchers have also recently discovered that JQ1 also inhibits the growth of bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) proteins. BET proteins are responsible in activating genes that contribute to heart failure.

Cell Therapy Ushers In Future Of Medical Technology

For the past few years, medical science has grown leaps and bounds in the development of treatments and therapies based on living cells. Cell therapy has entered mainstream medical studies with living cell based technologies such as stem cell therapy, bionanotechnology, and probiotics.

For years, common medical treatments are based on medications that are drived from chemicals and proteins. These are targeted to react on specific biological tissues, organs, and functions. But with the advent of cell therapy, of which stem cell therapy is the most known, treatments are now based on living cells.

Complex diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and neurological disorders are fast benefiting from cell therapy. Researchers are now finding novel techniques using cells to treat and manage these diseases.

Traditional drug based medication are limited to the functions it can perform in the body. Cells are more adaptable and can carry out more functions in the body. It can also can vary their responses to better suit physiologic conditions.

Potential Glioblastoma Treatment Through Mesenchymal Stem Cells Under Study

Researchers have found that stem cells from human fat can be used as a treatment for Glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma multiforme or GBM is the deadliest brain cancer around. It is also the most common. A patient diagnosed with GBM usually has one to two years to live.

In GBM, tumors called gliomas start in the brain or spine. Mild forms of GBM is considered Grade I GMB while the most aggressive and deadliest is Grade IV GBM. A Grade IV GBM is the most advanced and the hardest to treat of all the types.

In the study, using stem cells from both fat and bone marrow may lead to a treatment for GBM.

Stem cells are cells that can transform into a higher form of cell such as a tissue or organ. This process of transformation is called differentiation. There are many kinds of stem cells in the body and are related to a specific function or biological system.

For example, heart stem cells are used to form tissues and organs related to the heart. Blood stem cells are related to functions and elements of blood. There are also brain stem cells that grow into cells used by the brain.

The most commonly known stem cell is the embryonic stem cell. It is a special kind of stem cell because of its pluripotency. Pluripotency is the ability to differentiate into different kind of cells regardless of the biological system.

Diabetes Patients Taking GLP-1 Based Medication Has Reduced Risk of Heart Failure

GLP-1 and Diabetes
Credit:Wikipedia

A study shows that diabetes patients taking a class of medication targeting the GLP-1 hormone has a reduced risk of heart disease.

Diabetes is one of the most serious health problems around. In the next 20 years, diabetes is expected to affect nearly 552 million people globally.

There are two types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes is a commonly hereditary condition where the immune system starts to attack insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas. Insulin is needed by the body to regulate the blood sugar levels in the bloodstream.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common of the two types. It accounts for 95% of cases of diabetes. In Type 2 diabetes, there is not enough insulin produced by the body or that the insulin produced is being rejected by the cells.

The growth of cases of Type 2 diabetes is generally associated with the rise of obesity. Every 10 seconds, 3 people will be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Every 10 seconds, 1 person will die from it due to complications arising from it.

Heart disease, kidney failure, and stroke are the top diabetes related complications. There is no cure for diabetes. The disease can only be managed through glucose monitoring, insulin injections and other medications that help regulate blood sugar levels.

One medication used by diabetes patients to manage diabetes are DPP-4 inhibitors. DPP-4 inhibitors prevent DPP-4 (Dipeptidyl peptidase-4) from breaking down a hormone called GLP-1 (Glucagon-like peptide-1).

GLP-1 is a hormone released from the gut that travels to the pancreas and allows the increased production of insulin when glucose levels starts rising.

GLP-1 also holds back the production of a hormone called Glucagon. Glucagon encourages the liver to convert glucose reserves into active glucose. By holding back the production of glucagon, the levels of glucose in the bloodstream are minimized.

GLP-1 does not live long as DPP-4 breaks down the hormone. By inhibiting DPP-4, GLP-1 hormones lasts longer and insulin production and glucagon reduction continues.

Nanogel Based Therapy For Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Nanogels are nano sized particles made up of very absorbent, gelatinous polymers (chemical compounds consisting of repeating structural units) called hydrogels. Nanogels are very small and has pores that can filled with molecules.

These properties make nanogels ideal for medical applications such as a drug delivery or drug containment system. These nanogels can be engineered to break open or rupture to certain environmental or chemical conditions. Controlling where, when, and how much of a drug is to be released results in a more effective and targeted drug delivery.

Recently, scientists are developing nanogels as a delivery system to treat patients suffering from Lupus, an autoimmune disorder that may affect the skin, joints, kidneys, brain, and other organs.

Update On Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Through Robotics, Neurorehabilitation, and Electrical-Chemical Stimulation

An update on the research conducted last year on repairing spinal cord injury is set to be delivered at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Boston.

In the June 01 issue of Science, Grégoire Courtine, of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) published a report on how rats with spinal cord injuries and severe paralysis managed to walk and even run again.

"After a couple of weeks of neurorehabilitation with a combination of a robotic harness and electrical-chemical stimulation, our rats are not only voluntarily initiating a walking gait, but they are soon sprinting, climbing up stairs and avoiding obstacles," explains Courtine, who holds the International Paraplegic Foundation (IRP) Chair in Spinal Cord Repair at EPF

Courtine used a cemical solution that triggers cell responses to specific receptors on the spinal neurons. This chemical, monoamine agonists, replaces neurotransmitters and acts to excite neurons. After the injection, the spinal cord is electrically stimulated with electrodes. The electrical stimulation sends continuous electrical signals through nerve fibers to the chemically excited neurons that control leg movement.

Every year, around 50,000 people suffer spinal cord injuries, most result in paralysis. This study may lead to effective treatments of these injuries and allow patients to walk again and even fully recover from it.

Phenol-soluble modulin (PSM) Transport System Is Key To Developing Staph Infection Drug

Electron Microscope Image of Staphylococcus aureus
Credit: CDC

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are developing a new drug based on their studies on phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs) that can treat infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus or simply staph, is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria. Gram-positive bacteria are bacteria that can be stained dark blue or violet by Gram staining. Staphylococcus appear round and form in clusters (see image).

There are about 40 species under the staphylococcus genus and most are harmless. But one strain of staph that may cause problems is the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium. It is commonly carried in the skin and the nasal passages (nose) by healthy people. Staphylococcus aureus is resistant to antibiotics and is a common cause of skin infections, respiratory disease, and food poisoning. S. aureus is a surface bacteria and can survive for months depending on the strain.

Infections occur when this bacteria enters the body through an open wound or when the skin is punctured or broken. One dangerous condition is MRSA or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. This is a strain that has become resistant to the medication used to commonly treat ordinary staph infections.

Nerve Stimulator Decreases Migraine Attacks

A nerve stimulator worn in the forehead may lessen the frequency of migraine attacks by as much as 30 percent.

A migraine is a severe headache felt as a throbbing pain at the front or on one side of the head.

Migraines bring about a heightened sensitivity to sound and light, speech problems, nausea, and auras. Auras are symptoms that affect the senses such as flashes of light, blind spots or a tingling sensation in the arm or leg. For those who experience auras, this usually happens before the onset of a migraine attack.

Although the pain is usually associated with a migraine, there are instances where the symptoms of a migraine are present, most specially migraine auras, but the pain is not felt. This is called a silent migraine.

The cause of a migraine is still unknown but it may involve the Central Nervous System (CNS) and how nerve signals and other stimuli trigger chemical and neurological events in the brain. It is believed that migraines have something to do with brain's vascular system which affect the blood flow in the brain and its surrounding tissues.

Experiment Shows Stem Cell Therapy Improves Stroke Recovery

Credit: Catherine Twomey for The National Academies

A recent stem cell experiment in stem cell treatment showed fast and improved functional recovery after a stroke within 24 hours.

Stem cells are cells that can differentiate to other type of cells, usually a higher class such as tissues and organs. Various body systems generate different kind of stem cells. Blood stem cells which are used to generate red blood cells come from the bone marrow.

Because of the unique property of stem cells, medical researchers are constantly finding ways to use stem cells in the treatment of difficult diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease, diabetes, cancer, and for the treatment and recovery of stroke patients.

MIT News: MIT’s Institute for Medical Engineering and Science - A Source for Big Data Through bigdata@CSAIL

With the recent launch of MIT’s Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, MIT News examines research with the potential to reshape medicine and health care through new scientific knowledge, novel treatments and products, better management of medical data, and improvements in health-care delivery.

At the end of 2012, the National Public Radio show Fresh Air featured a segment in which its linguistics commentator argued that “big data” should be the word of the year. The term refers not only to the deluge of data produced by the proliferation of Internet-connected, sensor-studded portable devices but also to innovative techniques for analyzing that data; and big data has received a good deal of credit for Barack Obama’s victory in the last presidential election.

XPD Protein Discovered To Scan For Damaged DNA

The XPD scanner (green)is in close contact with a damaged point (red) on the DNA double helix. The damaged DNA strand lies in a deep pocket of the protein to enable a ferrous sensor (Fe) to come into contact with the damaged point, thereby halting the protein as it moves along the DNA.
Image: UZH

Xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD) protein, a protein associated with repairing DNA has been discovered to also scan for damaged DNA.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a molecule that contains genetic code or instructions used for the development and function of living organisms. DNA encodes its genetic information through the sequence of four nucleotides (guanine(G), adenine(A), thymine(T), and cytosine(C)).

Whenever DNA is damaged through ultra-violet light, cigarette smoke, toxic fumes, toxins, X-rays and radiation, and metabolic processes, it is repaired by proteins and enzymes such as Superoxide dismutases and methyl guanine methyl transferase (MGMT). Roles of these proteins and enzymes vary from recognizing damage, to correcting the damaged portions or remove them.

Unrecognized damage which does not get repaired, accelerates aging and causes cancer and genetic disorders. There are DNA disorders that involve the body having difficulty repairing DNA. Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) and Trichothiodystrophy (TTD) are two of these disorders.

A team headed by veterinary pharmacologist and toxicologist Hanspeter Nägeli has now discovered that the protein XPD plays a key role in locating damaged DNA.

Findings Suggest Beta-Carotene Lowers Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Scientists at the Stanford University Medical Center published their findings that beta-carotene lowers the risk for type 2 diabetes. They noted that test subjects with higher beta-carotene levels correlated with lower blood-glucose levels. On the opposite end, they note that a form of vitamin E may increase the risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes.

Beta-carotene is an organic pigment found in plants called carotenoids. It comes in red, orange, and yellow pigments. Carotenoids are not manufactured by the body but is obtained through eating carotenoid-rich food.

Carrots are generally associated with beta-carotene but other fruits and vegetables also carry this nutrient.

Beta-Carotene and the Human Body

Another association with carrots is that it gives better eyesight. This is also because of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is found in the chloroplasts and chromoplasts of plants. They have a direct reaction to light, especially blue light and near-ultraviolet light which they absorb. These types of light are damaging to the eye and beta-carotene other carotenoids directly absorb these to protect the eye.

Beta-carotene can be converted by the body into vitamin A once the body needs it. It supplies 50% of the vitamin A needed by the body. Although, high levels of beta-carotene is deemed unsafe when taken long term as it can turn skin yellow or orange.

Also, people who smoke are discouraged from taking beta-carotene supplements because it might increase the risk of lung and prostate cancer.

New Observation on the Role of Rhodopsin and Retinal Degenerative Diseases

New observation on the behavior between rhodopsin and photoreceptor cells could help explain retinal degenerative diseases and find new ways to treat blindness.

Retinal degenerative diseases refers to diseases that causes the retina, the light-sensitive layer of tissue, lining the inner surface of the eye, to deteriorate. As it deteriorates, cells of the retina starts to die.

Of the cells affected by retinal degeneration, the photoreceptor cells are most important. Photoreceptor cells are neurons that convert light stimuli into signals for the brain to process.

Neurons are unlike some other cells as they do not divide or multiply. Damaged or dead photoreceptor cells can cause vision impairment and even blindness.

How photoreceptor cells die is still under study. It is believed that the biological pigment in photoreceptor cells of the retina called rhodopsin may have something to do with it. Rhodopsin is extremely sensitive to light, enabling vision in low-light conditions, and is responsible for triggering the eye to see light.