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The new and promising therapy "antigenic"

Nessun commento October 22, 2010 No comments
The therapy is based on the formation of triple helices of DNA and light energy to silence gene activity

The antigenic therapy is an innovative treatment strategy which provides for the use of DNA-based drugs to precisely locate the light energy on a target gene, thus turning off its activity.

A recently published review of Oligonucleotides, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. of New Rochelle (New York), analyzes the opportunities and challenges for the clinical application of this new approach through modulation of DNA photo-activation. The review can be viewed for free at segnente link (Site-Specific DNA Photocleavage by Oligonucleotide Conjugates and Photomodulation)

Formation of a triple helix of DNA by the insertion of a oligont. in the major groove

Netanel Kolevzon and Eylon Yavin, of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel), in their article describing the mechanism that undergirds antigen and development of drugs based on TFO (which stands for Triple Forming Oligonucleotide), capable of inhibiting the expression gene in a highly focused and selective.

The TFO are in fact oligonucleotides (synthetic) capable of forming a triple helix, introducing in the major groove of the double helix and creating type Hoogsteen hydrogen bonds with the purine of the pairs of Watson-Crick base ¹ : Unlike antisense therapies already existing, that target RNA, therapy has therefore as antigenic targets directly on a DNA sequence.

By attaching a photoreactive agent TFO oligonucleotide, and providing light energy to the attachment site on the genome, the drug (light sensitive) is activated and triggers a cleavage or cross-linking of DNA, that damage to the genome, photo- induced and site-specific, will result in gene silencing.

"Many obstacles lie ahead before this strategy can be applied clinically," the authors warn. In any case, if the therapy will prove antigenic actually valid "many diseases that are currently incurable or otherwise treatable with poor results, could be potential applications of this kind of approach," they conclude.

"This is a clever and potentially very effective approach for regulating targeted gene expression," says John Rossi, PhD, co-editor of Oligonucleotides and Professor at the Department of Molecular Biology, Beckman Research Institute (California)
Sources: PhD in Biotechnology Stefano D'Errico , University of Naples Federico II
Liebertpub.com
Categories: Biotech , Medicine and Health

The fungus and decomposition of plastics containing bisphenol

2 commenti May 13, 2010 2 comments

As well as cooking helps people digest food better, even spray all polycarbonate plastics - sources of serious environmental damage because they contain bisphenol A (BPA) - could be the key to a more eco-friendly disposal of our waste, as claimed by researchers in an article published in ACS 'Biomacromolecules.
Mukesh Doble and Trishul artham, authors of the publication, they note that are produced each year about 2.7 million tons of plastic containing BPA.

The fungi may be a path of ecological disposal of polycarbonate plastics containing Bisphenol A

The polycarbonate plastic is extremely durable, and is used in different fields: from the grips of screwdrivers to eyeglasses, CDs and DVDs to the windows in civil and industrial.

A number of studies have shown that bisphenol A content in these plastics may have a range of adverse effects on human health: the U.S. Food and Drug Administration maintains that low levels of exposure to BPA (like today) appear safe for human (at least as shown by standardized toxicological testing), specifying, however, as recent studies with more sensitive approaches have raised concerns about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate gland in fetuses and young children.

Anyway, it is very recent news that several states have banned the sale of baby bottles made ​​from plastics containing bisphenol: in addition to Canada and Denmark, France now declared them dangerous to the health of newborns.
Therefore the search for a safe way to the environment for the disposal of the plastic, to avoid the release of bisphenol, is therefore a field in full activity.

Bisphenol A (BPA), organic compound with two phenolic groups

Scientists Indian authors of this paper are pre-treated polycarbonate with ultraviolet light and heat and they then exposed to three different types of fungi, including the legendary white-rot fungus , often used for environmental remediation by the strongest pollutants.

The result was that the fungi grow better on plastic pre-treated in this way, since they use the bisphenol this (and other compounds) as a source of energy, by decomposing the plastic.

After 12 months of similar exposure, there has been no decomposition of the plastic itself is not treated, compared to the substantial decomposition of the pre-treated, which has thus resulted in release of BPA.

Source: EurekAlert! | Full article
Categories: Biotech , Medicine and Health

Endometrial stem cells to repair the damage of Parkinson's disease

1 commento May 7, 2010 a comment

According to a new study by researchers at Yale School of Medicine, stem cells derived from 'endometrium (the lining of the inner cavity of the uterus) and transplanted into the brains of laboratory rats with Parkinson's disease appear to restore the functionality of nerve cells damaged by disease.

Neurons developed from stem cells of the endometrial tissue

The research results were published in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and although this is preliminary data, "however, makes likely the hypothesis that endometrial tissue can be extracted from women with Parkinson's disease and thus can be used to regrow brain areas damaged by the disease "as claimed by the team leader, Hugo S. Taylor, a professor at the Yale School of Medicine.

Because of their ability to give rise to new cell types, stem cells may be the key in the treatment of different types of diseases (such as in the specific case Parkinson's), in which the body's own cells are damaged or are completely dead.

Continue reading ...

Categories: Medicine and Health , Neuroscience

The dark chocolate helps prevent brain damage from ischemic stroke

1 commento May 6, 2010 a comment
A study by John Hopkins reveal the positive effects of epicatechin, the study begins with observations of a population on the coast of Panama.

Chocolate strikes again. In this case it would be dark chocolate, or rather of epicatechin, a compound found in the very popular food. Researchers at John Hopkins University School of Medicine have performed a series of experiments in which, by inducing an ischemic stroke in rat brain due to lack of blood flow, revealed minor brain damage in mice that consumed epicatechin ninety minutes before.

Structure of epicatechin

The most interesting aspect of the effects of epicatechin is that it seems to limit the brain damage even if taken 3.5 hours after stroke, unlike other treatments that must be implemented within three hours after ischemic stroke. It is however to be noted that, when administered after six hours of stroke, the epicatechin shows no positive effect.

According to Sylvain Doré, associate professor of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, epicatechin stimulates two pathways of neuronal protection, which prepares the brain to react against.

Continue reading ...

Categories: Medicine and Health , Neuroscience

Medication for diabetes prevents lung cancer in smokers

4 commenti April 19, 2010 4 comments

The metformin , the main drug used to treat patients with type 2 diabetes, may soon play a major role in the prevention of lung cancer, though the latest laboratory research presented at the 101st Annual Meeting 2010 of the AACR (American Association for Cancer Research) should be confirmed in clinical trials that will follow.

Metformin, the biguanide drug of the family, is an oral hypoglycaemic agent indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes

Metformin has the effect of reducing the levels of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor, insulin-like) and circulating insulin, both important effects in patients with type 2 diabetes: the novelty lies in the fact that the as new research suggests that metformin may also inhibit tumor growth.

"This drug for diabetes, well tolerated and approved by the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), has been shown to prevent lung cancer induced by carcinogens contained in tobacco, "says Phillip A.Dennis, a leading oncologist at the National Cancer American Institute.

Dennis and colleagues treated mice with metformin for 13 weeks subsequent to 'exposure to nicotine-derived nitrosamine (NNK), the most abundant carcinogen in tobacco, known as a promoter of carcinogenesis in the lungs.

NNK, a powerful carcinogen emitted from the combustion of nicotine in tobacco

When administered orally, metformin has proved to be well tolerated and was able to reduce the tumor mass from 40 to 50%. The researchers explain how the levels of metformin administered in mice can be easily achieved in humans.
In addition the team also evaluated the effects of metformin on a series of biomarkers for tumorigenesis of lung cancer and found that it inhibits the kinase mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin), already the target of rapamycin (also the inactive).

L 'hyperactivity of the mTOR pathway is often associated with excessive cell proliferation, and seem to promote tumor development even in the case of lung cancer: because of this kinase pathways converge transduction of the signal originating from extracellular signaling such as insulin, growth factors (IGF-1 and IGF-2) and mitogens (substances that promote cell division), metformin, by reducing the levels of insulin and IGF-1 circulating in the blood, is able to reduce the activity of mTOR.

This inhibitory effect of mTOR was more evident when metformin was administered to mice by injection, which reduced the lung tumor by 72%.

Source: EurekAlert!
Categories: Medicine and Health

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