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Category: biotech/medical – Page 996

Engineers grow pancreatic “organoids” that mimic the real thing

Year 2021 😗😁

MIT engineers, in collaboration with scientists at Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, have developed a new way to grow tiny replicas of the pancreas, using either healthy or cancerous pancreatic cells. Their new models could help researchers develop and test potential drugs for pancreatic cancer, which is currently one of the most difficult types of cancer to treat.

Using a specialized gel that mimics the extracellular environment surrounding the pancreas, the researchers were able to grow pancreatic “organoids,” allowing them to study the important interactions between pancreatic tumors and their environment. Unlike some of the gels now used to grow tissue, the new MIT gel is completely synthetic, easy to assemble and can be produced with a consistent composition every time.

“The issue of reproducibility is a major one,” says Linda Griffith, the School of Engineering Professor of Teaching Innovation and a professor of biological engineering and mechanical engineering. “The research community has been looking for ways to do more methodical cultures of these kinds of organoids, and especially to control the microenvironment.”

Engineered Liver-On-A-Chip Platform to Mimic Liver Functions and Its Biomedical Applications: A Review

Year 2019 😗😁

Hepatology and drug development for liver diseases require in vitro liver models. Typical models include 2D planar primary hepatocytes, hepatocyte spheroids, hepatocyte organoids, and liver-on-a-chip. Liver-on-a-chip has emerged as the mainstream model for drug development because it recapitulates the liver microenvironment and has good assay robustness such as reproducibility. Liver-on-a-chip with human primary cells can potentially correlate clinical testing. Liver-on-a-chip can not only predict drug hepatotoxicity and drug metabolism, but also connect other artificial organs on the chip for a human-on-a-chip, which can reflect the overall effect of a drug. Engineering an effective liver-on-a-chip device requires knowledge of multiple disciplines including chemistry, fluidic mechanics, cell biology, electrics, and optics.

Microfluidic device with brain extracellular matrix promotes structural and functional maturation of human brain organoids Communications

Year 2021

Brain organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells can model human brain development and disease, though current culture systems fail to ensure reliable production of high-quality organoids. Here the authors combine human brain extracellular matrix and culture in a microfluidic device to promote structural and functional maturation of human brain organoids.

Revolutionary gene-editing therapy treats girl’s “incurable” cancer

A U.K. teen with an aggressive form of leukemia is now cancer-free, thanks to a new gene-editing therapy.

The particular therapy used on the patient was only invented six years ago, and it’s now making doctors rethink the way doctors approach the disease.

Mike Drolet reports on how the revolutionary technology works, and the possibilities it offers to change the lives of those with types of cancer long-thought to be incurable.

For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/news/9086170/sean-thomas-legacy-toy-drive-bc/

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Throw Forward Thursday: CRISPR

The 2020 Nobel Prize for Chemistry was awarded to Dr. Jennifer Doudna and Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier for their work on the gene editing technique known as CRISPR-Cas9. This gives us the ability to change the DNA of any living thing, from plants and animals to humans.

The applications are enormous, from improving farming to curing diseases. A decade or so from now, CRISPR will no doubt be taught in High Schools, and be a basic building block of medicine and agriculture. It is going to change everything.

There are ethical and moral concerns, of course, and we will need regulations to ensure this powerful technology is not abused. But we should focus on the remarkable opportunities CRISPR has opened up for us.

Details of cellular process which stops cancer developing revealed

Researchers have for the first time characterised the molecular mechanism of the early stages of programmed cell death or apoptosis, a process which plays a crucial role in the prevention of cancer.

The study, published today (2 June) in Science Advances, was led by Dr Luke Clifton at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) ISIS Neutron and Muon Source (ISIS) in Oxfordshire. They worked alongside partners at the University of Umea and European Spallation Source in Sweden.

It is the most recent in a series of research collaborations by this team, investigating the cellular proteins responsible for apoptosis.

Inside Tesla’s New $10,000 Home For Sustainable Living

Yup that’s right a Tesla Affordable Home.

Known for turning a sofa in the Boca Chica SpaceX office into his bed, Elon Musk, The World’s Richest Man, took it to another level when he announced Tesla’s $10,000 sustainable unboxable moveable home. If you are remotely familiar with the Tesla CEO, you wouldn’t be surprised that he is building a sustainable home. So, how did Elon go from overhauling the tech space to completely disrupting the real estate industry?Well, it all started with this tweet from 2020. At the height of the pandemic, Elon Musk made this insane announcement.