Lifeboat Foundation

Motor neurons are vital cells that facilitate muscle contraction and also affect sensation. In diseases like ALS and spinal muscular atrophy, motor cells are plagued with mutations that cause degrees of paralysis and pain in patients. In a study detailed in Cell Stem Cell, scientists developed a mechanism to directly reprogram stem cells into motor neurons.

Cell reprogramming is a novel exploration in medical studies that could treat numerous diseases by growing the body’s own stem cells into healthy cells. The mechanism of reprogramming, however, has just begun to be understood.

The researchers elucidated a new pathway for cell reprogramming by analyzing gene transcription in mice. As established by previous studies, reprogramming is brought about by a series of transcriptions, AKA, how the genes control the expression of other genes.

Continue reading “Reprogramming Stem Cells Could Soon Lead Us to a World Without Paralysis” »

Researchers from North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University have developed a synthetic version of a cardiac stem cell. These synthetic stem cells offer therapeutic benefits comparable to those from natural stem cells and could reduce some of the risks associated with stem cell therapies. Additionally, these cells have better preservation stability and the technology is generalizable to other types of stem cells.

Stem cell therapies work by promoting endogenous repair; that is, they aid damaged tissue in repairing itself by secreting “paracrine factors,” including proteins and genetic materials. While stem cell therapies can be effective, they are also associated with some risks of both tumor growth and immune rejection. Also, the cells themselves are very fragile, requiring careful storage and a multi-step process of typing and characterization before they can be used.

Ke Cheng, associate professor of molecular biomedical sciences at NC State, associate professor in the joint biomedical engineering program at NC State and UNC, and adjunct associate professor at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, led a team in developing the synthetic version of a cardiac stem cell that could be used in off-the-shelf applications.

This is the first time you’ll actually want a case of food poisoning.

The genetically engineered _Drosophila melanogaster _can even signal for different types of breast cancer cells.

University of Konstanz.

Continue reading “After Genetic Tweaks, Fruit Flies Glow When They Sense Cancer” »

Machine learning is helping doctors diagnose things like genetic disorders, Alzheimer’s, and autism faster than ever before.

Inserting spider DNA into silkworms yields a tough fabric that’s far more flexible than Kevlar.

Spider silk is one of nature’s toughest substances, similar in strength to the Kevlar plastic found in bulletproof vests but much more flexible. Kraig Biocraft, a company out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, genetically altered silkworms to produce a fiber that’s similar to pure spider silk. Today, they announced an Army contract to test this so-called Dragon Silk for possible use in body armor.

There’s a reason that silk from worms is cheap but you can’t buy pajamas made from spider fabric: spiders are territorial and cannibalistic, which makes farming them for fabric production almost exorbitant.

Continue reading “The Army is Testing Genetically Engineered Spider Silk for Body Armor” »

Another difference between normal and abnormal cells — cancer cells can continue to grow despite damage to cell structures and changes in the number of chromosomes.

Scientists have uncovered how tumours are able to grow despite significant damage to the structure and number of their chromosomes — the storage units of DNA — according to two new studies published in Cancer Cell and Cancer Discovery today.

“We hope that understanding these mechanisms will allow us to limit drug resistance and improve the efficacy of cancer therapies.” - Professor Charles Swanton

Continue reading “Researchers reveal how cancer cells cope with genetic chaos” »

As I stated earlier, another example where we will see a convergence of tech and bio especially as we emerge QC forward and synbio technology such as gene/ cell circuitry. My guess when we mature these fields along with minerals like diamonds/ gem crystalized formation and their use in QC tech, we will began to wonder why we didn’t figure this out sooner.

When Edward Boyden was helping develop a tool to turn neurons on and off with light at Stanford a decade ago, he had a strong feeling it would spread far and wide. Even so, he’s been surprised by how quickly its fame has come.

“What I hadn’t quite anticipated was how fast it would take off,” said Boyden, who now leads the MIT Media Lab’s synthetic neurobiology research group. “It was almost as if the field was ready for the technology.”

Continue reading “Light-activated neurons hold bright promise for brain science” »

The gene-editing tool’s potential to upend science is dizzying.