February 6, 2023
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Genes that trigger cancer could be turned off - before people are even born, according to new research. Scientists have found a tumour 'switch' that develops hours after fertilisation. The discovery offers hope of a screening program, personalised vaccines - or even embryo engineering.
"Our work could open a new clinical chapter for the early detection of cancer," sait Co author Professor Tony Perry, of the University of Bath.
In experiments on mice, the international team found gene activity in embryos kicks off within four hours of sperm injection. These include 'oncogenes' which have the potential to cause cancer - if mutated. The findings are expected to apply to humans. "Many factors responsible for the dawn of gene activity in embryos have long been known to be major oncogenes," explained Prof Perry. It is the first time a pre-set order of events has been established in one-cell embryos in any species.
When an embryo is formed, its genes – donated by a fertilising sperm and egg – are silent. Somehow, at an early stage of development, embryo genes must be switched on. Without this vital 'genes on' switch in the embryo, none of us would be here, yet surprisingly little is known about what the switch looks like, or the identity of the 'molecular finger' that pushes the switch.
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Tags: birth, cancer, cells, egg, embryo engineering, embryologists, embryos, genes, messenger RNA, molecular finger, mRNA, mutation, oncogenes, proteins, sequencing, sperm, switch, tumour 'switch', University of Bath, University of Cambridge
April 22, 2022
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Posted by admin
Synthetic neurons made of hydrogel could one day be used in sophisticated artificial tissues to repair organs such as the heart or the eyes. Hagan Bayley at the University of Oxford and his colleagues devised a synthetic material that can act in a similar way to a human neuron. Made from hydrogel, the artificial neurons are about 0.7 millimetres across – about 700 times wider than a human neuron, but similar to giant axons found in squid. They can also be made up to 25 millimetres long, which is similar in length to a human optic nerve running from the eye to the brain.
When a light is shone on the synthetic neuron, it activates proteins that pump hydrogen ions into the cell. These positively charged ions then move through the neuron, carrying an electrical signal. The speed of transmission was too fast to measure with the team’s equipment and is probably faster than the rate in natural neurons, says Bayley. When the positive charge reaches the tip of the neuron, it makes adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – a neurotransmitter chemical – move from one water droplet to another. In future work, the researchers hope to make the synthetic neuron interact with another via an ATP signal, just as neurons connect with each other at synapses.
The team bundled seven of the neurons together to work in parallel as a synthetic nerve. “This allows us to send multiple signals simultaneously,” says Bayley. “They can all have very different frequencies and so it’s a very versatile signal.” The main purpose is to send different pieces of information down the same pathway, he says.
Artificial nerve cells made from biocompatible materials have been made in a lab for the first time. The innovation may one day be used in synthetic tissues to repair organs such as the heart or the eyes.
However, the artificial neurons still have a long way to go. Unlike real neurons, there is no mechanism to recycle and create new neurotransmitters in the synthetic system. The neurons therefore only work for a few hours, says Bayley. “The more you do science, the more you find out how clever science is by virtue of evolution.” Alain Nogaret at the University of Bath in the UK says the innovation could play a major role in improving neuro-implants such as artificial retinas by the end of the decade. “The emulation of nervous activity in soft materials is a major step towards non-invasive brain-machine interfaces and solutions addressing neurodegenerative disease.”
Bayley hopes to eventually use these synthetic neurons to deliver different types of drugs simultaneously to treat wounds more quickly and precisely. “Using light, we could maybe release drug molecules in a patterned way,” he says.
Source: https://www.nature.com/
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https://www.scientiststudy.com/
Categories: Uncategorized
| Tags: adenosine triphosphate, artificial retinas, artificial tissues, ATP, axon, brain, cell, eye, eyes, heart, hydrogel, hydrogen ions, neuron, optic nerve, positively charged ions, protein, synapses, synthetic nerve, Synthetic Neurons, University of Bath, University of Oxford, wounds
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