News 29 juli 2009
What Your Doctor Doesn't Know
Here are 3 simple secrets that are unknown
(or ignored) by the medical profession and bitterly disputed by Big Pharma that routinely
publishes phony research and
myths against them.
1. Plain cheap vitamin C takes all minerals
out of the blood by combining with them metabolically. It's cheaper and safer than any
other method.
2. The same vitamin C kills viruses - also by combining with them metabolically.
3. The ONLY bad side effect possible using vitamin C is diarrhea.
Few MD's know this because they get little
or no vitamin information in med school, and med journals depend on drug advertising for
their existence. Any journal that told the truth would go out of business. As the only PhD
in the Orthomolecular Medical Society, I could not use EDTA or other chelation drugs to
get toxic minerals out of a patient. In 1981, I had my first case of schizophrenia from a
high copper/zinc cause. I asked Carl Pfeiffer what to do in such a case. He told me that
he thought vitamin C could be used, and referred me to Linus Pauling. Linus spent a half
hour of his time mentoring me in the use of vitamin C for this.
After using vitamin C for many years to
"cure" mineral toxicity in many cases of schizophrenia (copper/zinc ratio) and
depression (mercury toxicity), I KNOW that vitamin C works! I have personally been taking
4000 mg (4 grams) per day for years. And all my mineral analysis results for years have
shown either very low levels of all toxic minerals, or actually immeasurable amounts. I
know that this safe and cheap method works personally. (A copy of my recent hair analysis
is available showing this "proof".) I recently cured the what I believe was the
swine flu in myself and my wife in 24 hours using only vitamin C. For the flu, it took 48
grams per day (6 each 1000mg pills every 3 hours) for both my wife and I to beat it.
The RDA of only 75 mg per day allows people to think that this is healthy, not
realizing that this small amount is the MINIMUM just to prevent scurvy. Talk to a vet in
the zoo who takes care of primates (primates are apes, monkeys and us), and you'll find
out that the RDA to keep a 150 pound ape healthy is 4 grams per day for good health. This
is the same for you and I - I take 2 grams AM and PM.
The first two FACTS listed above about
vitamin C lead to two different therapies related to Autism, and a very important one for
virus curing.
1.. That first fact makes for a simple,
safe therapy to Prevent Autism by taking toxic minerals (mostly mercury) out of the
pregnant woman prior to birth. This leads
to the tiny infant liver being able to handle mercury in toxic amounts, not only from
vaccines, but from environmental sources such as mothers milk, and mercury from
every coal burning power plant around. Basically, this simple system has the expectant
mother taking at least 2 grams of vitamin C at breakfast and dinner, leaving
other vitamins and minerals for lunch. Increase to 3 grams each time if mother has 6
months or less remaining. Remember that vitamin C takes out good minerals along
with the toxic ones, so it's necessary to put back the good ones. (Details on
http://drbate.com)
2. This same fact helps persons with autism
remove mercury, lead, and aluminum from the blood, safely, effectively, and cheap! These
all can do damage to the
brain. Doing this is essential to any autism "cure". (A complete article on this
therapy was featured in the August issue of this magazine, and may be found at
http://drbate.com.)
3. The other fact dictates the use of
vitamin C in huge amounts immediately when any sign of a cold or flu shows up. Start
taking at least 6 grams of vitamin C pills
every three hours until diarrhea starts. At that point. drop to 6 every 4-5 hours. The
idea is to keep high in vitamin C, but not high enough to cause diarrhea. Diarrhea
shows that the bloodstream is finally "saturated", and "overflowing".
Until that point, virus cells are increasing by doubling every 20 minutes or so.
See now why phony research about vitamin C
and virus using 500 mg to 1 gram is useless? If it even kills off half of the virus cells,
in 20 minutes after it's used up, the virus is back to full strength. As one researcher
put it, "the only mistake is not using enough vitamin C. For more information, go to
http://drbate.com. On the "navigation" section, there are many articles on
vitamin C, and using it for the above therapies. Please help me get this Prevent Autism
simple safe and cheap information out to pregnant women everywhere. We can stop this
epidemic or at least slow it down easily without a lot of cost (a bottle of 500 one gram
pills costs less than $20 at Costco or even WalMart.) This is a case of not using Big
Pharma's pet phrase "ask your doctor". They simply don't know.
Nanodiamonds deliver insulin for
wound healing
Bacterial infection is a major health threat to patients with severe burns and other kinds
of serious wounds such as traumatic bone fractures. Recent studies have identified an
important new weapon for fighting infection and healing wounds: insulin. Now, using tiny
nanodiamonds, researchers at Northwestern University have demonstrated an innovative
method for delivering and releasing the curative hormone at a specific location over a
period of time. The nanodiamond-insulin clusters hold promise for wound-healing
applications and could be integrated into gels, ointments, bandages or suture materials.
Localized release of a therapeutic is a major challenge in biomedicine. The Northwestern
method takes advantage of a condition typically found at a wound site -- skin pH levels
can reach very basic levels during the repair and healing process. The researchers found
that the insulin, bound firmly to the tiny carbon-based nanodiamonds, is released when it
encounters basic pH levels, similar to those commonly observed in bacterially infected
wounds. These basic pH levels are significantly greater than the physiological pH level of
7.4. The results of the study were published online July 26 by the journal Biomaterials.
Blood flow in Alzheimer's disease
Researchers have discovered that the enzyme, endothelin converting enzyme-2 (ECE-2), may
cause the decrease in blood flow in the brain seen in Alzheimer's disease and contribute
to progression of the disease. The study by Jennifer Palmer, BRACE/Reverend Williams PhD
Scholar and colleagues at the University of Bristol's Dementia Research Group is published
in the current issue [July 2009] of the American Journal of Pathology. Alzheimer's disease
is the most common form of dementia, affecting over half a million people in the UK - a
figure expected to double in the next 20 years. A? peptide, which accumulates in the brain
of Alzheimer's disease patients, is thought to lead to narrowing of the blood vessels and
reduction of blood flood in the brain. ECE-2 may contribute to the disease by converting
an inactive precursor to endothelin-1, which constricts blood vessels and further reduces
blood flow.
New predictions for sea level rise
Fossil coral data and temperature records derived from ice-core measurements have been
used to place better constraints on future sea level rise, and to test sea level
projections. The results are published today in Nature Geoscience and predict that the
amount of sea level rise by the end of this century will be between 7- 82 cm –
depending on the amount of warming that occurs – a figure similar to that projected
by the IPCC report of 2007. Placing limits on the amount of sea level rise over the next
century is one of the most pressing challenges for climate scientists. The uncertainties
around different methods to achieve accurate predictions are highly contentious because
the response of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets to warming is not well
understood.Dr Mark Siddall from the Earth Sciences Department at the University of
Bristol, together with colleagues from Switzerland and the US, used fossil coral data and
temperature records derived from ice-core measurements to reconstruct sea level
fluctuations in response to changing climate for the past 22,000 years, a period that
covers the transition from glacial maximum to the warm Holocene interglacial period.
Researchers capture bacterial
infection on film
Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to make a movie of bacteria
infecting their living host. Whilst most studies of bacterial infection are done after the
death of the infected organism, this system developed by scientists at the University of
Bath and University of Exeter is the first to follow the progress of infection in
real-time with living organisms. The researchers used developing fruit fly embryos as a
model organism, injecting fluorescently tagged bacteria into the embryos and observing
their interaction with the insect’s immune system using time-lapse confocal
microscopy. The researchers can also tag individual bacterial proteins to follow their
movement and determine their specific roles in the infection process. The scientists are
hoping to use this system in the future with human pathogens such as Listeria and
Trypanosomes. By observing how these bacteria interact with the immune system, researchers
will gain a better understanding of how they cause an infection and could eventually lead
to better antibacterial treatments.
Scientists track impact of DNA
damage in the developing brain
Switching off a key DNA repair system in the developing nervous system is linked to
smaller brain size as well as problems in brain structures vital to movement, memory and
emotion, according to new research led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
scientists. The work, published in the August issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience,
also provides the first evidence that cells known as cerebellar interneurons are targeted
for DNA damage and are a likely source of neurological problems in humans. The cerebellum
coordinates movement and balance. The cerebellar interneurons fine tune motor control.
"These data will be important for understanding the role the DNA damage response
plays in preventing neurological disease," the investigators wrote. The study also
marks the first time researchers have switched off a pathway for repairing damaged single
DNA strands in an organ system, in this case the mouse brain and nervous system. While the
results suggest certain brain cells are particularly vulnerable, investigators report that
with time DNA damage accumulates throughout the nervous system. Some mice in the study
eventually develop seizures and difficulty walking. Peter J. McKinnon, Ph.D., a member of
St. Jude Genetics and Tumor Cell Biology, said the work provides a new model for
understanding how single-strand DNA damage affects the nervous system and offers a new
focus for tracking the origins of neurological disease.
Genetic Testing May Be Valuable in
Treating Colorectal Cancer
For the 29,000 patients in the United States with metastatic colorectal cancer,
chemotherapy with irinotecan is a standard treatment that has been shown to improve
survival. But for more than one in 10 of these patients, a variation in their DNA means
that this treatment could result in a severe reduction in their white blood cell count,
leading to a high risk of bacterial infection and possible subsequent death. A new genetic
test can identify those with the variation in order to lower the treatment dose —
however, it has been unclear whether the testing is worthwhile. A new cost-effectiveness
study led by scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College has determined that so-called
pretreatment pharmacogenetic testing is only beneficial if dose-reduced treatment is shown
to be nearly as effective as the full dose. If the lower dose is as effective, the test
could prevent many cases of severe neutropenia, an abnormally low count of an important
type of white blood cells known as neutrophils. It would also mean better life expectancy
and lower cost of care. The study appears online in the journal Cancer and is expected in
print in the Sept. 1 issue.
Colon capsule endoscopy diagnoses
64% of total polyps detected by conventional colonoscopy
Capsule endoscopy for exploring the colon in a minimally invasive manner diagnoses 64% of
all lesions located by means of conventional colonoscopy. According to a study published
in The New England Journal of Medicine – the specialised medical journal with
greatest international impact -, the new device would need technical improvements to
achieve similar efficacy to the conventional procedure undertaken with a colonoscopy and
to date considered a “gold standard” technique for this medical discipline,
given that this is what currently provides the most reliable results. It has to be added
that, moreover, conventional colonoscopy enables the undertaking of a diagnosis of the
colon as well as practicing therapeutic procedures, such as the in situ extirpation of
polyps during exploration or the obtaining of a biopsy when required. Capsule endoscopy of
the colon explores the large intestine in a minimally invasive manner, not being necessary
to admit patients to hospital, nor to sedate or anaesthesise them; neither is any tube or
air needed nor radiation. A total of eight European hospitals took part in the research,
amongst these being the University Hospital of Navarra, the only hospital throughout Spain
involved and the one contributing most patients for the study – 63 from a total of
328.
Altered gene expression in the
placenta of mice may help explain links between assisted reproductive techniques and
metabolism of offspring.
Research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive
Behavior (SSIB), the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating and drinking
behavior, finds that assisted reproductive techniques alter the expression of genes that
are important for metabolism and the transport of nutrients in the placenta of mice. The
results underscore the need for greater understanding of the long-term effects of new
assisted reproductive techniques in humans. Millions of children, comprising roughly 1-2%
of all births in the U.S. and Europe, have been born to couples experiencing fertility
problems through the use of assisted reproductive techniques such as in vitro
fertilization (IVF). However, relatively little research has been conducted to evaluate
the long term effects of assisted reproductive techniques. It is suggested that children
born following some assisted reproductive techniques have increased incidence of metabolic
problems, such as increased blood pressure, higher fasting glucose level and more body
fat. Mice generated through IVF show similar problems, and new research suggests that this
may be linked to altered expression of genes in the placenta that are important for fetal
growth and development before birth. “Our preliminary data suggest that transfer of
nutrients or growth factors from mother to fetus may be changed by assisted reproductive
techniques, and this change may contribute to increased body weight and decreased glucose
tolerance in the adult offspring”, said the lead author of the study, Kellie
Tamashiro.
Dopamine-related activity of food
reward circuits in the brain and weight gain
Research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive
Behavior (SSIB), the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating and drinking
behavior, finds that women who possess genetic modifications associated with low activity
of the reward neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain when they imagine eating appetizing
foods are more prone to weight gain. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scans of
brain activity revealed that women who had lower activity in food reward regions of the
brain and who had genetic modifications associated with lower dopamine activity showed the
greatest weight gain after one year. Eric Stice from the Oregon Research Institute says,
“These findings provide some of the first prospective evidence that people who
experience blunted reward from food may compensate by overeating, increasing risk for
unhealthy weight gain.” Overconsumption of appetizing foods may occur in an attempt
to increase brain reward in less responsive systems. The results of this study highlight
the need for further research into the role that neural reward systems play in the
development of obesity. “It may be useful for individuals who show low food-related
reward to increase their physical activity, which not only promotes activity the same
reward circuitry but also reduces unhealthy weight gain from overeating” says Stice.
Weight loss improves mood in
depressed people
Research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive
Behavior (SSIB), the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating and drinking
behavior, finds that after a 6-month behavioral weight loss program, depressed patients
not only lost 8% of their initial weight but also reported significant improvements in
their symptoms of depression, as well as reductions in triglycerides, which are a risk
factor for heart disease and stroke. The results of this study highlight the need for
further research into the effects of weight loss in individuals suffering from psychiatric
disorders. “This research is novel because clinically depressed individuals are not
usually included in weight loss trials due to concerns that weight loss could worsen their
depression,” said Dr. Lucy Faulconbridge, lead author of the study. “These
concerns, however, are not based on empirical evidence, and the practice of excluding
depressed individuals from clinical weight loss trials means that we are learning nothing
about this high-risk population.” The latest findings suggest that depressed, obese
individuals can indeed lose clinically significant amounts of weight, and that weight loss
can actually reduce symptoms of depression. Fifty-one depressed and non-depressed subjects
were recruited into the study to follow a supervised weight loss program that included
lifestyle modification and meal replacements. Both depressed and non-depressed subjects
lost significant amounts of weight, with depressed individuals losing 8% of their initial
body weight, compared with 11% loss by non-depressed individuals. After 6 months on the
weight loss program, depressed subjects also showed significant improvement of their
depressive symptoms, based on a questionnaire. Additional significant improvements in
glucose, insulin and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were observed in both
depressed and non-depressed subjects, and depressed individuals showed reduced levels of
triglycerides in the blood, which have been linked to risk of heart disease and stroke.
“Depression and obesity are independently associated with increased risk of heart
disease and stroke, and so reductions in both body weight and symptoms of depression are
likely to improve long-term health outcomes” said Faulconbridge.
Just expecting a tasty food
activates brain reward systems
Research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive
Behavior (SSIB), the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating and drinking
behavior, shows that exposing rats to a context associated with eating chocolate activates
a part of the brain’s reward system known as the orexin system. This finding helps
explain why eating can be triggered by environmental cues even in the absence of hunger.
The results have implications for the development of new drug treatments for overeating.
The rate of obesity continues to rise within the United States and abroad, and
overconsumption of tasty food is an obvious culprit. Little is known regarding how
palatable foods affect the brain, but it seems that especially tasty foods elicit brain
responses similar to those elicited by drugs of abuse such as cocaine and nicotine,
pointing to a general involvement of the brain’s “reward” system. A common
factor may be activation of orexin neurons in the brain, which are recruited during of
rewards such as a tasty food or a dose of cocaine. “Our research program is focused
on identifying brain systems that are activated by palatable food intake. The hypothalamic
orexin system is known to promote wakefulness and arousal; however, it is now clear that
this system also participates in the regulation of reward-related behaviors, including
overconsumption of palatable foods,” says Derrick Choi, lead author. Because reward
anticipation is a contributing factor to relapse to drug use, Choi hypothesizes that
orexin is an ideal candidate system that may underlie the rewarding aspects of eating
highly palatable foods, which clearly can lead to obesity. In their current study, the
researchers trained rats to expect a piece of Hershey’s milk chocolate in a unique
environment. After training, rats were placed into the same environment, where no
chocolate was present. The researchers found that the expectation of chocolate alone
activated brain orexin systems. The results could explain why individuals tend to overeat
in contexts associated with prior experiences of eating good food. “It entirely
possible that future treatments for obesity will involve a combination of lifestyle
changes as well as pharmacological therapies aimed at orexin and other brain systems, to
regulate food reward-related behaviors,” said Choi.
High fat, high sugar foods alters
brain receptors
Overconsumption of fatty, sugary foods leads to changes in brain receptors, according to
new animal research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The new research
results are being presented at the 2009 annual meeting of the Society for the Study of
Ingestive Behavior (SSIB), the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating
and drinking behavior. The results have implications for understanding bulimia and other
binge eating disorders. Dr. Bello and colleagues report that either continuous eating or
binge eating a high fat, high sugar diet alters opioid receptor levels in an area of the
brain that controls food intake. Opioids are a family of chemicals with actions similar to
those of morphine; however, opioids exist naturally in the brain and have been linked to
feelings of pleasure and euphoria. “These results are interesting because we saw
changes in opioid receptor gene expression in a brain area that controls how much we eat
during a meal”, said Bello. The new findings suggest that overconsumption of highly
palatable foods maintains bingeing by enhancing opioids in the brain, and that increased
opioids could be a factor involved in binge eating disorders. These findings may help to
understand the biological basis of eating disorders.
Cancer's distinctive pattern of
gene expression could aid early screening and prevention
Distinctive patterns of genes turned off – or left on – in healthy versus
cancerous cells could enable early screening for many common cancers and maybe help avoid
them, Medical College of Georgia scientists say. Researchers are comparing chemical
alterations, called DNA methylation, in the body's basic building block in healthy colon,
breast, brain and lymphatic cells and their cancerous counterpart to find telltale
patterns that could one day be detected in the blood, urine or feces. The patterns could
give patients a heads up that lifestyle changes, or more severe intervention, is in order,
says Dr. Kapil Bhalla, director of the MCG Cancer Center, Cecil F. Whitaker Jr.,
M.D./Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Cancer and Georgia Cancer Coalition
Scholar. DNA methylation is a piece of a relatively new research field called epigenetics
that looks more globally at which genes are turned off and on with an eye on early
identification of some of the aberrant adjustments that enable cancer cells to thrive.
Epigenetic changes actually are more common than the genetic mutations long known to put
people at risk for cancer and other diseases and they are probably inherited as well, Dr.
Bhalla says. The early and apparently significant role of epigenetics in cancer has made
the field a focal point for centers such as the MCG Cancer Center, which recently
recruited two new epigenetics researchers with the help of the Georgia Cancer Coalition.
The second floor of the three-year-old Cancer Research Center building, which is being
finished with the help of $3.5 million from the Georgia Research Alliance, will house the
Georgia Genomics/Epigenomics Center. In early 2008, the National Institutes of Health
established an epigenomics program to coordinate such efforts to better understand how
this method of gene regulation fits into normal development, aging, learning and memory as
well as its role in cancer, obesity, depression and other disease. DNA methylation
inhibitors already are under study at MCG and other centers for a variety of cancers and
blood disorders. Because tumor cells that result from aberrant changes shed their DNA into
bodily fluids, non-invasive screening for a wide range of cancers could result be another
result of this initiative, Dr. Bhalla says.
Teasing apart T helper cells
The cytokine IL-9 promotes a multiple sclerosis-like disease in mice, according to a new
study by Nowak et al. published online on July 13th in the Journal of Experimental
Medicine. In a related Commentary, Richard Locksley discusses the molecular and genetic
regulation of cytokine production by CD4+ T helper (Th) cells and the plasticity among
different Th subsets. The Commentary will be published online in the Journal of
Experimental Medicine on Monday, July 27th. Since the late 1980s, when the concept of Th1
and -2 were first introduced, several new subsets have arisen, including Th17 cells and
regulatory T (T reg) cells. Recent attention has focused on a putative new Th cell subset
with the propensity to secrete IL-9. But whether these "Th9" cells are truly a
unique subset or whether many Th cell subsets can produce IL-9 under the right
circumstances has been a matter of debate. Nowak and colleagues now show that a
Th17-driven CNS disease was blunted in mice lacking IL-9. In vitro studies showed that
IL-9 was produced primarily by Th17 and T reg cells—subsets that depend on TGF-beta
for their differentiation. Thus IL-9 production may go hand-in-hand with the presence of
TGF-beta rather than with a defined Th cell subset.
Study finds acceptable levels of
anxiety among men living with early, untreated prostate cancer
Men with early stages of prostate cancer who delay radical treatment in favor of an
approach of "expectant management" do not have high levels of anxiety and
distress. That is the conclusion of a new study published in the September 1, 2009 issue
of Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study's results
suggest that living with untreated cancer is not upsetting for many patients with early
prostate cancer. The rapid increase in the use of screening using prostate specific
antigen (PSA) testing has led to a large number of men diagnosed with prostate cancer,
many of who do not require treatment. In these cases, close clinical monitoring—or
active surveillance—is often recommended. If progression of the cancer occurs during
active surveillance, patients may undergo radical therapy. While active surveillance may
delay or even avoid the possible adverse side effects of radical treatment, it could also
cause psychological harm in patients because they must live with untreated cancer. Data on
the levels of such potentially negative emotions among men on active surveillance are
lacking, however. Roderick van den Bergh, (MD), of the Erasmus Medical Center, in
Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and colleagues assessed levels of anxiety and distress in a
group of recently diagnosed prostate cancer patients on active surveillance. They sent 150
men questionnaires to gauge uncertainty about their treatment decision, as well as levels
of depression and anxiety among these men. A total of 129 questionnaires were completed
and returned an average of 2.7 months after diagnosis. More than 80 percent of the 129
respondents scored favorably low on the parameters measured. Patients' scores were
comparable or favorable to scores of men (reported in other studies) who underwent
treatment for early prostate cancer. Certain men in the study—such as men with
neurotic personalities and those who were in poor physical health—exhibited more
anxiety and distress than others. These findings indicate that besides cancer-specific
factors, mental and physical patient-specific factors are important aspects to take into
account when selecting men for active surveillance. The results also suggest that
psychological support may be indicated in certain patients undergoing active surveillance.
While this study's findings are useful, Dr. van den Bergh noted that longer-term analyses
are needed on the psychological effects of active surveillance in men with early prostate
cancer. His research team is currently conducting such a study.
E-Cigarettes Contain Toxins, FDA
Analysis Shows
Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals, according
to a new analysis by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). One sample even included
diethylene glycol, a toxic ingredient found in antifreeze. E-cigarettes are often sold as
a way to quit smoking or to get nicotine in places where smoking isn't allowed, but they
aren't currently regulated by the FDA. "The FDA is concerned about the safety of
these products and how they are marketed to the public,” said Margaret A. Hamburg,
M.D., commissioner of food and drugs. E-cigarettes, first produced in China in 2004, are
battery-operated devices designed to look and feel like cigarettes, right down to the
glowing tip. They contain cartridges which are filled with chemicals and varying doses of
nicotine, from high doses to no nicotine at all. They’re available in different
flavors, such as chocolate and mint, which make them appealing to kids and teens. These
products are also easy for kids and teens to buy – they’re readily available
online and in shopping malls. And at this time, e-cigarettes do not contain any health
warnings, such as those on FDA-approved nicotine replacement products or conventional
cigarettes. The FDA looked at 18 samples of cartridges from 2 leading e-cigarette brands.
Half the samples contained cancer-causing substances. They found other impurities, as
well, including diethylene glycol.
Researchers rapidly turn bacteria
into biotech factories
High-throughput sequencing has turned biologists into voracious genome readers, enabling
them to scan millions of DNA letters, or bases, per hour. When revising a genome, however,
they struggle, suffering from serious writer's block, exacerbated by outdated cell
programming technology. Labs get bogged down with particular DNA sentences, tinkering at
times with subsections of a single gene ad nauseam before moving along to the next one.A
team has finally overcome this obstacle by developing a new cell programming method called
Multiplex Automated Genome Engineering (MAGE). Published online in Nature on July 26, the
platform promises to give biotechnology, in particular synthetic biology, a powerful
boost. Led by a pair of researchers in the lab of Harvard Medical School Professor of
Genetics George Church, the team rapidly refined the design of a bacterium by editing
multiple genes in parallel instead of targeting one gene at a time. They transformed
self-serving E. coli cells into efficient factories that produce a desired compound,
accomplishing in just three days a feat that would take most biotech companies months or
years."We initiated the project to close the gap between DNA sequencing technology
and cell programming technology," explains graduate student Harris Wang, the paper's
co-first author. "The goal was to use information gleaned from genetics and genomics
to rapidly engineer new functions and improve existing functions in cells," adds
postdoctoral researcher Farren Isaacs, the other first author. "We wanted to develop
a new tool and demonstrate how to apply it; we were determined to hand labs a hammer and a
nail."
An 'eye catching' vision discovery
Nearly all species have some ability to detect light. At least three types of cells in the
retina allow us to see images or distinguish between night and day. Now, researchers at
the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have discovered in fish yet another type of cell that
can sense light and contribute to vision. Reporting in this week's Nature, the team of
neuroscientists shows that retinal horizontal cells, which are nerve cells once thought
only to talk to neighboring nerve cells and not even to the brain, are light sensitive
themselves. "This is mind-boggling," says King-Wai Yau, Ph.D., a professor of
neuroscience at the Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins.
"For more than 100 years, it's been known that rod cells and cone cells are
responsible for sensing light, and therefore, vision," says Yau. "Then, about
seven years ago, another light sensor was discovered in the retina, revealing a third type
of light-sensitive cells in mammals, so we set out to look at whether this was true in
other vertebrates as well." Focusing their efforts on the melanopsin light sensor,
which is responsible for sensing day and night but barely involved — in mammals, at
least — in seeing images, Yau's team looked for melanopsin-containing cells in other
vertebrates, and found some in the retinal horizontal cells in goldfish and catfish.
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