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    Category Biology/Biotechnology

    New research on Probiotics in the Prevention and Treatment of Colon Cancer

    September 15, 2017, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Figure shows presence of colonic tumors (MRS/AOM+DSS panel) by positron emission tomography imaging. Tumor activity is significantly diminished in the presence of the histamine-producing probiotic (L. reuteri 6475/AOM+DSS).

    Figure shows presence of colonic tumors (MRS/AOM+DSS panel) by positron emission tomography imaging. Tumor activity is significantly diminished in the presence of the histamine-producing probiotic (L. reuteri 6475/AOM+DSS).

    Histamine-producing probiotic reduces inflammation and suppresses colon tumors in mice by supplying missing enzyme, according to report. In an innovative approach to colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention and treatment, scientists are studying ways to replace missing metabolites in patients prone to gut inflammation and CRC. A new study in The American Journal of Pathology describes how administration of histamine-producing gut microbes to mice lacking the enzyme histidine decarboxylase (HDC) reduced inflammation and tumor formation...

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    Mechanism Behind Calorie Restriction, Lengthened Lifespan Revealed

    September 14, 2017, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    DREAM analysis in CR animals. a Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis of methylation values in all genomic regions. The green to red scale indicates the methylation percentage. The color codes for age and caloric status are shown on the left. b DNA methylation in AL old animals vs. CR old animals. Average DNA methylation level of each CpG site in CR old individuals (x axis), methylation in AL old individuals is shown on the y axis. The red and green dots represent CpG sites within CGI and non-CGI, respectively. The full range (0–100%) of methylation level is shown on the left and the low range (0–20%) is magnified and shown on the right. c Correlation between the effects of CR and age-related methylation drift in AL animals. The x axis shows methylation changes per year in AL-fed animals. Positive/negative value means methylation increase/decrease with age, respectively. The y axis shows the differences of methylation percentage between CR old and AL old animals. Each dot represents a CpG site. Spearman r values and the corresponding two-tailed p-values were calculated

    DREAM analysis in CR animals. a Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis of methylation values in all genomic regions. The green to red scale indicates the methylation percentage. The color codes for age and caloric status are shown on the left. b DNA methylation in AL old animals vs. CR old animals. Average DNA methylation level of each CpG site in CR old individuals (x axis), methylation in AL old individuals is shown on the y axis. The red and green dots represent CpG sites within CGI and non-CGI, respectively. The full range (0–100%) of methylation level is shown on the left and the low range (0–20%) is magnified and shown on the right. c Correlation between the effects of CR and age-related methylation drift in AL animals...

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    Scientists discover Genetic Timetable of Brain’s Aging Process

    September 14, 2017, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Trajectories and turning points characterise brain age. (a) Percentage of TTTPs at each age of human lifespan. Mean age is 26.0 years for males and 27.5 years for females. (b) Percentage of TTTPs at each age of human lifespan using three different methods for fitting splines. Mean age is 31.3 years using cubic splines with 3 degrees of freedom, 21.6 years using cubic splines with 4 degrees of freedom and 25.2 years using Loess regression. (c) Percentage of TTTPs at each age of mouse. Mean age is 156 days for males and 165 days for females. (d) Cumulative sum of TTTP scores for every year of life in the Braincloud dataset. (e) Cumulative sum of TTTP scores for every year of life in the mouse hippocampus dataset. (f) The TTTPs for genes with the greatest expression changes prior to the TTTP (ΔE) were concentrated around the late-twenties. (g) Percentage of probes associated with TTTPs that up- or down-regulate prior to turning. (h) Percentage of probes with TTTPs which plateau or reverse after turning. (i) and (j). Age of individual mice and humans can be accurately predicted using a Support Vector Machine trained on the expression data. Individual points represent each mRNA sample.

    Trajectories and turning points characterise brain age. (a) Percentage of TTTPs at each age of human lifespan. Mean age is 26.0 years for males and 27.5 years for females. (b) Percentage of TTTPs at each age of human lifespan using three different methods for fitting splines. Mean age is 31.3 years using cubic splines with 3 degrees of freedom, 21.6 years using cubic splines with 4 degrees of freedom and 25.2 years using Loess regression. (c) Percentage of TTTPs at each age of mouse. Mean age is 156 days for males and 165 days for females. (d) Cumulative sum of TTTP scores for every year of life in the Braincloud dataset. (e) Cumulative sum of TTTP scores for every year of life in the mouse hippocampus dataset...

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    ‘Missing link’ explains how Viruses Trigger Immunity

    September 13, 2017, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Highlights •SIDT2 is in endo-lysosomes and interacts with internalized double-stranded RNA •SIDT2 promotes escape of endosomal dsRNA and cytoplasmic RLR signaling •During HSV-1 infection, RLR signaling in bystander cells requires SIDT2 •Loss of SIDT2 impairs IFN-β production and survival after HSV-1 and EMCV infection

    Highlights
    •SIDT2 is in endo-lysosomes and interacts with internalized double-stranded RNA
    •SIDT2 promotes escape of endosomal dsRNA and cytoplasmic RLR signaling
    •During HSV-1 infection, RLR signaling in bystander cells requires SIDT2
    •Loss of SIDT2 impairs IFN-β production and survival after HSV-1 and EMCV infection

    A discovery by Melbourne researchers has solved a longstanding mystery of how viruses trigger protective immunity within our body. A protein SIDT2 was crucial for cells to detect viral components in their environment, and initiate an immune response to reduce the virus’ spread...

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