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    Category Health/Medical

    CRISPR-chip enables Digital Detection of DNA without Amplification

    March 27, 2019, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Kiana Aran’s novel system immobilizes the CRISPR complexes on the surface of graphene-based transistors. These complexes search a genome to find their target sequence and, if the search is successful, bind to its DNA. This binding changes the conductivity of the graphene material in the transistor, which detects the change using a handheld reader.
    Credit: Keck Graduate Institute (KGI)

    Researchers have found multiple applications for the CRISPR gene editing technology since it came into use by the scientific community...

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    How does Estrogen Protect Bones? Unraveling a pathway to menopausal bone loss

    March 23, 2019, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Estrogen induces osteocyte expression of Sema3A, which acts on its receptor on osteocytes to promote survival, resulting in reduced osteoclastic bone resorption and enhanced osteoblastic bone formation. Sema3A-activated sGC-cGMP signaling through Nrp1 protected osteocytes from apoptosis.
    Credit: Department of Cell Signaling,TMDU

    Women who have reached menopause are at a greater risk of developing osteoporosis, which can lead to bone fractures and long-term impairment of mobility. Studies have suggested a link between reduced bone density and low estrogen levels due to menopause, but the basis for this link is unclear. Researchers found that the protein Sema3A plays a key role in maintaining healthy bones, suggesting a new therapeutic avenue to treat osteoporosis.

    Bone is a complex...

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    Potential New Therapy for Liver Diseases

    March 23, 2019, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    illustration of diseased liver
    Mechanical Stretch Increases Expression of CXCL1 in Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells to Recruit Neutrophils, Generate Sinusoidal Microthombi, and Promote Portal Hypertension. Gastroenterology, 2019; DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2019.03.013

    Drug therapy may effectively treat a potentially life-threatening condition associated with cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases, according to a new study by Mayo Clinic researchers. The study was posted in March on Gastroenterology, the online journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. Print publication is scheduled for July.

    While therapies have been available to treat some forms of liver disease, including hepatitis C and autoimmune hepatitis, options have been more limited for treating portal hypertension, a condition where th...

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    High-fructose Corn Syrup boosts Intestinal Tumor Growth in Mice

    March 22, 2019, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Soft drink (stock image).
    Credit: © Wissam Santina / Fotolia

    Does sugar directly feed cancers, boosting their growth? The answer seems to be ‘Yes’ at least in mice according to a study led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Weill Cornell Medicine. Their study, published in Science, showed that consuming a daily modest amount of high-fructose corn syrup – the equivalent of people drinking about 12 ounces of a sugar-sweetened beverage daily – accelerates the growth of intestinal tumors in mouse models of the disease, independently of obesity. The team also discovered the mechanism by which the consumption of sugary drinks can directly feed cancer growth, suggesting potential novel therapeutic strategies.

    “An increasing number of observational studies have raised awareness ...

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