Category Health/Medical

The brain’s white matter seen from the front as obtained by diffusion tensor imaging. Photograph: Institute of Psychiatry

Smoking high potency ‘skunk-like’ cannabis can damage a crucial part of the brain responsible for communication between the two brain hemispheres, according to a new study by scientists from King’s College London and Sapienza University of Rome.

Researchers have known for some time that long-term cannabis use increases the risk of psychosis, and recent evidence suggests that alterations in brain function and structure may be responsible for this greater vulnerability. However, this new research is the first to examine the effect of cannabis potency on brain structure.

Exploring the impact of cannabis potency is particularly important since today’s high potency ‘skunk-...

Structure of the MMP8 protein. Based on PyMOL rendering of PDB 1a85 Credit: Emw

Researchers identify a potentially significant new application for a well-known human enzyme that may help treat respiratory diseases eg asthma. Many enzymes are already well characterised and their functions fairly well understood eg. MMP8 is present in connective tissues of most mammals, where it breaks the chemical bonds found in collagen. In pre-clinical research Dr F Hollfelder (Dept of Biochemistry at Cambridge) and Dr L. Jermutus, Sr Director (R&D at MedImmune) mapped a list of proteases against potential protein drug targets.

Using automation technology at MedImmune, the team then tested each of the enzymes against each target protein in turn, allowing them to identify a significant number of so-far unk...

Pcl1 gene

Trinity College Dublin Scientists have identified a novel target that could help to identify ‘cancer stem cells’ while they are in their inactive state. The scientists could then jolt these cells into action so that they could be eliminated by 3radio or chemotherapeutic approaches.

The team discovered that a specific protein (PCL1) kicks a famous cancer-associated protein (p53) into action in our bodies. The p53 protein suspends cells in a dormant, non-dividing state = ‘quiescence’. When cells are in this state, they are much harder to target therapeutically.
Blocking PCL1 should set a chain of events in motion that will cause cancer cells to leave the cover of quiescence so that they can be targeted and eliminated.

Assistant Professor in Medical Molecular Genetics at Trinity, Dr...

Fluorescently labeled polarized Upcyte® hepatocytes. Credit: Prof. Yaakov Nahmias

A new technique for growing human hepatocytes in the laboratory has now been described by a team of researchers. This groundbreaking development could help advance a variety of liver-related research and applications, from studying drug toxicity to creating bio-artificial liver support for patients awaiting transplantations.

Human hepatocytes – that comprise 85% of the liver – are routinely used for study of hepatotoxicity, drug clearance and drug-drug interactions. They also have clinical applications in cell therapy to correct genetic defects, reverse cirrhosis, or support patients with a liver-assist device.

Regrettably, while the human liver can rapidly regenerate in vivo attempts to expand human hepatoc...