Restoration of Retinal and Visual Function following Gene Therapy

Base editing restores vision
A mutation in an inherited blindness mouse model abolishes the expression of RPE65, a key enzyme in a visual cycle, in the RPE cells. Base editing treatment can correct the mutation and restore functional RPE65 (green), thereby restoring vision in mice

New generation CRISPR technology lays foundation for therapeutics to treat a wide range of inherited ocular diseases. A breakthrough study, led by researchers from the University of California, Irvine, results in the restoration of retinal and visual functions of mice models suffering from inherited retinal disease.

Published today in Nature Biomedical Engineering, the paper, titled, “Restoration of visual function in adult mice with an inherited retinal disease via adenine base editing,” illustrates the use of a new generation CRISPR...

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Octopus-inspired Sucker transfers Thin, delicate Tissue Grafts and Biosensors

Octopus-inspired sucker transfers thin, delicate tissue grafts and biosensors

Thin tissue grafts and flexible electronics have a host of applications for wound healing, regenerative medicine and biosensing. A new device inspired by an octopus’s sucker rapidly transfers delicate tissue or electronic sheets to the patient, overcoming a key barrier to clinical application, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and collaborators.

“For the last few decades, cell or tissue sheets have been increasingly used to treat injured or diseased tissues. A crucial aspect of tissue transplantation surgery, such as corneal tissue transplantation surgery, is surgical gripping and safe transplantation of soft tissues...

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The Milky Way Galaxy has a Clumpy Halo

milky way against treeline
Astronomers at the University of Iowa have determined our galaxy is surrounded by a clumpy halo of hot gases that is continually being supplied with material ejected by birthing or dying stars. The halo also may be where matter unaccounted for since the birth of the universe may reside. Photo courtesy of Christien Nielsen/Unsplash.

Astronomers at the University of Iowa have determined our galaxy is surrounded by a clumpy halo of hot gases that is continually being supplied with material ejected by birthing or dying stars. The halo also may be where matter unaccounted for since the birth of the universe may reside. Results published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

University of Iowa astronomers have determined our galaxy is surrounded by a clumpy halo of hot gases that is continuall...

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Calcium Bursts Kill Drug-Resistant Tumor cells

Calcium bursts kill drug-resistant tumor cells
Credit: American Chemical Society

Multidrug resistance (MDR) — a process in which tumors become resistant to multiple medicines — is the main cause of failure of cancer chemotherapy. Tumor cells often acquire MDR by boosting their production of proteins that pump drugs out of the cell, rendering the chemotherapies ineffective. Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ Nano Letters have developed nanoparticles that release bursts of calcium inside tumor cells, inhibiting drug pumps and reversing MDR.

A pump protein called P-glycoprotein (P-gp) often plays a key role in MDR. P-gp is in the cell membrane, where it uses energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to pump drugs out of tumor cells...

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