StemCell Therapy

June 5, 2017 Illustration of obstruction of ventilation. Credit: Habib Mhenni / public domain

Preliminary data from two studies suggest that mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of developing hypertension and diabetes.

"We found that even mild sleep apnea was strongly associated with increased risk of developing hypertension by 4 times compared to individuals without sleep apnea," said principal investigator and lead author Alexandros N. Vgontzas, MD, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. "Similarly, moderate sleep apnea was associated with increased risk of developing diabetes by almost 3 times compared to individuals without sleep apnea."

Results also show that these associations were strongest in young and middle-aged adults.

"In young and middle-aged adults, our findings suggest that early detection and treatment of mild-to-moderate sleep apnea is warranted in order to prevent future cardiometabolic disease," said lead author and postdoctoral scholar Yun Li, MD. "Given the stronger association of sleep apnea with metabolic abnormalities in this age group, emphasis should be placed on yearly monitoring of indices of metabolic symptoms and lifestyle interventions, such as weight control, healthy diet, regular exercise, and stress management."

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, nearly 30 million adults in the U.S. have obstructive sleep apnea, a chronic disease that involves the repeated collapse of the upper airway during sleep. Common warning signs include snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness. While previous research has established that severe sleep apnea increases the risk of hypertension and diabetes, data regarding mild-to-moderate sleep apnea were unclear.

Both studies involved the Penn State Adult Cohort, a random general population sample of 1,741 adults. Participants completed a detailed medical history interview at baseline and were evaluated in a sleep center during an overnight sleep study. Those without hypertension or diabetes at baseline were followed up after 10 years.

The research abstracts were published recently in an online supplement of the journal Sleep and will be presented Monday, June 5, and Wednesday, June 7, in Boston at SLEEP 2017, the 31st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS), which is a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.

Explore further: Babies born to mothers with sleep apnea have higher risk of adverse neonatal outcomes

More information: Abstract Title: Moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea is Associated with Incident Diabetes: A Longitudinal, Population-based Study Abstract ID: 0424 Presentation Date: Monday, June 5 Oral Presentation: 1:45 p.m. to 2 p.m., ballroom A Presenter: Yun Li, MD

Abstract Title: Mild-to-moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea is Associated with Incident Hypertension: A Longitudinal, Population-based Study Abstract ID: 0426 Presentation Date: Wednesday, June 7 Oral Presentation: 10:20 a.m. to 10:35 a.m., ballroom C Presenter: Alexandros Vgontzas, MD

A new study is the first to demonstrate a higher risk of congenital anomalies and resuscitation at birth in newborns of mothers who have obstructive sleep apnea.

African Americans with sleep apnea and insomnia are rarely diagnosed with either problem, even when the severity of the two sleep disorders are likely to affect their health, according to new research presented at the ATS ...

Consistent with previous reports, poor sleep quality was linked with joint pain in a recent Arthritis Care & Research study of the general population, but the study found no association between obstructive sleep apnea and ...

New research published in Respirology suggests that sleep apnea may increase the risk of developing chronic kidney disease to a similar extent as hypertension.

In a study of patients with hypertension, those with resistant hypertensionmeaning that their blood pressure remained elevated despite concurrent use of three antihypertensive agents of different classeshad a higher ...

A new clinical practice guideline from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine establishes clinical practice recommendations for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in adults.

The cessation of breathing during sleep caused by enlarged tonsils is common in preschool-age children and can cause serious complications, but the methods normally used to diagnose the condition are subjective and unreliable. ...

(HealthDay)Millions of Americans battle bothersome nighttime conditions, such as sleep apnea or the need to get up frequently to urinate.

A study comparing children between 7 and 11 years of age who have moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnea to children the same age who slept normally, found significant reductions of gray matter - brain cells involved ...

Obstructive sleep apnea, which causes people to briefly stop breathing while asleep, affects an estimated 5 percent of the population, not including the many more who don't even realize they suffer from the disorder.

Unbalanced signaling by two molecules that regulate breathing leads to sleep apnea in mice and rats, researchers report in the Jan. 23, 2017, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They show, working with rodents, ...

A single bout of sleep apnea impacts the human body's ability to regulate blood pressure.

Please sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Read more

View post:
Mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea is associated with hypertension, diabetes - Medical Xpress

Diabetics are at risk of many serious side effects like heart trouble, nerve damage, kidney failure, blindness and amputations. Now, theres growing evidence the disease also puts people at greater risk of bone fractures. In todays TPR Lifeline, Bioscience-Medicine reporter Wendy Rigby talks to Dr. Ajeya Joshi of South Texas Spinal Clinic about the link between diabetes and brittle bones. Here is a transcript of the interview.

Rigby: This will be news to many people that having diabetes puts you at greater risk of brittle bones. Dr. Joshi, whats happening here to increase the risk of osteoporosis in type one and type two diabetics?

Joshi: Diabetes can affect practically every organ in the body. But now we know that it impacts bone. And if you think about diabetes as having too much sugar floating around in your bloodstream, well the bones have blood flowing to them. And so that sugar lands inside the bone matrix and corrodes it, if you will. So its not that you necessarily have less bone, but the bone that you do have is not of a good quality.

Rigby: So even if you get a normal bone scan, if you have diabetes you might be more at risk than someone without diabetes of fracture.

Joshi: Thats absolutely right. So we know that for diabetics we have to interpret their bone scans differently. And thats an understanding that we didnt necessarily routinely have five or ten years ago. So they are at risk at fracturing at bone scores that would be considered normal for other people.

Rigby: And what part of the body is most affected?

Joshi: You could see fractures like a wrist fracture in a 50-year-old female tennis player that might have fallen on the tennis court. Vertebral fractures are common, of the spinal column if you will in many of us. An important metric to follow in any medical office is how tall is our adult patient. And you see people losing height over time and that might be very important. And the final area thats common are shoulders and hips as we get into our seventies and eighties.

Rigby: What could you do for someone whos diabetic if you knew or you could tell that they were developing this side effect from the disease?

Joshi: We need to now recalibrate or adjust how we think of diabetics and think of an earlier threshold for helping them with their bone density studies when theyre low. For our diabetic patients whether its avoiding vascular problems like heart disease or stroke or dialysis from kidney failure, controlling your sugars is important for one more reason.

Rigby: This paper you recently published used data from University Health System. Where was it published and what audience were you trying to reach with this particular message?

Joshi: We were excited to be involved in this research which was published in the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health.

Rigby: What did you find in particular about Hispanic diabetics?

Joshi: Being both diabetic and Hispanic raised the risk of fracture above the population that was diabetic but not Hispanic by one-and-a-half to two times. And that makes us say weve got to pay particular attention to these patients, communicate with them, educate them and their primary doctors and in the future, dedicate more attention and resources to understanding the background behind that.

Rigby: So people who are listening to this and saying I might fall into that category may wonder what happens if I have this? Is there something that can be done for me so that I can keep my bones strong?

Joshi: I would say that if you fall into a category where youre diabetic or Hispanic and diabetic, the key takeaways are being aware and being very attuned to lifestyle, exercise, sugar control and knowing that this is one more reason to control your sugars. And weight-bearing exercise is incredibly important. So there are factors like exercise which the bones love. Our bones being loaded. So the astronauts in space lose bone mass because theres no gravity. So walking is a great and important way to help your bone mass.

Rigby: Do you think more research will be done on this topic?

Joshi: I expect that we will be seeing a lot more attention devoted to this area in the years to come.

Rigby: Dr. Joshi of the South Texas Spinal Clinic, thank you so much for joining us.

Joshi: Its a pleasure to be here. Thank you.

View original post here:
TPR Lifeline: Diabetes And Brittle Bones - Texas Public Radio

June 4, 2017 3:44 PM

GLEN COVE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) Hundreds of car enthusiasts came to Glen Cove to check out an assortment of classic cars Sunday all to raise money for diabetes research.

As 1010 WINS Darius Radzius reported, Lamborghinis, Porsches and even a McLaren were on display at the Gold Coast Concours/Bimmerstock auto show.

If theres anything you can think of, they have it here, one visitor said. A lot of Porsches here; American cars.

Sergio Alvarezs cars a Porsche 918 Spider, and a McLaren P1 were attracting the most attention. But no one has asked to drive them.

Sit in it, thats about it, he said.

1010 WINS is a proud supporter of the event. Money raised will go to the Diabetes Research Institute.

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

Get Our Morning Briefs

Bloomberg WCBS Tri-State Business Index

CBS 2

1010 WINS

WCBS Newsradio 880

WFAN Sportsradio 66/101.9

Contests & Promotions

About Us

Advertise

Business Development

Contact

Mobile

Connect

Only CBS

CBS Radio Jobs

CBS Television Jobs

CBS Television Public File

CBS Radio Public File

See more here:
Glen Cove Auto Show Raises Money For Diabetes Cure - CBS New York

Diabetes both type 1, which is an incurable autoimmune disorder, and type 2 which is a lifestyle disease that can be reversed or cured are among the fastest-growing diagnoses in the world. Left untreated, they can cause life-threatening conditions and death. So its not surprising that the medical establishment is pumping resources into new methods of management.

What makes them worthy of talking about here on Geek is that technology is playing a major role. Todays diabetic is often wired up with Bluetooth sensors and custom software that turn them into virtual cyborgs with an awareness of their body chemistry that normal people cant match.

Heres a quick rundown of diabetes if youre not familiar with the condition. When you eat food, its split into three basic categories: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Carbohydrates, which are found primarily in plant products, break down into a sugar called glucose in your digestive system. That glucose is turned into fuel to power your mind and muscles.

The body does that conversion with a hormone called insulin, which is produced by beta cells in the pancreas. Type 1 diabetics dont make it at all their immune system destroys those beta cells for an as yet unknown reason. Type 2 diabetics make it, but for some reason its less efficient at breaking down glucose into energy.

When the body cant break down glucose, it has to get energy from other places mostly fat, but nothing is safe. That leads to a state of ketosis, where acids released from fats build up. Those acids can cause a wide variety of nerve and tissue damage.

So the life of a diabetic is basically monitoring their carbohydrate intake and then injecting an appropriate amount of insulin, based on a series of complex mathematical formulas, to match it. Too little and they go into ketosis. Too much insulin can drop their blood sugar dangerously low, which can lead to comas and death. Its a delicate tightrope that they walk every day.

The last few decades have seen advances in diabetes treatment that will blow your mind. To put them into context, lets rewind 50 years or so to look at what treatment was like.

Back in the day, a diabetic would wake up every morning and pee into a test tube. Theyd then drop a tablet into it that would change color to tell them what range their blood sugar was in high, normal or low. Theyd then take a single injection of long-lasting time-release insulin that would do for the entire day and hope for the best. When they were done, theyd take the syringe, boil it on the stove to sterilize it and put it back for tomorrow.

Needless to say, the life expectancy for diabetics was pretty short. Without a way to detect highs or lows, their bodies were at the mercy of a variety of factors and many died.

So there were two problems facing diabetics: being able to monitor blood sugar and being able to deliver the appropriate amount of insulin, no more, no less.

Monitoring got easier with the invention of the fingerprick blood glucose monitor in 1981. A drop of blood is introduced to an enzyme, and then an electrical current is passed through it. The number of electrons the sample loses correlates to the amount of glucose present in the sample. This allowed for significantly more precision, delivering a numerical representation of the patients current blood sugar.

That was coupled with the development of faster-acting insulin, so diabetics could treat highs as they happened. The next wave of diabetes care required them to be a more active participant in their management, checking glucose throughout the day and making adjustments as needed. As cool as this was, technology was about to get involved in a big way.

Fingerprick glucose is accurate but requires the diabetic to go through a process every time they want to check (and only works when theyre awake). The threat of low blood sugars at night is a very real one, as glucose levels can drop quickly. An accidental scientific discovery in the mid-1990s helped change the lives of diabetics around the world.

Researchers were experimenting with the bodys cell fluid in the skin and discovered that it basically mirrors the blood glucose level with about a 15-minute delay. In 1999, MiniMed got FDA approval for the first continuous glucose monitor an electrode thats inserted into a diabetics skin that transmits a reading every five minutes without the need to draw blood. Now patients could get real-time feedback on their blood sugar throughout the day. Those early sensors were good for about three days before the bodys immune system rejected them, but modern ones can go for a week or more before theyre changed.

Monitoring that accurate is all well and good, but a diabetic would still need to give themselves an injection to bring high blood sugar down. However, an earlier invention made that process significantly easier. In 1973, Dean Kamen (inventor of the Segway) debuted the worlds first wearable insulin pump, a device that could dose any amount of insulin to a diabetic through a cannula, or small tube, that attached to the body. This gave diabetics even more control over their treatment, enabling them to microdose and control exactly how much of the hormone they receive.

Pumps have advanced significantly over the last decade, with one the Omnipod not needing a tube at all, but affixing directly to the skin and communicating wirelessly with a control device. Patients who manage diabetes with these devices are uniformly in better condition, and even though only one in a thousand diabetics currently uses a pump, that number is rising.

The next step is the artificial pancreas, a device that combines the two into one. These have passed clinical trials and are being rolled out slowly by endocrinologists around the country. Using complex algorithms, they monitor blood glucose and treat it at the same time in a closed-loop system, also administering glucose when blood sugars are too low. Early results are incredibly positive. Like existing pumps and CGMs, they still have to be changed out regularly, but the system marks a significant advance in treatment.

The future of diabetes is even more exciting. Companies are working on insulin that doesnt have to be injected, but rather is absorbed through the skin with a sound-activated patch. Another brand can be inhaled before a meal. Google is collaborating with contact lens manufacturer Alcon on a lens that measures blood sugar through the eye.

So if you see somebody walking around with some little gray boxes attached to their arms or stomach, its highly possible that theyre toting around a cyborg pancreas, wired into the cloud and keeping them healthy.

Read more from the original source:
How Diabetes Is Transforming People Into Real-Life Cyborgs - Geek ... - Geek

Your one-time or monthly gift will help fund treatments and cures through cutting edge research.

Make a one-time gift

Become a monthly donor

Make a gift to honor or remember someone you know affected by vision loss.

Donate in Honor

Donate in Memory

Join a VisionWalk near you or create your own DIY fundrasing event to support research.

Vision Walk

DIY Fundraising

Send your check to Foundation Fighting Blindness P.O. Box 17279 Baltimore, MD 21297-0495

1-800-683-5555 from Monday - Friday 8am to 4pm Eastern Time

Remember the Foundation Fighting Blindness through a bequest, charitable annuity or other Planned Gift. Visit My Plan to Fight Blindness to learn how a Planned Gift can provide possible tax benefits for you while supporting scientific breakthroughs in vision research.

Get involved with Envision 20/20 the Foundations Campaign to accelerate research for treatments and cures. Learn more about the Campaign, including the Gordon and Llura Gund Family Challenge, which will match Campaign gifts of $25,000 or more doubling your impact! Learn more.

Looking for an easy way to double your impact? Ask your employer if they match gifts made by their employees. Simply fill out our companys matching gift form and submit it to the Foundation Fighting Blindness to complete and return to maximize your gift!

Support the Foundation through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC code #11721), the United Way or other workplace donation program through a one-time gift or the convenience of payroll deduction programs. Learn more

The Foundation Fighting Blindness is proud to partner with regional and national companies committed to the fight against blindness. For more information on how your company can make a difference. Click here

Original post:
We're Ending Blindness. Are You In? | blindness.org

In a world first, surgeons in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou are planning to inject stem cells derived from human embryos into the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease with the aim of treating their debilitating symptoms.

Meanwhile, another medical team in the same city is aiming to target vision loss using embryonic stem cells (ESC) to replace lost cells in the retina, marking a new direction in China in the wake of major changes in how the country regulates stem cell treatments.

While similar treatments on Parkinson's patients have already been tested in Australia, those trials relied on cells taken from eggs that were forced to divide without first being fertilised in an effort to circumvent any ethical concerns.

Stem cells are a little like blank slates that are yet to take on a specific task. If you rewind the clock on any of your body's tissues, its cells will become less specialised, until you're left with a cell with a lot of potential to become nearly anything.

In the case of both kinds of embryonic stem cells, divided egg cells are subjected to various treatments to encourage them to develop into replacement cells that could treat a condition in a recipient.

The symptoms of Parkinson's disease are largely caused by a loss of nervous tissue deep inside the brain in an area called the basal ganglia.

Losing those cells means a loss of a neurotransmitter called dopamine, and with it a lower ability to control nervous impulses that would prevent muscles in the extremities from activating.

In the case of a condition called macular degeneration, damage to a layer of tissue called the retinal pigment epithelium at the back of the eye causes the light-catching cells above it to die.

By turning ESC into cells that can naturally develop into the tissues that have deteriorated such as the precursors to neurons that can produce dopamine, or into retinal tissue and then injecting it into the target site, the researchers hope to improve the lost functions.

Not everybody is convinced of the success of trials such as those being done in China and last year in Australia.

A stem cell biologist from the Scripps Research Institute in California, Jeanne Loring, believes the choice of cell used in both Parkinson's disease trials won't be specialised enough to match expected results.

"Not knowing what the cells will become is troubling," Loring told David Cyranoski at Nature.

But the research team in China remains confident in its decision.

Qi Zhou from the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Zoology in Beijing is the stem cell specialist leading both sets of ESC trials, and says four years of animal trials conducted on monkeys have so far showed promising results.

"We have all the imaging data, behavioural data, and molecular data to support efficacy," Zhou told Nature.

He also claims the team conducting the Parkinson's trial have been selective with their potential candidates, choosing patients who will have the least chance of rejecting the ESCs from the cell bank.

In 2015, China introduced tough new regulations to deal with the growing problem of 'rogue clinics' offering stem cell treatments without due record keeping or process, making it hard to evaluate safety, or even the types of cells used in the treatments.

The changes are set to improve the ethics and safety of stem cell treatments by enforcing the use of cells through a regulatory body, ensuring informed patient consent, and permitting treatments only through authorised hospitals.

Time will tell if the regulations can be enforced, but for stem cell researchers, the changes are positive.

"It will be a major new direction for China," stem cell scientist Pei Xuetaotold Nature.

If the results are as good as the teams in Australia and China predict, it could also set new standards for the world.

Originally posted here:
World-First Trials Have Been Launched to Treat Parkinson's And Blindness With Embryonic Stem Cells - ScienceAlert

A Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) logo is seen in Toronto November 9, 2007. (Mark Blinch / Reuters) A Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) logo is seen in Toronto November 9, 2007. (Mark Blinch / Reuters) Subscribers Only

Sean Silcoff

OTTAWAThe Globe and Mail

Published Sunday, Jun. 04, 2017 3:36PM EDT

Last updated Sunday, Jun. 04, 2017 3:39PM EDT

The Canadian biotechnology business is a picture of good health.

On Friday, management of Vancouver-based cancer therapy developer Zymeworks Inc. rang the bell on the Toronto Stock Exchange, five weeks after its stock debuted in a $59-million (U.S.) initial public offering in Canada and on the New York Stock Exchange. It was by far the largest biotech IPO on a Canadian exchange in a decade and came on the heels of one of the largest stock offerings ever by a Canadian biotech firm, after dual-listed lupus-drug developer Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. raised $150.5-million in March.

To continue reading this article, you must be a Globe Unlimited subscriber.

Subscribe to Globe Unlimited now!

Follow Sean Silcoff on Twitter: @SeanSilcoff

Trudeau says Ottawa wont legalize illicit drugs other than marijuana (The Canadian Press)

Discover content from The Globe and Mail that you might otherwise not have come across. Here well provide you with fresh suggestions where we will continue to make even better ones as we get to know you better.

You can let us know if a suggestion is not to your liking by hitting the close button to the right of the headline.

See the rest here:
Zymeworks IPO bears good tidings for Canadian biotechnology - The Globe and Mail

Puma Biotechnology (NYSE:PBYI) presents at ASCO thepositive results from an ongoing Phase II clinical trial of Puma's investigational drug PB272 for the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer that has metastasized to the brain.

The multicenter Phase II clinical trial enrolled patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who have brain metastases. The trial is being performed by the TBCRC and enrolled three cohorts of patients.

We are very pleased with the activity seen in this trial with the combination of neratinib plus capecitabine, sys Puma CEOAlan Auerbach.

As a small molecule that can cross the blood brain barrier, neratinib potentially offers patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer that has metastasized to the CNS a novel HER2 targeted treatment option. We look forward to working with TBCRC on future trials of neratinib in patients with HER2-positive disease metastatic to the CNS," he adds.

Source: Press Release

#ASCO

Continued here:
Puma Biotechnology announces positive trial results - Seeking Alpha

A post-secondary program in biotechnology opens doors to various careers in clinical research, DNA analysis, quality control and assurance, industrial microbiology and biochemistry, biology instrumentation and calibration. The graduates of this program demonstrate the ability to

Isolate, enumerate and identify microorganisms Collect and store samples Prepare specimen for staining Prepare microbiological media and reagents and culture pathogenic microbes Design and perform microbiology experiments Sample, measure, collect and analyze data Calibrate and use laboratory instruments Apply appropriate safety procedures Handle hazardous chemicals

The professionals can find employment in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries as biotechnology technicians, lab technicians, biology lab assistants, life science lab technicians and instrumentation and calibration assistants. They can also work with companies into clinical research, quality testing and biotechnology product development.

Choosing a Biotechnology College in Canada

How you start your career depends on where you have studied, to a great extent. The biotechnology programs that have met the national technology accreditation requirements established by the Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists (CCTT) and the Canadian Technology Accreditation Board (CTAB) offer better placement opportunities.

It is important to ask the following questions before enrolling into a biotechnology college or course in Canada:

Is the program accredited by the Canadian Technology Accreditation Board (CTAB)? Is the program affiliated to the Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists (CCTT)? Does it combine laboratory work with classroom learning? Does the college allow you to apply for certification through the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists for using the designation: Certified Technician? Does the program incorporate training in Occupational Health and Safety, HACCP, GMP or WHMIS to industry standards? Does the prospective college allow you to apply academic credits earned during the program to study for an advanced program? Does the program incorporate independent microbiology projects?

A program is worth considering if answer to all these questions is a yes. Centennial Colleges two-year post-secondary program in biotechnology meets all the above mentioned criteria. In addition, a special feature of the program is the project approach. It allows students to design independent projects to help them enhance their problem-solving and research approach. With this, the program is also a repeat recipient of the College Presidents Academic Program Recognition Award for outstanding student satisfaction.

Studying Biotechnology

The post-secondary diploma program in biotechnology typically runs for two years and covers a wide range of subjects. Students develop strong fundamentals in chemistry, inorganic chemistry, mathematics for applied science, and statistics for applied science, biotechnology, microbiology and technical report writing.

With this, they also study occupational health and safety, microbiology techniques, food microbiology, analytical chemistry, pharmaceutical microbiology and recombinant DNA technology. The program also lays a strong emphasis on computer education and covers microcomputer applications for technology A.

Enrolling in a Biotechnology Program

Students interested in applying for this program need to submit:

Secondary school diploma or equivalent English Grade 12 C or University or equivalent scores Mathematics Grade 11 M or 12 C or University or equivalent scores

Students currently in high school can also apply for this program. Their grades will be automatically transferred to the college.

Jason White, the author here gives an account of Biotechnology technician course at Centennial College. He further explains how the course helps the students to take up a career as lab assistants, quality testing and controlling assistants in pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors.

Photo By HypnoArt from Pixabay

Read this article:
Tips to choose right Biotechnology College in Canada - Good Herald

Science has multiple wings and streams and studying one of them and specializing in it can open up various career prospects for the candidates. A couple of such streams that are gaining importance and popularity are biotechnology and microbiology. Both are integral parts of biological science and both have their respective uses. Pursuing a graduation or masters degree in the field may prove extremely rewarding for the users. Many students these days are pursuing the BSc Biotechnology and higher degrees in search of building up their career graph.

Understanding Biotechnology

Biotechnology involves the use of genetic as well as biochemical processes related to the living organisms for using them for humans. There are numerous genetically modified crops in the field of agriculture and there are also multiple genetically modified vaccines in the field of healthcare and medications. In some of the leading science colleges in Dehradun particular emphasis is given to the application of the principles of biotechnology in DNA applications and cell regulation in human anatomy. While the BSc degrees offered by these colleges include basic applications in the field the MSc Biotechnology degree offers higher levels of use of the biochemical processes and their impact studies.

Work Placement and Laboratory Works

Students seeking to obtain the MSc Biotechnology degree may not find the task easy enough. There are very strong optional work placements involved and the course also includes high degrees of laboratory works. This ensures practical experience induction in the student preparing him or her to be strong enough to face all the challenges that come their way. Thus the courses are intelligent combination of theories and practices.

Biotechnology Course Components

Course components for the students studying for obtaining graduation or masters degree in biotechnology include biology, chemistry, and mathematics. Physics is not normally included but students can separately study physics and even go up to the level of passing MSc Physics. In degree courses there are no majors. Students may however opt to specialize in a subject and choose the honors course in it. Taking honors has two benefits. First it can enhance job prospects and second it would make entry into the MSc course easier.

Job Prospects in the Field

People with graduate or masters degree in biotechnology get job opportunities in a host of industries. These are pharmaceuticals, environment, agriculture, horticulture, research, and forensic science among others. Job opportunities are available in both public as well as private sectors. Consulting services, academes, research organizations and NGOs are other major job sources.

Study of Microbiology

An important wing of biotechnology is microbiology that deals with organisms in microscopic sizes. They include bacteria, viruses, protozoa and algae as well as fungi affecting the life of human beings. Studying their characteristics, impact on human anatomy and remedial solutions constitute the basic features of the MSc Microbiology.

Biotechnology is not a new invention and has been in use for over six thousand years. The technology has been used to prepare foodstuff like bread and cheese, for preservation of dairy products and also for fermenting beer. Candidates need a good college to pursue their course of BSC or MSc Microbiology or any other wing of the biotechnology. To choose the right academy the need information and a qualitative site can provide the required information for them.

Know more visit http://bfitdoon.com/

Photo By PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

Read the original:
Studying Biotechnology And Microbiology For Career Building - Good Herald

2 Jun 2017, 1:19 p.m.

The Cowra Arthritis Support Group recently celebrated Arthritis Awareness Week.

Last week was Arthritis Awareness Week withArthritis andOsteoporosis NSW is urging everyone to become informed about arthritis.

Incidence of arthritis is increasing in Australia, with recent NSW Health statistics indicating that one-in- four people are now affected by arthritis and related conditions.

Arthritis andOsteoporosis NSW CEO,Sandra Vincent, said it was great thatCowra residents can find information and support from their local arthritis support group.

At Arthritis andOsteoporosis NSW, we strive to help people with arthritis to improve their quality oflife by developing their self-management skills, she said.

When it comes to osteoarthritis, the two most important factors in prevention and management are maintenance of a healthy weight and an appropriate exercise regime that strengthens the muscles around the affected joints, she said.

According to findings just released by the Medibank Better Health Foundation, the number of osteoarthritis cases in New South Wales has soared in the past 10 years, from 347,000 in 2007 to 601,000 in 2017.

According toArthritis andOsteoporosisNSW the three most prevalent forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and, in children, juvenile idiopathic arthritis:

The Cowra Arthritis support group will be holding their next meeting Tuesday, May 6at 2pm.

The meetings guest speaker will be Acupuncturist,Stephen Tamplin, from Central West Naturopathic and Health Foods.

All are welcome to attend the Cowra Arthritis Support groups meeting for more information on the group please contactChristine Murphy on 0427 423 596.

Read more:
Arthritis support strong in Cowra - Cowra Guardian

David Bussiere's daughter Ava was just 3-years-old when she first started to show the signs of juvenile arthritis and by 5 she was diagnosed.

The Regina father said he wasn't sure what was wrong with his daughter, and the two-year process to receive a diagnosis was trying.

"Her mood changed when she was young, then eventually we noticed swelling in her joints," said Bussiere. "One morning she woke up and her knee wouldn't bend anymore and that's when we really started to take it seriously."

Initially Bussiere thought his daughter had just grown and was experiencing pain associated with that, which was later reinforced by some doctors.

After being referred to a team of specialists in Saskatoon, Ava was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. The disease affects her knees, ankles, wrists, fingers and her jaw.

On Sunday the Walk to Fight Arthritis took place in 40 communities across Canada.

"We justthought it would be a good way to show her she wasn't alone," Bussiere.

Sunday was the fourth time the Bussiere's made it out to the arthritis walk in Regina.

Ava had to be taken out of sports and could no longer participate in gym classher favourite subject during her leading up to her diagnosis.

"It was scary. It was scary because you learn that its not something they grow out of. It's a disease that they have for life. It's something she'll have to deal with for her whole life," said Bussiere.

After years of treatment and medicine Ava, now 8-years-old, is able to play soccer.

"When we had the whole bout with her knee we had to pull her out, couldn't play sports anymore, but then she started treatment and it take too long after treatment that we could start re-introducing things," said Bussiere.

"It's to the point where she's just a regular kid again."

Read the rest here:
'It was scary': father recalls 5-year-old daughter's arthritis diagnosis ... - CBC.ca

Do your knees, hips and other joints snap, crackle and pop when you move?

Whether youre a senior, approaching middle age or a young athlete in your prime, you might have arthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease.

Once considered an age-related condition, its now known that arthritis can afflict anyone at any age. The condition can range from slight joint stiffness in the morning to a chronic, debilitating pain that can limit your mobility and reduce your quality of life.

More than 40 million Americans suffer from arthritis, and more than half of arthritis cases are osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is a joint disease that affects cartilage, the tissue that covers the ends of the bones in a joint.

The joints most often affected by osteoarthritis are those used for bending and swiveling movements: the knees, hips, shoulders and fingers. Healthy cartilage provides padding between bones that acts as a shock absorber for high-impact activities, and it helps bones glide smoothly together at the joints for bending and rotating motions.

In joints affected by osteoarthritis, the smooth, elastic cartilage that covers the ends of bones breaks down and wears away, leaving a rough surface where bones can rub together. Eventually, the joint can become misshapen; bits of bone and cartilage might break off and float in the joint space; or spiky growths called bone spurs can develop on the surface of the exposed bone, which can cause joint pain and decreased mobility.

Osteoarthritis risk and symptoms

Osteoarthritis can develop over time as age-related wear and tear, or as a result of a joint injury.

Those at risk of developing osteoarthritis include females, those who have a family history of osteoarthritis, those who are overweight or have had prior joint injuries, and those who put continuous, repetitive stress on their joints (i.e., a job that requires excessive lifting, bending or repetitive tasks, or high impact activities, such as running and aerobics).

Symptoms of osteoarthritis include:

>> Joint pain at rest or with activity.

>> Swelling or tenderness.

>> Stiffness, especially after getting out of bed or sitting for a long time.

>> Bony enlargement of the joint area.

>> A crunching noise or feeling when moving the joint.

Although there is no cure for osteoarthritis, early diagnosis and treatment might help slow the development and progression of the disease, further avoiding joint damage; help relieve pain and stiffness; and preserve maximum range of motion. According to the Arthritis Foundation (AF), symptoms of osteoarthritis begin to set in 10 years after a specific cause such as an injury or obesity, so early treatment is important.

Osteoarthritis is diagnosed through a combination of tests, including a medical history, physical exam, x-rays or MRIs and possibly blood tests or examinations of fluid drawn from the joint.

Treatment options include lifestyle modifications, medications, physical therapy or surgery. Your doctor might recommend switching from high-impact to low-impact sports activities. Topical or oral pain medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroid injections, administered by your doctor, can help control pain and swelling.

Other nonsurgical remedies might include weight loss. The AF estimates that every pound of excess weight lost reduces four pounds of pressure on the knees and six pounds of pressure on the hips. Additionally, physical therapy can help strengthen the muscles that surround and support the affected joint, and ice or heat also might help reduce swelling and pain. Regular exercise is also important to help the affected joint stay lubricated and strong.

If other treatment methods are not effective, surgery also can help relieve pain and restore mobility. Surgical interventions range from minimally invasive arthroscopy which removes bone spurs or smooths rough bone surfaces to total joint replacement, in which parts of the bones are removed and an artificial joint is implanted.

Dr. Supen Patel specializes in rheumatology. He is associated with Carolinas Rheumatology & Osteoporosis (carolinasrheumatology.com), an affiliate of Carolinas Medical Alliance, and is a member of the medical staff of Carolinas Hospital System. He is accepting new patients. Patients must have a referral to schedule an appointment. To refer a patient, call Patels office at 843-674-6440.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor but rather to increase awareness and help equip patients with information and facilitate conversations with your physician that will benefit your health.

Sources: The Arthritis Foundation, arthritis.com, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, aaos.org, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, niams.nih.gov

View original post here:
Arthritis can strike at any age: Early treatment is important in regard to degenerative joint disease - SCNow

A genetic predisposition is a genetic characteristic which influences the possible phenotypic development of an individual organism within a species or population under the influence of environmental conditions. In medicine, genetic susceptibility to a disease refers to a genetic predisposition to a health problem,[1] which may eventually be triggered by particular environmental or lifestyle factors, such as tobacco smoking or diet. Genetic testing is able to identify individuals who are genetically predisposed to certain diseases.

Predisposition is the capacity we are born with to learn things such as language and concept of self. Negative environmental influences may block the predisposition (ability) we have to do some things. Behaviors displayed by animals can be influenced by genetic predispositions. Genetic predisposition towards certain human behaviors is scientifically investigated by attempts to identify patterns of human behavior that seem to be invariant over long periods of time and in very different cultures.

For example, philosopher Daniel Dennett has proposed that humans are genetically predisposed to have a theory of mind because there has been evolutionary selection for the human ability to adopt the intentional stance.[1] The intentional stance is a useful behavioral strategy by which humans assume that others have minds like their own. This assumption allows you to predict the behavior of others based on personal knowledge of what you would do.

E. O. Wilson's book on sociobiology and his book Consilience discuss the idea of genetic predisposition to behaviors

The field of evolutionary psychology explores the idea that certain behaviors have been selected for during the course of evolution.

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, which was signed into law by President Bush on May 21, 2008,[2] prohibits discrimination in employment and health insurance based on genetic information.

See more here:
Genetic predisposition - Wikipedia

To aid our variant interpretation process, we created an openly-available online tool to efficiently classify variants based on the evidence categories outlined in the article: Richards, et al. Standards and guidelines for the interpretation of sequence variants. 2015. This site displays the evidence categories and descriptions from Table 3 and Table 4 with simple checkboxes for selecting appropriate criteria. The site then incorporates the algorithm in Table 5 to automatically assign the pathogenicity or benign impact based on the selected evidence categories. Since our process often requires analyzing multiple variants per patient, we have also allowed the option of aggregating each variant into an exportable table at the foot of the website for easy documentation of the variant review process for our records. Although this tool is based on the ACMG/AMP Standards and Guidelines, it is not affiliated with ACMG, AMP, or any of the authors of the publication.

_ PVS1 null variant (nonsense, frameshift, canonical 1 or 2 splice sites, initiation codon, single or multiexon deletion) in a gene where LOF is a known mechanism of disease

_ PS1 Same amino acid change as a previously established pathogenic variant regardless of nucleotide change _ PS2 De novo (both maternity and paternity confirmed) in a patient with the disease and no family history _ PS3 Well-established in vitro or in vivo functional studies supportive of a damaging effect on the gene or gene product _ PS4 The prevalence of the variant in affected individuals is significantly increased compared with the prevalence in controls _ PP1 (Strong evidence) Cosegregation with disease in multiple affected family members in a gene definitively known to cause the disease

_ PM1 Located in a mutational hot spot and/or critical and well-established functional domain (e.g., active site of an enzyme) without benign variation _ PM2 Absent from controls (or at extremely low frequency if recessive) in Exome Sequencing Project, 1000 Genomes Project, or Exome Aggregation Consortium _ PM3 For recessive disorders, detected in trans with a pathogenic variant _ PM4 Protein length changes as a result of in-frame deletions/insertions in a nonrepeat region or stop-loss variants _ PM5 Novel missense change at an amino acid residue where a different missense change determined to be pathogenic has been seen before _ PM6 Assumed de novo, but without confirmation of paternity and maternity _ PP1 (Moderate evidence) Cosegregation with disease in multiple affected family members in a gene definitively known to cause the disease

_ PP1 Cosegregation with disease in multiple affected family members in a gene definitively known to cause the disease _ PP2 Missense variant in a gene that has a low rate of benign missense variation and in which missense variants are a common mechanism of disease _ PP3 Multiple lines of computational evidence support a deleterious effect on the gene or gene product (conservation, evolutionary, splicing impact, etc.) _ PP4 Patients phenotype or family history is highly specific for a disease with a single genetic etiology _ PP5 Reputable source recently reports variant as pathogenic, but the evidence is not available to the laboratory to perform an independent evaluation

_ BP1 Missense variant in a gene for which primarily truncating variants are known to cause disease _ BP2 Observed in trans with a pathogenic variant for a fully penetrant dominant gene/disorder or observed in cis with a pathogenic variant in any inheritance pattern _ BP3 In-frame deletions/insertions in a repetitive region without a known function _ BP4 Multiple lines of computational evidence suggest no impact on gene or gene product (conservation, evolutionary, splicing impact, etc.) _ BP5 Variant found in a case with an alternate molecular basis for disease _ BP6 Reputable source recently reports variant as benign, but the evidence is not available to the laboratory to perform an independent evaluation _ BP7 A synonymous (silent) variant for which splicing prediction algorithms predict no impact to the splice consensus sequence nor the creation of a new splice site AND the nucleotide is not highly conserved

_ BS1 Allele frequency is greater than expected for disorder _ BS2 Observed in a healthy adult individual for a recessive (homozygous), dominant (heterozygous), or X-linked (hemizygous) disorder, with full penetrance expected at an early age _ BS3 Well-established in vitro or in vivo functional studies show no damaging effect on protein function or splicing _ BS4 Lack of segregation in affected members of a family

_ BA1 Allele frequency is >5% in Exome Sequencing Project, 1000 Genomes Project, or Exome Aggregation Consortium

_ Sequencing artifact as determined by depth, quality, or other previously reviewed data

Download Table as CSV

Please note that the text of the variant evidence has been pulled directly from Richards, et al. Genet Med. 2015 May;17(5). This site does not claim authorship of any of the variant evidence descriptions.

This tool is based on the published ACMG/AMP Standards and Guidelines [Genet Med (2015)]. Anyone using this tool should be familiar with that publication. Individuals or institutions choosing to use this tool for clinical variant classification purposes assume legal responsibility for the consequences of its use. The authors make no warranty, express or implied, nor assume any legal liability or responsibility for any purpose for which the tool is used.

Please cite the following when using this tool in publications: Kleinberger J, Maloney KA, Pollin TI, Jeng LJ. An openly available online tool for implementing the ACMG/AMP standards and guidelines for the interpretation of sequence variants. Genet Med. 2016 Mar 17. doi: 10.1038/gim.2016.13. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 26986878.

Read more:
Genetic Variant Interpretation Tool | University of ...

Imagine a world where an ambulance arrives to pick you up, not after a heart attack but before it happens, based on a signal sent from a device on your arm via your mobile phone. This sounds like the stuff of science fiction but could become a reality. It is all part of focusing healthcare more on prevention and less on cure. You dont wait for your car to break down before getting it repaired; you have it serviced and act on warning signs. Similarly, with healthcare, prevention is cheaper, more effective and less traumatic.

Another major change is a shift from a one size fits all approach to one tailored to individuals. Most medical treatments are designed for the average patient, and are successful for some but not others. Advances in what is called precision medicine will allow treatments to be tailored to characteristics, such as a persons genetic makeup or the genetic profile of a tumour.

The science that makes possible this combination of prevention and tailoring is genomics. The Human Genome Project mapped the human genome sequence in 2001, which is freely available in public databases. Less well known are the Precision Medicine Initiative in the US (which is creating a health database of a million Americans) and the 100,000 Genomes Project in the UK. These have only become viable because of huge advances in technology and data analytics.

Sequencing the first human genome cost $2.7bn and took 15 years. By 2008, the cost of sequencing had fallen to about $10m. Now sequencing can be done in a few days, with analysis in a few weeks, at cost of $1,000-$2,000.

Your genome is all the genetic information in your bodys instruction manual, encoded as DNA within the 23 chromosome pairs in cell nuclei. We are all very similar genetically: 99.9% of peoples genes are identical and it is the final tenth of a percent that determines differences like hair colour, build and predisposition to disease. Sequencing therefore has the ability to highlight a greater likelihood (or not) of developing conditions such as heart disease, lung cancer or Alzheimers.

The main aim of the 100,000 Genomes Project is to transform the use of genetics in the NHS. The project is run by Genomics England, a company owned by the Department of Health. It will sequence 100,000 whole genomes, half in people with rare genetic diseases (and close relatives who do not exhibit the disease) and half in patients with cancer. The results will be linked with patients medical records and stored securely and confidentially. By combining this information and allowing authorised researchers to access it, the project aims to provide a diagnosis for some patients with rare diseases and adapt cancer treatments. It will help to develop genomic medicine services for the NHS and support researchers to develop new medicines, therapies and diagnostic tests.

The 100,000 Genomes Project and similar ones around the world are unlikely to help the participants directly as the science of genomics is still in its infancy and there is a yawning gap between what sequencing technology enables us to discover and what doctors can do about it. However, it could provide invaluable data to help their children and grandchildren, as well as saving the NHS billions.

John Thornton is the director of e-ssential Resources and an independent adviser on business transformation, financial management and innovation.

John.Thornton@e-ssentialresources.co.uk

Go here to see the original:
Future medicine is all in the genes - Public Finance

New research published today in Genome Medicine uses large-scale DNA sequencing to identify genetic variants that cause developmental delay, a condition that currently goes undiagnosed in a large number of cases. Here to tell us more is author of the research, Dr. Greg Cooper.

Dr. Greg Cooper 30 May 2017

Developmental delay is associated with impaired cognition and failure to meet developmental milestones.

Developmental delay affects 1-2% of children worldwide. Symptoms often associated with developmental delay include impaired cognition, failure to meet developmental milestones, craniofacial and skeletal abnormalities, autism, and seizures. These disabilities can pose major medical, financial and psychological challenges.

Specific diagnoses for children with developmental delay are in many cases elusive, and the lack of a diagnosis is a major hardship for patients and their families. Inaccurate or unavailable diagnoses can result in years of expensive, invasive, and futile testing that complicates treatment decisions and may also lead to anxiety and emotional distress. Moreover, not knowing the reason for specific developmental delays slows research into improving therapeutic or educational options.

Anna Brooke Ainsworth, diagnosed with Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CDL), a rare genetic developmental disorder

In an effort to end the diagnostic odyssey for children with developmental delay, we have employed large-scale DNA sequencing to identify specific genetic variants that are causally relevant to developmental disabilities. As part of the NHGRI-funded Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research Consortium, we began enrolling affected children into our study in 2013. Thus far, we have sequenced 371 children who present with developmental delay, and we have found the genetic cause and thus contributed to more precise and definitive clinical diagnoses in 27%.

We also enrolled biological parents when available to facilitate the identification of de novo i.e., present in a child but absent from his/her parents genetic variants, as these are known to be enriched among variants that cause developmental disabilities.

By sequencing the affected child and their parents, we were able in many cases to more efficiently identify the pathogenic variant relevant to their symptoms. In addition, by efficiently revealing relatively short lists of candidate de novo variants, trio sequencing also can greatly improve discovery of novel disease contributions.

That said, through retrospective analysis of proband genetic variants in the absence of parental sequence information, we were able to show that completing sequencing for only the child will often still yield a diagnosis, but will on average require more time and analytical effort when compared to the analysis of a trio.

Reanalysis success is driven by, and dependent upon, data sharing by clinicians and scientists who are also sequencing developmentally delayed patients.

Through our study, we observed that finding a pathogenic variant in an affected child is more challenging when close relatives have a neurological condition. This finding suggests that the underlying genetics in such multiplex families are more complex and harder to interpret than in simplex families, and that this distinction influences the success rate in terms of pathogenic variant discovery.

We also demonstrate that reanalysis over time of data from affected children with no initially identified causal genetic finding will often lead to new findings that considerably improve overall yield. Reanalysis success is driven by, and dependent upon, data sharing by clinicians and scientists who are also sequencing developmentally delayed patients.

Our data underscore the value of whole genome sequencing as an effective first-choice diagnostic tool in patients with developmental disabilities. Further, such sequencing, especially as proband-parent trios, will advance clinical and research progress and reduce the number and length of diagnostic odysseys that continue to impact numerous children and their families.

View the latest posts on the On Medicine homepage

By commenting, youre agreeing to follow our community guidelines.

Go here to see the original:
Finding the genetic causes of developmental delay - BMC Blogs Network (blog)

Gene therapy and a range of biological research rely on the efficient delivery of nucleic acids into cells through the process known as transfection. Most widely-used transfection approaches for mammalian cells rely on electrostatic forces, usually taking advantage of cationic reagents to bind to negatively-charged nucleic acids and form strong ionic complexes. Cells then grab these complexes and internalize them through a process called endocytosis. However, the concentration of positive charge in the reagents can kill cells, and some cellssuch as embryonic cells, neurons, or cells directly isolated from tissuedont incorporate the nucleic acids successfully.

Now researchers report a novel transfection technique, SnapFect, that relies on bio-orthogonal moleculesa class of chemically-reactive molecules that dont interfere with biological systems (ACS Cent. Sci. 2017, DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.7b00132). The team designed nanoparticle liposomes carrying a bio-orthogonal ligand. When they add those fatty particles to cell culture, they fuse into the cell membrane within seconds, leaving the ketone ligand exposed on the surface. The team then packages the nucleic acids to be delivered in complementary lipid complexes decorated with oxyamines. When the oxyamine particles are added to the cells, these functional groups react quickly with the cell surface ketones. The membrane-bound nucleic-acid complex is then pulled into the cell via endocytosis, and the nucleic acid can be expressed. Its not based on electrostatics but on click chemistry, says Muhammad N. Yousaf, a chemical biologist at York University. Thats why basically every cell is transfected with the nucleic acid.

Commercial transfection reagents already bring in about $1.5 billion per year. Yousafs team compared SnapFect to two widely-used kits: Lipofectamine (Life Technologies) and ViaFect (Promega). SnapFect transfected cells with a 68% overall efficiency while the other two transfected 19% and 29%, respectively.

Yousaf launched a company called OrganoLinX that this month began selling SnapFect ($350 for 20-25 transfections). We focused on making [the kit] just as easy to use as other commercial products out there, he says.

Besides improving efficiency, researchers could also pre-treat one batch of cells to decorate them with ketones and then mix them with other cell types before adding nucleic acids. Just the pre-treated ones will be transfected, Yousaf explains. Its like precision transfection. Because the team can create a variety of complexes using the oxyamine particles, the technique can also deliver other molecules such as proteins into cells.

I think its an interesting step forward, says James H. Eberwine, a molecular neurobiologist at the University of Pennsylvaniaparticularly the techniques universal applicability to DNA, RNA, and proteins, as well as the specificity conferred by the click chemistry approach.

Eberwine adds that while the study compares SnapFect to two widely-used techniques, researchers often optimize those techniques for their particular applications and achieve much higher efficiencies than those noted in this study. I would certainly try it, he says, and if it really does have the higher efficiency then I could see value in doing this.

Currently cell surface modification with ketones must occur shortly before addition of the oxyamine-bundled cargo. But SnapFect would be especially powerful if the ketone modification was more permanent, Eberwine says. That way, researchers could pre-engineer the surface of immature cells, then allow those cells to develop, migrate, and find their place in the local microenvironment of an experimental system before they get transfected. This would be a real boon, he says.

Read more:
Genetic engineering through click chemistry - The Biological SCENE

The 20th century veggie burger was a beige patty packed with whole grains and carrot chunks, sold in a brown paper wrapper. The 21st century version? Its bloody-pink and fleshy, thanks to heme, an ingredient created via genetic engineering.

To those steeped in the natural-food movement, the acronym GMO for genetically modified organisms has traditionally been almost as taboo as a plate of braised veal. However, that view could be changing as a new generation of Bay Area entrepreneurs upends the alternative meat and dairy industry, using biotechnology to create vegetarian foods that taste more like meat and promise ecological advantages to boot.

As somebody who has my entire life been a hard-core environmentalist I went vegan for a large part for that reason genetic engineering is one of the most important tools we can use in terms of environmental conservation, said Mike Selden, co-founder and CEO of Finless Foods in San Francisco, which is replicating fish fillets out of stem cells, though not currently with genetic engineering.

Not everyone agrees, and as these products hit the market including the aforementioned veggie burger that bleeds from Impossible Foods consumer and environmental groups have called for greater oversight and testing than whats currently required by the federal government.

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post:Meatless, tasty and genetically modified: a healthy debate

Read the rest here:
21st century veggie burger: 'Bloody-pink and fleshy' thanks to genetic engineering - Genetic Literacy Project

1) Germ Line Gene Therapy: This process involves the altering of a baby's the genome before it has even been born. The gene may be inserted through Germ line gene therapy is still an emerging technique that needs to be perfected before being tested on humans. Germ line therapy is also, a more challenging than the more common somatic cell gene therapy. However, germ line therapy raises concerns regarding ethics and morality. The two main methods of performing germ-line gene therapy would be:

(Citation 17) (Citation 17) 2) Somatic Cell Gene Therapy: The most studied gene therapy, somatic cell therapy uses the insertion of a normal gene into the DNA of somatic cells in order to compensate for the non-functioning defective gene. Which can be done in a number of ways including:

(Citation 17) Virus Vectors: Both Somatic and Germ line gene therapy, need a way to insert DNA into a cell therefore carrier molecule called a vector must be used to deliver the therapeutic gene to the patient's target cells. The most efficient and effective vectors to date are viruses. Viruses can be genetically altered to carry normal human DNA, then passing on the healthy genes to human cells. Much like a chauffeur who picks up and delivers people to certain locations. Some examples of viruses that are used as vectors are: Retroviruses, Retroviruses, Adeno-associated viruses, and Herpes simplex viruses.

In Vivo Vs. Ex Vivo

(Citation 17)

3) Chimeraplasty : This technique is the least known of all three methods. It is a non- viral method that is still being researched for its potential in gene therapy. Chimeraplasty is done by changing DNA sequences in a person's genome using a synthetic strand composed of RNA and DNA. This strand of RNA and DNA is known as a chimeraplast. The chimeraplast enters a cell and attaches itself to the target gene. The DNA of the chimeraplast and the cell complement each other except in the middle of the strand, where the chimeraplast's sequence is different from that of the cell. The DNA repair enzymes then replace the cells DNA with that of the chimeraplast. This leaves the chimeraplast's new sequence in the cell's DNA and the replaced DNA sequence then decays.

The rest is here:
Gene Therapy