DailyDirt: Age Is Just A Number

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

They say age is "just a number" -- but it'd be nice if that number could be a little higher before people were expected to die. The aging process has been studied for a long time, but no one has found the silver bullet that stops people from getting older (unless there are some immortals hiding among us). Still, medicine is making some slow progress towards understanding how we age -- and how we might prevent ourselves from aging.

• Researchers may have found a way to make mice live much longer -- by removing certain cells (senescent cells) from their bodies. Take a healthy mouse, start removing these senescent cells twice a week, and that mouse will live about 25% longer and stay healthier compared to an untreated mouse with identical genetics and a controlled diet. There could be serious side effects for doing this in people, but maybe start taking scientific "cleanses" seriously.... [url]
• There's a correlation with having more children and longer telomeres... for a sample of women from rural Guatemalan communities. Longer telomeres are associated with cell replication and longevity, but aging is a not a simple process. And obviously, there's a limit to the effect or else mothers of a dozen or so kids would live a surprisingly long time (plus the data could look a bit better). [url]
• If longer telomeres really does the trick, though, for leading to longer, healthier lives, then there might be a way to lengthen them artificially. It's too late for Roy Batty, but maybe not for us (or Rick Deckard). [url]
• There isn't just one theory about how cells age, but there's more doubt for the mitochondrial theory of aging that proposes that accumulated mutations in mitochondrial DNA lead to age-related mitochondrial defects. There may be other forms of genetic regulation, like epigenetic regulation, that lead to the effects of aging. [url]

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Filed Under: aging, biology, biotech, dna, genetics, health, lifespans, longevity, medicine, mitochondrial dna, senescent cells, telomeres

DailyDirt: Is It All In The Genes?

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The Nature vs Nurture debate may never end, but it could become more interesting as researchers quantify the Nature aspects with genetics (and epigenetics and microbiome information and ...). But we've really only just started to learn about the vast genetic world of biology. We still have a lot to learn from simple fruit flies, so we're not about to crack the enormous number of genomes that exist (or that could even be synthesized). Here are just a few genomes that scientists have started playing with.

• Octopus DNA is unusually large, but that's maybe not so surprising given how intelligent and complex these creatures are. In case you didn't know, octopuses can regrow limbs, change their skin color for camouflage, expel a cloud of ink to escape predators, and manipulate their boneless bodies to their advantage -- in surprising ways. The California two-spot octopus is the first cephalopod to have its genome fully sequenced, and while its genome is slightly shorter than the human genome, the octopus seems to have more genes than we do. [url]
• The genome of ixodes scapularis (aka the common tick) has been published, and it could lead to better ways to control these blood-sucking arthropods (and maybe Lyme disease, too). Tick saliva contains all kinds of possible pharmaceuticals (antimicrobials, analgesics, blood thinners, and immune suppressors) that help the bug feed on a variety of host animals. [url]
• Immortal HeLa cells have been useful in research because they were one of the first human cell lines to be conveniently grown outside of a person's body. However, HeLa cells originally came from a patient's tumor, so its DNA is filled with errors and is very different from normal human DNA. Cancer cells might even qualify as a new species -- if researchers can agree on a definition of what "species" is. [url]
• A platypus is just a weird animal, so it's not at all strange that its genome is weird, too. Platypus DNA codes for traits that are mammalian, reptilian and avian -- and the animal itself lays eggs, produces milk for its offspring and has unusual sex chromosomes. [url]

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Filed Under: arthropod, biotech, cancer, cephalopod, dna, genes, genetics, genome, hela cells, ixodes scapularis, octopus, platypus, tick

DailyDirt: Nature Vs. CRISPR

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

The reality of designer babies seems to be more and more likely -- especially now that gene editing tools like CRISPR are becoming more refined and widespread in labs around the world. Legitimate concerns over a modern form of eugenics are being raised, and the ethical debates are getting less theoretical as the science pushes the boundaries of what can be done. People might be able to activate or delete genes without fully understanding the results, and the advances that can eliminate genetic disorders could also eliminate certain minorities or traits that are not necessarily disabilities.

• British researchers will be performing gene-editing experiments on human embryos, but they're not going to be making full-term babies -- yet. Britain's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is the first regulator to approve this kind of genetic tinkering (although plenty of countries don't require permission at all), and British lawmakers have previously voted in favor of allowing babies to be made from the DNA of three parents to prevent genetic disorders. (So perhaps a modified clone of Benedict Cumberbatch will actually become Khan Noonien Singh someday.) [url]
• Genetic discrimination is going to be a thing soon. A kid was removed from school because he has genetic markers for cystic fibrosis (and not the actual condition). A lawsuit is now working its way through the system to determine if the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) or the Americans With Disabilities Act will apply to future such cases of discrimination. [url]
• Someone might have the genes for a particular trait, but it may never be expressed. Researchers have discovered a way to activate some genes that are inaccessible and non-functioning -- but so far only in mice. Are you pondering what I'm pondering? [url]

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Filed Under: ada, biology, biotech, crispr, designer babies, dna, eugenics, gattaca, gene activation, gene editing, genetics, germline, gina

DailyDirt: Imagine There's No Cancer...

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

In 2015, an estimated 1.6 million patients were diagnosed with cancer and over half a million died from it. We've previously pointed out some cancer research that could lead to promising new treatments, and it looks like we're making significant progress in the fight against the many forms of this deadly disease. Using the body's own immune system to fight cancer is a growing strategy that seems to be working. Check out a few of these minor successes.

• Jimmy Carter announced that his cancer treatments are going well, and his latest brain scans don't show any tumors. Carter has been getting radiation treatments and doses of Keytruda, an immunotherapy drug, to fight off cancer. Immunotherapy drugs are promising, but it's not well understood how they work just yet. Presumably, as we figure them out, we'll be able to target different kinds of cancer and improve the treatment. [url]
• Sequencing the genes of cancer cells can help determine drugs that could specifically target tumors. Hundreds of cancer drugs have been tested in clinical trials, and a few are extending the life expectancy of patients. As long as the drug prices don't skyrocket unexpectedly, many people might be able to benefit from this advance in biotech. [url]
• The FDA has approved a virus that can attack cancer cells. This living virus, sold as Imlygic, is an engineered version of herpesvirus, and it's probably the first of a class of viral anti-cancer treatments. [url]

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Filed Under: biotech, cancer, cancer research, dna, drugs, health, imlygic, immunotherapy, jimmy carter, keytruda, medicine, pharmaceuticals, treatment, tumor

DailyDirt: Creating Superfoods For Fun Profit

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Feeding billions of people isn't an easy task. Farming isn't actually the hardest part. Food distribution and food waste are much more challenging than simply growing more food for people. It's good that we have multiple biotech solutions for making plants and animals that are easier to raise and grow, but some of the concerns about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) aren't totally unfounded. Turning back the clock on genetic research isn't going to happen, but we should also keep an eye on what's going on.

• Dupont and Caribou Biosciences are working on CRISPR technology to modify the genes of food crops, predicting that CRIPSR GMO foods will be on dinner plates by 2020. Genetically modified corn and wheat plants are already being grown in greenhouses, and many other plants are being tested, too: soybeans, rice, tomatoes, potatoes -- even allergy-free peanuts. The resulting plants have no genes from other species, so it may be much easier to avoid GMO regulations with these kind of gene-edited crops. [url]
• Yum yum. A succulent red marine algae called dulse looks like translucent red lettuce, is high in protein, and tastes like bacon when cooked. This strain of dulse is patented, but the claims don't mention its bacon-y goodness. So get back in the lab and start creating more bacon-flavored species, already! [url]
• Many scientists are hard pressed to find the harm in creating genetically modified organisms -- because genes are genes. However, there are still concerns with monoculture crops and creating a food supply chain that is dominated by a handful of companies. [url]

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Filed Under: algae, bacon, biotech, crispr, dulse, farming, food, food supply chain, genes, genetics, gmo, plants
Companies: caribou biosciences, dupont

DailyDirt: What's In Your... DNA?

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Biotechnology doesn't have quite the same milestones of progress as Moore's Law, but as we unravel how biology works, we're going to have incredibly powerful tools to change the world. Sure, we're going to need to figure out the ethical ramifications of a GATTACA-esque future where designer babies are possible and replicants/clones can be grown for replacement parts. But it might take a while still before we're engineering lifespans and curing the disease of aging.

• Remnants of an ancient virus have been found in human stem cells' DNA, and this kind of viral material was once considered "Junk DNA" -- but may actually play a critical role in human development. Apparently, human embryonic stem cells require certain bits of DNA to act like stem cells (ie. be pluripotent, able to turn into over 200 different kinds of cells in the human body) -- and those critical bits of DNA are from a retrovirus that infected our ancestors' DNA millions of years ago. [url]
• Chromosomal proteins are intertwined with DNA, and these proteins play a critical role in determining when DNA is triggered to do its job. It's still not completely known how these chromosomal proteins evolved, but changes in these proteins can cause harmful mutations and cancer -- as well as improved cell performance. Learning more about these proteins and how they interact with DNA could lead to a much better understanding of certain diseases -- and even more fundamental clues to how life has evolved. [url]
• CRISPR is an incredibly important biological tool, allowing scientists to edit DNA much more easily than ever before... and it's a tool that can be used to delete HIV from human DNA. HIV is a retrovirus (so it puts its own genetic information into a host's DNA), and being able to remove it from a living cell could someday provide a cure -- and lead to other effective treatments for various intractable viral infections. [url]

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Filed Under: biotech, cancer, chromosomal proteins, crispr, dna, genetics, junk dna, stem cells, viruses

DailyDirt: Creating A New Best Friend For Us...

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Dogs are often referred to as man's best friend, but it's not certain how this relationship developed in the first place. Did early humans purposefully domesticate dogs from their wild ancestors, or did we just stumble upon nearly tame dogs and develop a bond? Experiments such as the domesticated fox demonstrate that it's not too hard to tame certain animals in a relatively short period of time. Perhaps we're on the cusp of even more advanced domestication techniques, and hyper-intelligent parrots are just around the corner. GMO pets could be our next best friends.

• Micropigs are genetically modified pigs that were originally created to serve as a convenient animal model for studying human diseases, but they're just so darn cute that they'll be sold as pets, too. Pigs are naturally closer to human physiology than rats or mice, but growing full-size (~200 lb) mature pigs is a daunting task for a research lab. A micropig that's about the size of a small dog is a more efficient for studying -- and there just happens to be a market for people who want tiny pigs as pets. [url]
• Genetically engineered dogs are an obvious target for creating customized dogs for various purposes, as pets or police/military or hunting tools. Super-strong beagles may be the first genetically modified dog breed using CRISPR techniques, and the resulting dogs could start a germline editing revolution for a number of different animals... including our own offspring. [url]
• A hairless guinea pig was created in a Canadian lab in the mid-70s, and now, these "skinny pigs" are becoming a pet. The research variety is available from 1-800-LAB-RATS if you ever need to do some dermatological testing. [url]

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Filed Under: biotech, crispr, dogs, domesticated animals, gattaca, genetics, germline, gmo, lab rats, micropigs, pets, skinny pigs

DailyDirt: Growing Backup Organs

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Medical science has advanced quite a bit with organ transplants, but there's still the problem of matching donors and the "availability" of organs. Obviously, there are some ethical issues with buying/selling human organs, but getting organs from non-human mammals has its own set of problems, too. The engineering challenges are slowly being solved, and we might be able to grow backup organs in a few years. Maybe.

• Pigs have long been a leading candidate for growing replacement human organs, despite concerns over genetic differences, disease transmission and organ rejection. Still, researchers have edited over 60 genes in some pig embryos to make these animals more compatible in human transplant recipients. Don't go destroying your liver just yet, though; it'll be a while before these genetically engineered pigs are ready to donate their organs safely to people. [url]
• Primitive human kidneys have been grown from stem cells in a lab -- possibly leading to growing more mature kidneys for organ transplants someday. The "organoids" that have been grown so far have some, but not all, of the key features that a full kidney has. So this development is still pretty far from preventing people from needing dialysis, but it could be useful for studying how kidneys react to new drugs and help researchers understand how other complex organs might be grown from stem cells. [url]
• Xenotransplantation isn't a new idea, but getting organs from different species to avoid rejection is still a significant challenge. Genetically modified pigs have been used as organ donors for baboons with encouraging results: a baboon lived for 2.5 years with a pig heart implant, another baboon lived 4 months with a "life-sustaining" pig kidney. [url]

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Filed Under: biotech, crispr, gene editing, gmo, kidneys, medicine, organ transplant, organoids, stem cells, xenotransplantation

DailyDirt: Biotech's Own Exaflood?

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Studying biology takes time. Computer software/hardware has a Moore's law clockcycle that keeps things chugging along at a pretty good clip, but the biotech revolution is growing at a slightly slower pace. Sure, we've seen some cloning, genetically modified organisms and a wide variety of promising medical advances. Perhaps the biotech industry doesn't have an exponentially-growing metric to rally around, but solid progress is leading to an enormous amount of accumulated data, knowledge and possibilities.

• Gene editing technology may become an incredibly important tool, but if the entire field becomes bogged down in a patent thicket, people may die needlessly. Researchers have developed an alternative to CRISPR-Cas9 techniques, but the patent fights and commercialization rights surrounding gene editing techniques will likely continue. [url]
• The "telomerator" is a genetic tool that will allow researchers to study the yeast genome and genetics in general. Genetically engineered microorganisms will be easier to make and study -- and the resulting synthetic yeast genes can be designed to be better models for the biology of higher organisms, such as humans. [url]
• Genome sequencing creates a LOT of data -- even just for human genomes, not counting all the other species out there. By 2025, predictions estimate that a billion people could have their individual genomes sequenced, and all of this information is going to need to be stored somewhere (other than in our bodies), digitally. [url]

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Filed Under: biotech, crispr, gene editing, genome, genome sequencing, gmo, telomerator, yeast

DailyDirt: Breaking Bad... With Yeast?

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

We've mentioned before how yeast can produce a bunch of useful stuff, beyond bread and beer. Synthetic biology promises to give us engineered microorganisms that can make almost any specialty chemical or even some biofuels. Brewing medicine might not be too far away, and it might be incredibly difficult to control "controlled substances" in the very near future.

• Genetically modified yeast can produce opiates similar to morphine. And it looks like several other derivatives of potent painkillers can be made this way, too, possibly leading to ones that are less addictive or that have fewer side effects. [url]
• Other scientists have coaxed yeast into producing THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), one of the psychoactive compounds in marijuana. It's still pretty difficult to do, but presumably, it will get easier and more economical. And by then, we'll have THC-infused beer brewed and on tap. [url]
• Meanwhile, the FDA is proposing new rules to help distinguish copycat pharmaceuticals and biosimilar drugs. Adding four random letters to the end of a generic name medicine could reduce some confusion, but hopefully, in the end, everyone who needs critical drugs will get access to more affordable pharmaceuticals. [url]

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Filed Under: biology, biosimilar, biotech, drugs, fda, gmo, health, marijuana, medicine, microorganisms, morphine, opiates, painkillers, pharmaceuticals, synthetic biology, tetrahydrocannabinol, thc, yeast