Dietary Supplement can Boost Older Adults' Brain

A nutritional supplement high in natural components and antioxidants can help boost the speed at which the brains of older adults process information.The nutritional supplement, containing extracts from blueberries and green tea combined with vitamin D3 and amino acids - including carnosine - is developed by researchers at the University of South Florida.

The researchers tested the supplement, named NT-020, in a clinical trial enrolling 105 healthy adults aged 65 to 85.

"After two months, test results showed modest improvements in two measures of cognitive processing speed for those taking NT-020 compared to those taking placebo," said professor Brent Small, school of aging studies, the University of South Florida.

"Processing speed is most often affected early on in the course of cognitive aging. Successful performance in processing tasks often underlines more complex cognitive outcomes, such as memory and verbal ability," Small added.

Blueberries, a major ingredient in the NT-020 formula, are rich in polyphenols, a type of antioxidant containing a polyphenolic, or natural phenol substructure, said the study published in the journal Rejuvenation Research.

Therapies to improve the cognitive health of older adults are critically important for lessening declines in mental performance as people age.

While physical activity and cognitive training are among the efforts aimed at preventing or delaying cognitive decline, dietary modifications and supplements have recently generated considerable interest.

"The basis for the use of polyphenol-rich nutritional supplements as a moderator of age-related cognitive decline is the age-related increase in oxidative stress and inflammation," said study co-principal and investigator Paula C. Bickford, professor at the university's Health Morsani College of Medicine.
 Source: University's Health Morsani College of Medicine.

Manipal University and Xerox Innovation Group to Test Remote-Sensing Healthcare Technologies

The technology is currently being tested out at the neonatal unit in Bangalore where doctors are able to analyze and detect any respiratory illness or other medical conditions in the infants without the need of attaching contact probes to the skin. The technology makes use of a camera whose lights penetrate the skin and the information is captures and converted into health indicators. With the process being absolutely safe for the patients, long observation periods is possible and it also allows greater mobility to the patients. "Our partnership with Manipal University Hospital is helping us move the technology closer to reality. This research can have great implications for the future of healthcare and telemedicine in the country. As Xerox conducts research in the area of healthcare, not only are Xerox scientists learning about anatomy and physiology but also gaining knowledge in the medical field by interacting with medical practitioners. We appreciate Manipal University Hospital's cooperation with us to partner, learn and conduct research with real patients", the vice president of Xerox Corp and Director of Xerox Research Centre in India, Dr Manish Gupta said.

 Source:MU

New Stem Cell Information from Bundles of Nerves and Arteries

Interaction of bundles of nerves and arteries with stem cells uncovered showcasing revolutionary techniques for following the cells as they function in living animals, in a study by Ostrow School of Dentistry.

 Principal investigator Yang Chai, director of the Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology at the Ostrow School of Dentistry, and research associate Hu Zhao authored the article, which appears February 6, 2014 in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

The study focused on neurovascular bundles (NVB) - groupings of nerves and blood vessels intertwined throughout the body - and their interactions with mesenchymal stem cells, or MSC. The team specifically examined how the cells operated in the incisors of mice; those teeth continually regrow over a mouse's lifespan, indicating that stem cells are present.

Typically, MSC are studied in vitro, or harvested from animals and examined outside of their natural environment. However, Chai and his team used a different molecular marker to highlight the cells' expression of the protein Gli1 and follow MSC in living mice. They discovered that the bundles are rich in stem cells - including MSC that wouldn't have been detected using conventional markers and techniques.

It turns out that this newly uncovered population of MSC helps maintain a normal cellular environment, while stem cells normally detected by the more well-known markers focus on injury repair, Chai said.

"We have basically developed a system in which we can follow MSC in their natural environment and see how they contribute to homeostasis," he said.

The study revealed that the MSC populations within NVB are located around arterioles, or small arteries that branch off to bring blood to tissues. Sensory nerves within the bundles secrete a protein called Shh to regulate the stem cells, demonstrating a practical reason for the bundling of the nerves and blood vessels. Such bundles are a ubiquitous anatomical feature and are found in every organ in humans, Chai said.

The study not only highlights the need to cast a wider net in order to identify all stem cells but also emphasizes the need to understand the environment around the cells, he added.

"This study has great implications for tissue regeneration in general," Chai said. "If you want to regenerate tissue, you have to not only provide stem cells but also the proper neighborhood for them to carry out their function." 

Source:e journal Cell Stem Cell.

Histones may Hold the Key to the Generation of Totipotent Stem Cells: Study

A pair of histone proteins that enhance the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells may be the key to generating induced totipotent stem cells, say researchers.

Differentiated cells can be coaxed into returning to a stem-like pluripotent state either by artificially inducing the expression of four factors called the Yamanaka factors, or as recently shown by shocking them with sublethal stress, such as low pH or pressure. However, attempts to create totipotent stem cells capable of giving rise to a fully formed organism, from differentiated cells, have failed.

The study, published today in the journal Cell Stem Cell and led by Dr. Shunsuke Ishii from RIKEN, sought to identify the molecule in the mammalian oocyte that induces the complete reprograming of the genome leading to the generation of totipotent embryonic stem cells. This is the mechanism underlying normal fertilization, as well as the cloning technique called Somatic-Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT).

SCNT has been used successfully to clone various species of mammals, but the technique has serious limitations and its use on human cells has been controversial for ethical reasons.

Ishii and his team chose to focus on two histone variants named TH2A and TH2B, known to be specific to the testes where they bind tightly to DNA and affect gene expression.

The study demonstrates that, when added to the Yamanaka cocktail to reprogram mouse fibroblasts, the duo TH2A/TH2B increases the efficiency of iPSC cell generation about twentyfold and the speed of the process two- to threefold. And TH2A and TH2B function as substitutes for two of the Yamanaka factors (Sox2 and c-Myc).

 Source:journal Cell Stem Cell

 

Scientists Identify Protein That Promotes Repair of Damaged Brain Tissue in Multiple Sclerosis

'Potentially novel therapeutic target' to reduce the rate of deterioration and to promote growth of brain cells damaged by multiple sclerosis (MS) has been discovered by a team of researchers.

Vittorio Gallo, PhD, Director of the Center for Neuroscience Research at Children's National Health System, and other researchers have found a "potentially novel therapeutic target" to reduce the rate of deterioration and to promote growth of brain cells damaged by multiple sclerosis (MS).

The brain produces new cells to repair the damage from MS years after symptoms appear. However, in most cases the cells are unable to complete the repair, as unknown factors limit this process.

In MS patients, brain inflammation in random patches, or lesions, leads to destruction of myelin, the fatty covering that insulates nerve cell fibers called axons in the brain, and aids in transmission of signals to other neurons.

Gallo reported identifying a small protein that can be targeted to promote repair of damaged tissue, with therapeutic potential. The molecule, Endothelin-1 (ET-1), is shown to inhibit repair of myelin.

The study demonstrates that blocking ET-1 pharmacologically or using a genetic approach could promote myelin repair.

"We demonstrate that ET-1 drastically reduces the rate of remyelination," Gallo said. As such, ET-1 is "potentially a therapeutic target to promote lesion repair in deymyelinated tissue." It could play a "crucial role in preventing normal myelination in MS and in other demyelinating diseases," the researcher added.

Source:The study was published in the journal Neuron.

 

Down Syndrome Detection During Pregnancy Increases in Younger Women

The proportion of Down syndrome cases diagnosed antenatally has increased considerably in younger women, figures from a new study revealed. Furthermore, Down syndrome diagnoses are occurring earlier in pregnancy for women of all ages. The NDSCR is the only national source of data on pre and postnatal diagnoses of Down, Patau and Edwards syndrome cases in England and Wales. The latest figures are captured in the new NDSCR Annual Report 2012.

Key findings from the report (all figures from 2012):

• There were 1,982 diagnoses of Down syndrome, 64% of which were made during pregnancy.
  
  
• There were an estimated 775 babies born with Down syndrome (an increase from 739 in 2011 and 734 in 2010).
  
  
• The proportion of women under 35 receiving a diagnosis of Down syndrome during pregnancy has increased from 54% in 2008 to 66% in 2012. The proportion for women 35 and over remained constant at 71% from 2008 to 2012.
  
  
• The proportion of women receiving a diagnoses of Down syndrome during pregnancy after screening in the first three months of pregnancy (first trimester) increased from 45% in 2008 to 77% in 2012 for women under 35 and from 68% in 2008 to 80% of 2012 for women 35 and over.
  
  
• The proportion of women having a termination after a diagnosis of Down syndrome during pregnancy has decreased from 92% in 1989-2010 to 90% in 2011-12.

The data also shows there were regional differences in the type of screening women were offered. In all the English regions the majority of women were diagnosed after first trimester screening (81%), compared to less than a third of women (31%) in Wales. These differences may arise not only due to service factors, but also maternal factors including age, social deprivation and cultural beliefs influencing the take up of screening and diagnostic tests.

Joan Morris, Professor of Medical Statistics at Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, comments:

"It is positive to see that antenatal screening for Down syndrome is improving, particularly for women under 35. We are now seeing Down syndrome being detected at an earlier stage of pregnancy for all women, usually within the first three months."

"It is very important that women are given the facts around Down syndrome and pregnancy as early as possible so they can make the right decision for their personal circumstances. We are now seeing more women choosing to continue with the pregnancy after receiving a diagnosis of Down syndrome during pregnancy."

 

 Source: NDSCR Annual Report 2012.

 

Cholesterol may Play a Pivotal Role in Hantavirus Infection

Viruses tend to quickly become resistant to anti-viral drugs as they mutate very fast. But viruses also depend on proteins and nutrients provided by their hosts, and therefore one strategy to identify new anti-viral drugs is to identify and target such host-cell components. A paper published on February 6th in PLOS Pathogens reports that proteins involved in the regulation of cholesterol are essential for hantavirus entry into human host cells. There are only about 30 known human cases of hantavirus infection in the US per year (with the 2012 cluster in Yosemite National Park a recent example), but hanta is among the most deadly known human viruses: between 30 and 40% of people who are diagnosed die from hantavirus pulmonary fever. People who have hantavirus are not contagious, transmission only occurs when humans breath in small particles that carry excrements from infected rodents.

Together with colleagues, Paul Bates and Kenneth Briley, from the University of Pennsylvania, USA, set out to identify factors and pathways in human cells that were important for hantavirus infection. They focused on a member of the hantavirus group called Andes virus (ANDV). For their experiments they used mostly less dangerous viruses that were genetically engineered to share some characteristics with ANDV, and then used ANDV itself to confirm that the results were true for hantavirus as well.

In two independent genetic screens (systematic searches), they identified four proteins that were involved in hantavirus infection, and all of them were part of a protein complex that regulates cholesterol production in mammalian cells. The scientists next tested whether an experimental drug that targets one of the four proteins could prevent viral entry. They found that treating cells that originated from human airways with this drug before exposing them to virus resembling hanta made the cells less susceptible to virus infection.

Since one of the effects of this experimental drug is that it lowers cholesterol levels in cells, the researchers asked whether statins, a well-known group of cholesterol-lowering drugs that are taken daily by millions of people around the world, could also protect against hantavirus infection. Indeed, pre-treatment of human cells with mevastatin (a member of the statin group that lowers cholesterol by mechanisms that do not involve the proteins they had identified in their screen) made them less susceptible to ANDV infection.

The researchers say "The sensitivity of ANDV to safe, effective cholesterol-lowering drugs may suggest new treatments for ANDV infection and pathogenesis." Moreover, as cellular cholesterol balance has been found to be important for a

  Source:Journal PLOS ONE