Sweat sensor gets the goods without resorting to needles or workouts
By Ben Coxworth
May 28, 2024
If you don't like getting needles or working out, this new medical wearable may be for you. It analyzes sweat instead of blood, and it doesn't require patients to generate that sweat by performing strenuous exercises.
First of all, there are already multiple skin-adhered patches which detect biomarker chemicals in the wearer's sweat. Concentrations of those chemicals in the sweat correlate to those in the bloodstream.
While these patches do provide a painless alternative to needle-drawn blood sampling, they require patients to work up a sweat by running on a treadmill or performing some other type of intense exercise. These activities typically must be performed in a clinic, plus not everyone can perform them – examples of such people include infants and individuals with limited mobility.
One alternative involves utilizing strap-on devices that stimulate the sweat glands to release sweat solely via the application of a mild electric current. These gadgets tend to be relatively large, complex and expensive, however, plus they must be applied and operated by trained personnel in a clinical setting.
The new wearable is claimed to combine the best aspects of both systems, without their drawbacks. It is being developed by scientists from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and Northwestern University in Illinois.
Tiny Fern Breaks the World Record for the Largest Genome of Any Organism by Eleanor Higgs (edited by Laura Simmons)
May 31, 2024
Introduction:
(IFL Science) The saying goes that good things come in small packages, and while the discovery of the world's largest genome in any organism is an incredible find, the reality is a little bit more complicated than that. The New Caledonian fork fern species Tmesipteris oblanceolate has a genome that when stretched out would be taller than Big Ben’s tower, and is now a three-time world record holder.
With more than 100 meters of DNA (328 feet), the tiny unassuming fork fern has the largest amount of DNA stored in the nucleus of any living organism on the planet. To put this into context, the human genome has 3.1 gigabase pairs, which would stretch out to around 2 meters (6.5 feet), while T. oblanceolate has 160.45. The fern has thereby taken the largest fern genome, the largest plant genome, and the largest genome world records.
While this may sound surprising for such a small plant, six of the top 10 largest genomes are held by plants. The previous title holder Paris japonica, a Japanese flowering plant, has a genome of 148.89 gigabase pairs, while in the animal kingdom the marbled lungfish (Protopterus aethiopicus) joined the party at 129.90 Gbp, with the salamander species the Neuse River waterdog (Necturus lewisi) at 117.47 gigabase pairs. These species have some of the largest genomes among animals, but they're far smaller than these plants.
Despite holding the world record, T. oblanceolata is actually at more of a disadvantage than its smaller-genomed compatriots. Having a big genome and lots of DNA requires big cells, meaning that the larger-genomed species are more likely to be slower growing and less efficient at photosynthesis.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have isolated human monoclonal antibodies against influenza B, a significant public health threat that disproportionately affects children, the elderly and other immunocompromised individuals.
Seasonal flu vaccines cover influenza B and the more common influenza A but do not stimulate the broadest possible range of immune responses against both viruses. In addition, people whose immune systems have been weakened by age or illness may not respond effectively to the flu shot.
Small-molecule drugs that block neuraminidase, a major surface glycoprotein of the influenza virus, can help treat early infection, but they provide limited benefit when the infection is more severe, and they are generally less effective in treating influenza B infections. Thus, another way to combat this virus is needed.
Top doctors warn shortage of NHS radiologists will rise to 40 per cent by 2028
12 hours ago
The shortages of NHS radiologists will rise from 30 to 40 per cent by 2028, top doctors have warned amid reports of worsening delays in patients getting life-saving treatment.
The drastic shortfall will paralyse the system if no action is taken to retain doctors and recruit more, The Royal College of Radiologists said.
In a new survey of doctors, nearly half - 47 per cent - of those working in cancer centres said they saw weekly delays last year– up from 28 per cent the year before.
Reported delays in radiotherapy are also worsening, with 43 per cent of clinicians reporting weekly delays in 2023 – up from 22 per cent in 2022.
The report comes as a new analysis from Cancer Research UK found more than 380,000 cancer patients have not been treated on time since 2015.
Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and international collaborators have led a worldwide, advanced study demonstrating the potential of tirzepatide, known to manage type 2 diabetes, as the first effective drug therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep-related disorder characterized by repeated episodes of irregular breathing due to complete or partial blockage of the upper airway.
The results, published in the June 21, 2024 online edition of New England Journal of Medicine, highlight the treatment's potential to improve the quality of life for millions around the world affected by OSA.
Engineered mRNA turns your body into a drug-making biofactory
By Paul McClure
July 05, 2024
Engineered mRNA has turned cells into tiny biofactories, producing medications to successfully treat an inflammatory skin condition and two types of cancer, according to a new study. The tech paves the way for therapies in which patients’ bodies make their own drugs.
Messenger RNA (mRNA) contains the instructions that direct a cell to make a specific protein using its built-in machinery. Many will be aware of mRNA because of its association with the COVID-19 vaccine. But mRNA has potential uses far beyond that, including as a gene-based treatment for a range of diseases.
A recently published study details one such use. Researchers from the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center have used engineered mRNA to prompt cells to secrete their own drugs to successfully treat psoriasis and cancer in mice.
Gavi, the International Vaccine Fund by Dylan Matthews
July 6, 2024
Introduction:
(Vox) I enjoy plenty of government services (my library, my bus, the mail) but if I had to pick an absolute favorite thing the US government does, it might be “fund Gavi.”
Gavi is the international body, funded by rich governments and philanthropies, that bankrolls and organizes the distribution of life-saving vaccines in the Global South. Countries become eligible if their gross national income per capita is under $1,810. That’s lower than you might think — a lot of countries that we consider quite poor, like Bangladesh or Kenya, are too rich to qualify for Gavi support. Those who get aid are the poorest of the poor: Haiti, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and so on.
You might have heard of Gavi when it was co-leading Covax, the less than fully successful international effort to make sure poor countries got access to Covid-19 vaccines. But its bread and butter is funding the kind of routine vaccines given to infants in rich countries as a matter of course, like the polio vaccine or the measles and rubella vaccines. Its work has saved millions of lives.
Gavi, like many international organizations, is funded on “replenishment cycles,” in which every few years the group asks rich countries to pledge to fund it for a set period (usually about three to five years). It is currently asking rich country donors for $9 billion to cover its budget from 2026 to 2030. A huge chunk of that, over $1.1 billion, is set to fund purchases of newly approved vaccines against malaria, a disease that kills over a thousand children a day, most of whom are in some of the world’s poorest countries. Such vaccines have only become available in the last couple years, and their existence makes the case for generous funding of Gavi that much stronger.
One interesting point made later into the article is the bipartisan nature of the support that Gavi receives from the U.S. government.
Researchers at UCSF and UC Davis have solved a long-standing puzzle on how the bones of breastfeeding women stay strong even as they lose calcium to milk.
A newly-discovered hormone that keeps the bones of breastfeeding women strong could also help bone fractures heal and treat osteoporosis in the broader population. Researchers at UC San Francisco and UC Davis showed that in mice, the hormone known as 'maternal brain hormone' (CCN3) increases bone density and strength.
Their results were published on July 10 in Nature.
Nathaniel Martin, Professor of biological chemistry, wondered what would happen if you took an antibiotic that has been known for 70 years and tried to improve it with the latest tools of modern chemistry. Turns out it can become up to a hundred times more potent and prevent the growth of some drug-resistant bacteria. His team's research is published in PNAS.
The name bacitracin might not sound familiar to everyone, but it's one of the most widely used antibiotics in the world. While not commonly used in the Netherlands, most households in North America have some form of bacitracin in their medicine cabinet. It's usually applied topically. Think of cream for a skinned knee that might get infected.
Martin always had a specific interest in bacitracin because it 'attacks' bacteria in a unique way compared to other types of antibiotics. It attaches itself to a specific part of the membranes of bacteria, on the outer layer of the cell. By doing so, bacitracin prevents bacteria from building their cell wall and thereby inhibits their growth
