Tag: cells

Harvard University uncovers DNA switch that controls genes for whole-body regeneration

Source: Posted By Wyatt – Nworeport

Humans may one day have the ability to regrow limbs after scientists at Harvard University uncovered the DNA switch that controls genes for whole-body regeneration.

Some animals can achieve extraordinary feats of repair, such as salamanders which grow back legs, or geckos which can shed their tails to escape predators and then form new ones in just two months.

Planarian worms, jellyfish, and sea anemones go even further, actually regenerating their entire bodies after being cut in half.

Now scientists have discovered that that in worms, a section of non-coding or ‘junk’ DNA controls the activation of a ‘master control gene’ called early growth response (EGR) which acts like a power switch, turning regeneration on or off.

“We were able to decrease the activity of this gene and we found that if you don’t have EGR, nothing happens,” said Dr Mansi Srivastava, Assistant Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University.

“The animals just can’t regenerate. All those downstream genes won’t turn on, so the other switches don’t work, and the whole house goes dark, basically.”

The studies were done in three-banded panther worms. Scientists found that during regeneration the tightly-packed DNA in their cells, starts to unfold, allowing new areas to activate.

But crucially humans also carry EGR, and produce it when cells are stressed and in need of repair, yet it does not seem to trigger large scale regeneration.

Scientists now think that it master gene is wired differently in humans to animals and are now trying to find a way to tweak its circuitry to reap its regenerative benefits.

Post doctoral student Andrew Gehrke of Harvard believes the answer lies in the area of non-coding DNA controlling the gene. Non-coding or junk DNA was once believed to do nothing, but in recent years scientists have realised is having a major impact.

“Only about two percent of the genome makes things like proteins,” added Mr Gehrke said. “We wanted to know: What is the other 98 percent of the genome doing during whole-body regeneration?

“I think we’ve only just scratched the surface. We’ve looked at some of these switches, but there’s a whole other aspect of how the genome is interacting on a larger scale, and all of that is important for turning genes on and off.”

Marine animals, such as the moon jellyfish, are masters of regeneration and some have been found to clone themselves after death.

In 2016, a Japanese scientist reported that three months after the death of his pet jellyfish, a sea anemone-like polyp rose out of the degraded body, and then astonishingly aged backwards, reverting to a younger state.

In the 1990s, scientists in Italy discovered that the Turritopsis dohrnii jellyfish switches back and forth from being a baby to an adult, resulting in its nickname, the immortal jellyfish.

Dr Srivastava added: “The question is: If humans can turn on EGR, and not only turn it on, but do it when our cells are injured, why can’t we regenerate?” added Dr Srivastava.

“It’s a very natural question to look at the natural world and think, if a gecko can do this why can’t I?

“The answer may be that if EGR is the power switch, we think the wiring is different. What EGR is talking to in human cells may be different than what it is talking to in the three-banded panther worm.”

The research was published in the journal Science.

Research shows that berries are one of the best ways to prevent cancer

(Natural News) Berries are a delicious and nutritious addition to any meal or beverage. Several studies suggest that these antioxidant-rich fruits also possess potent cancer-fighting properties. The science-backed benefits of berries According to scientific research, berries are rich in powerful antioxidants that protect cells from the damage that may cause cancer. Berries have positive effects on genes linked with inflammation…

Study: Following a choline-rich diet may offer transgenerational protection against Alzheimer’s disease

(Natural News) Nutrients are like instructions, building our cells and telling them how to operate and communicate. These instructions strengthen our genetics, communicating vitality and disease prevention. The lack of nutrition can cause deficiencies in our bodies, damaging cells and bringing the worst traits out of our genes. Research shows that these nutritional instructions can…

Gut bacteria compound may be a key component for fighting Type 2 diabetes

(Natural News) There is a force of nature residing within our bodies, a force that responds to threats, protects the blood, and assimilates vitamins from our food. We are in a relationship with this force. It coexists within our bodies. It influences us and we influence it. This force, comprised of trillions of friendly bacteria cells,…

Quercetin is a must-have before and after workouts: It protects red blood cells from damage

(Natural News) Exercise, especially when done regularly, is beneficial for both the body and the brain. However, there are cases where strenuous physical exercise can produce excessive reactive oxygen, otherwise known as oxidants. The body’s antioxidant defenses may be overwhelmed in this instance. Fortunately, researchers from the Foro Italico University of Rome found evidence that the regular…

Unique antioxidant ALA has a proven capability to regenerate organ tissue

(Natural News) Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is an antioxidant that has well-documented therapeutic effects. It has been proven to regenerate damaged and dying tissue of the liver and pancreas, and it also kills tumorous cells in those organs without harming healthy tissue. Developed by Dr. Burt Berkson, the curative compound is capable of restoring the liver to a healthy and…

Hydrogen Cars Struggle To Compete With Electric Vehicles

Authored by Vanand Meliksetian via Oilprice.com,

The electrification of most industrialized societies has taken off in a big way. In the EU and China government support such as regulations and subsidies are pushing automakers towards alternative technologies which don’t utilize fossil fuels as a source of energy. Also, in North America, despite Trump’s support for the fossil fuel industry, carmakers are embarking on the path of electrification with Elon Musk’s Tesla being one of the frontrunners. Virtually all big auto brands have several EV models planned for the coming years. Hydrogen, however, is not part of the hype.

The smallest and most abundant particle in the Universe has been branded as an alternative environmentally friendly technology compared to EVs. Hydrogen has several pros and cons regarding its application for transportation and energy storage purposes. However, the technology behind fuel cells, the technology used to power hydrogen cars, has failed to convince the wider public and consumers due to a simple reason: high costs.

Hydrogen, or H2 as it’s called in the world of science, can be produced by an environmentally friendly method called ‘hydrolysis’ or through the process of ‘reforming’ natural gas, which is the approach to produce 95 percent of the hydrogen on the market. A reason for hydrolysis’ low applicability is the massive amount of water required for its production. A fuel cell vehicle, FCV, requires 13 gallons of water for each mile. In general, the reforming of natural gas by creating a reaction with carbon dioxide under high-temperature steam is the cheapest and most efficient method. 

A common mistake about hydrogen is that it’s an energy source instead of an energy carrier. The latter requires an external source of energy to ‘split’ the H2O molecule, or water, into hydrogen and oxygen. Currently, the process is relatively inefficient leading to higher costs compared to alternatives such as EVs.

At the moment, only Toyota, Hyundai and Honda offer an FCV which has a higher price tag than other vehicles of comparable size and capabilities. In the U.S., on average, a fuel cell vehicle costs $60,000 which is more than EV models. The necessity of expensive metals including platinum, titanium and carbon fibers to produce the fuel cell and the hydrogen storage systems means higher prices. Also, the FCV currently offered on the market are not mass-produced. It means that significant cost reductions are possible in time if the necessary resources are invested in further research.

Inefficiency and high costs of hydrogen production are downsides of FCV. Hydrogen costs €10 for each kilogram in the EU and $14 in the U.S. which is sufficient for 100 kilometers or 62 miles. In contrast, EVs are much more efficient with ‘merely’ 31 percent loss of energy. In the case of FCV, the conversion, electrolysis and the converting of hydrogen into electricity requires a significant amount of energy which affects its efficiency.

(Click to enlarge)

Hydrogen-based technology has several methods of conversion and storage which affects the costs and efficiency of FCV.

Hydrogen can power a vehicle using an adjusted internal combustion engine or through a fuel cell. Also, the storage of hydrogen in either liquefied or compressed form affects the fuel’s efficiency (see below).

(Click to enlarge)

Furthermore, FCVs require an additional infrastructure to transport hydrogen to consumers. The system would resemble the traditional oil industry such as pipelines, storages, and refueling stations. EVs, however, require a far lower investment in transportation infrastructure due to the already existing electricity grid. Although the expansion of capacity could be needed, EVs have the added value that they can be used as batteries for smart grid appliances. 

The technology behind EVs is ripe to be used on a massive scale which has led to an impressive increase in sales with practically all significant automakers entering the market. However, the mass production of batteries could be a risk due to resource scarcity. FCVs don’t share the same issues, but instead, other challenges need to be overcome.

In the first place, the costs for producing hydrogen-powered vehicles need to decrease through mass-production and the substitution of expensive metals. Also, improving the efficiency of hydrogen production through environmentally friendly methods would strengthen the position of FCVs as an alternative to fossil fuel-based cars. The growing use of renewables and a promise by Japanese automakers to reduce costs could be the catalysts to propel FCVs as a competitor of EVs.

Researchers are stunned at the tremendous anticancer potential of turmeric

(Natural News) Turmeric has proven itself to be an outstanding candidate for the treatment of cancer. In a study by researchers from Guangdong Medical University and the University of Macau in China, this superfood showed potent anticancer properties against chemo-resistant cancer cells. Chemotherapy is one of the most commonly used conventional treatments for cancer. This drug-based approach aims to prevent…

Inside the NYPD’s Out-of-Control DNA Collection Practices

The NY Daily News reported, “DNA has unparalleled power to wrongly accuse. Genetic testing can now reveal a profile based on a few cells, and we shed hundreds of thousands of cells a day. Your DNA can show up in places you’ve never been.”

Pompeo: US Military Obligated to “Take Down” the Iranians in Venezuela

https://wactv-wp-content.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/2019/02/736d4c33-0e1b-465c-8406-d6eab73896da.png

(CD) — As a U.S.-backed effort to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro continues,U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said late Wednesday that Hezbollah “has active cells” in Venezuela—a claim that was immediately scrutinized and compared with the second Bush administration’s lies to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Hezbollah, a political and militant Shi’ite Muslim group based in Lebanon, has been on the U.S. State Department’s “Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations” list since 1997. In the interview with Fox Business, Pompeo, who previously served as President Donald Trump’s CIA director, also charged that Iran and Cuba are strongly influencing the country.

“The Cubans invaded Venezuela. The Cubans have been controlling the security apparatus, protecting Maduro, and destroying the way of life for the Venezuelan people for an awfully long time,” he said. “People don’t recognize that Hezbollah has active cells—the Iranians are impacting the people of Venezuela and throughout South America. We have an obligation to take down that risk for America.”

While scholars and some American lawmakers—even those critical of Maduro—have called for the U.S. to stop its anti-democratic meddling in Venezuela, the Trump administration has thrown its support behind self-declared “Interim President” Juan Guaidó, imposed economic sanctions, and repeatedly threatened military action if Maduro does not soon step down.

Pompeo’s latest claims on Wednesday were met with sarcasm, skepticism, and concern for how they may be used to justify further American intervention—including military action that hasn’t been authorized by Congress—in a country already enduring political and economic crises:

 

Pompeo Attempts to Link Iran, Hezbollah to Crisis in Venezuela

“People don’t recognize that Hezbollah has active cells — the Iranians are impacting the people of Venezuela and throughout South America. We have an obligation to take down that risk for America and [what we’ll talk about is] how we …

The post Pompeo Attempts to Link Iran, Hezbollah to Crisis in Venezuela appeared first on Global Research.

Former Tesla workers paint grim picture of Buffalo plant

Tesla is “building the plane as we’re flying it” they were told

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – A group of former Tesla workers in Buffalo are breaking their silence about problems they witnessed at the plant, including what they termed as “a lack of urgency” shown by management to improve operations.

In exclusive interviews with News 4 Investigates, former workers described a gloomy picture of the Tesla’s Gigafactory II plant in Buffalo, formally known as Solar City.

They said taxpayer-funded equipment constantly broke down that resulted in production goals never being met and a work atmosphere in which some employees spent more time on personal cell phones than their jobs.

When one of the former workers raised these concerns with management, he said he was told that Tesla is trying to “build the plane as we’re trying to fly it,” and that hiccups are part of being a start-up.

“It’s a wake-up call,” said Dale Witherell, who was among the 50 employees that Tesla laid off in Buffalo, part of a larger 7 percent reduction of its global workforce.

“I don’t know how Gigafactory II has been going on this long without any checks and balances or any government officials or politicians actually monitoring or watching and holding them to some standards.”

Tesla’s fourth quarter financial results back up some of the problems raised by the employees, as the solar side of Tesla continues to struggle and play second fiddle to the company’s electric cars.

CEO Elon Musk, again, delayed the production ramp up of the energy-producing Solar Roof made at the Buffalo factory. Tesla officials have said the delay has more to do with testing the Solar Roof for safety and durability that is comparable to conventional shingle roofs.

At the same time, Tesla recently unveiled to workers a new product it plans to manufacture in Buffalo, to which company officials declined to comment about.

The layoffs and the slow pace of the solar business come at a critical time for Tesla.

The plant at Riverbend in Buffalo was built and equipped with $750 million in taxpayer funds – the centerpiece of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Buffalo Billion initiative. As part of the deal, Tesla must employ 1,460 workers at the facility by April 2020 or face $41.2 million in state penalties.

Tesla and state officials have said the plant employs 800 workers – an even split between Tesla and Panasonic, which shares the facility.

But former workers dispute Tesla’s employment numbers.

A Tesla spokeswoman characterized some of the statements made by the former employees as untrue and said the company has always been upfront about the Solar Roof and its operations

“As we’ve said, Solar Roof is a product that needs to last decades, and therefore has a long development cycle, and we’ve been thoughtful and deliberate as we gradually ramped production,” the spokeswoman said.

“We understand that job cuts like those we announced two weeks ago are never easy, and we are grateful to everyone who departed for their contributions to Tesla’s mission.”

Sluggish solar

Tesla reported a 21 percent decrease in installed solar systems for the fourth quarter.

Company officials said in the quarterly update letter that transitioning the sales force to sell both cars and solar systems has been a challenge. For the second time, the ramp up of the Solar Roof got delayed.

“We plan to ramp up the production of Solar Roof with significantly improved manufacturing capabilities during 2019, based on the design iterations and testing underway,” Tesla stated in its quarterly update letter.

“In the meantime, we are continuing to install Solar Roofs at a slow pace to gather further learnings from our design changes, as well as about the viability of our installation processes by implementing them in areas around the U.S. that are experiencing inclement weather.”

The workers interviewed by News 4 said they saw the slow pace.

Both Witherell and Dennis Scott, another worker laid off in January, said the lack of discipline was unfamiliar to them based off of other workplaces.

For example, both said that employees would watch movies on their cell phones while on the clock.

“We’re paid for 12 hours to work, not watch movies,” Scott said.

Witherell added: “During my employment there, nothing improved during the entire employment as far as production.”

“Some weeks we produced enough solar modules for zero homes and probably the best I saw was maybe four homes in a week, so that is alarmingly scary to obviously be a part of a company who doesn’t have any sense of urgency to tackle these issues and get them working correctly,” Witherell said.

Scott said his experiences there have him questioning the massive state investment that Gov. Cuomo made on behalf of taxpayers.

“That $750 million could have been spread out a lot better to a lot of other companies to stay here in Buffalo than sinking it into one big company,” Scott said.

Tesla said these are the opinions of only a few of the hundreds of workers employed there and do not reflect what really happens inside the plant. Downtimes are planned for upgrades and maintenance, Tesla said, and sometimes new equipment needs to be installed that can slow down the assembly line.

The company said cell phone use is restricted to business purposes only and violators are held accountable by supervisors.

‘Dog and pony show’

In November, Tesla gave the media its first glimpse inside the Buffalo factory.

Employees described it as a “dog and pony” show that was planned by Tesla for over a month. They said Tesla had walls built to hide unused equipment and blocked off large areas.

The tour was an extremely controlled event, with the company picking employees to speak with reporters and not letting cameras inside. Footage recorded by Tesla was provided to television outlets like News 4.

“It was all fabricated for show,” Witherell said.

“There was no actual production that day so some of the teams in their specific area were instructed to make sure they looked busy and they actually were working on the same module over and over again.”

Around the time of the tour, Tesla and state officials announced that 800 people work at the plant; 400 by Tesla and 400 by Panasonic, which manufactures solar cells there.

Some workers disputed that Tesla employs 400 people.

“If you took all of our shifts, there are about 50 people, maybe 60 people at best per shift, there are four shifts,” Scott said.

“You do the math. Are you going to tell me there are 200 people up in the front office?”

News 4 Investigates requested through the Freedom of Information law the job numbers at Tesla’s Buffalo plant

After three months passed without any documents, News 4 appealed to the state. Only then did the state provide two sheets of paper that showed employment numbers by quarter for both Tesla and Panasonic, including workers employed elsewhere in the state by Tesla. The documents did not state how the state insures the job data is accurate.

But the data only showed job numbers for each quarter through the end of 2017, when Tesla employed 188 workers and Panasonic employed 279 workers at the facility.

When News 4 asked why the job numbers did not reflect what Tesla and the state had been reporting in late 2018, a state official said they did not have the data.

“Tesla is required to provide employee numbers annually (broken down by quarter).  The 2018 numbers will not be reported until early 2019,” said Patricia Bucklin, vice president of Administration for Fuller Management Corporation, by email.

Tesla refused to provide News 4 with the 2018 job data – information that is important because Tesla can face financial penalties for failing to meet job goals.

New product or the end nearing?

Tesla did post profits in the final two quarters of the year, which is the first time the 15-year-old company posted consecutive quarterly profits. Tesla also increased its cash on hand to $3.7 billion, which it needs to cover $920 million in debt due this March.

But Tesla still lost $1 billion for all of 2018, and its fourth-quarter profit was lower than what analysts had expected.

As a result, in January, the company laid off 7 percent of its global workforce, including at least 50 in Buffalo, to reduce costs at a time when it wants to boost production of both its Model 3 cars and its Solar Roof technology built in Buffalo. (Tesla never released the exact number of employees laid off in Buffalo.)

Sales of Tesla’s electric cars continue to drive its revenue, but Tesla has struggled to produce them fast enough to meet the demand. In addition, Musk has promised to produce an electric car for the masses at a $35,000 price point, but Tesla has failed to do so.

While Tesla releases a lot of details about its electric cars, the opposite can be said about the inner-workings of the Buffalo plant.

Musk did not mention the Buffalo solar plant during his Jan. 30 earnings call. Instead, he said the goals are to increase car sales by 50 percent and he teased the possibility of launching new models this year.

There was no mention of the potential of manufacturing a new product in Buffalo, but former Tesla employees said that managers in Buffalo recently showed off a new product. One described it as energy storage battery systems for utilities and commercial businesses.

“We came in for the start of one of our shifts about a month ago – it was some time in December – and the plant manager was there and unveiled a curtain over a large container,” Witherell said.

“He said the goal was in June to be having a line at Gigafactory II producing [the new product]. I believe they are trying to do whatever they can because of the failing solar modules.”

Tesla declined to comment on the new product.

Even with a potential new product line, the former Tesla workers doubt the company’s solar business will ever thrive. They said it was evident that the production of the electric cars trumps everything else.

“The state of the Gigafactory II is in, I believe, a spot where it can no longer recover from,” Witherell said.

“It’s a terrible loss for obviously the taxpayers of New York state and obviously the City of Buffalo.”

Antibiotics may STOP the growth of new brain cells, concludes study

(Natural News) Antibiotics have been heavily scrutinized for killing off the “good bacteria” that live in your gut, but it turns out bacteria aren’t the only thing antibiotics can kill. Now, recent research has found there is an even more alarming risk that comes with taking these allegedly innocuous drugs: They stop the growth of…

New U.S. Experiments Aim To Create Gene-Edited Human Embryos

Source: NPR

A scientist in New York is conducting experiments designed to modify DNA in human embryos as a step toward someday preventing inherited diseases, NPR has learned.

For now, the work is confined to a laboratory. But the research, if successful, would mark another step toward turning CRISPR, a powerful form of gene editing, into a tool for medical treatment.

A Chinese scientist sparked international outrage in November when he announced that he had used the same technique to create the world’s first gene-edited human babies. He said his goal was to protect them from infection with HIV, a claim that was criticized because there are safe, effective and far less controversial ways of achieving that goal.

In contrast, Dieter Egli, a developmental biologist at Columbia University, says he is conducting his experiments “for research purposes.” He wants to determine whether CRISPR can safely repair mutations in human embryos to prevent genetic diseases from being passed down for generations.

So far, Egli has stopped any modified embryos from developing beyond one day so he can study them.

“Right now we are not trying to make babies. None of these cells will go into the womb of a person,” he says.

But if the approach is successful, Egli would likely allow edited embryos to develop further to continue his research.

Egli hopes doctors will someday be able edit embryonic human DNA to prevent many congenital illnesses, such as Tay-Sachs disease, cystic fibrosis and Huntington’s disease.

In the lab, Egli is trying to fix one of the genetic defects that cause retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited form of blindness. If it works, the hope is that the approach could help blind people carrying the mutation have genetically related children whose vision is normal.

Egli is attempting to fix one of the genetic defects that cause retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited form of blindness.

Rob Stein/NPR

“Preventing inherited forms of blindness would be wonderful — very important for affected families,” Egli says.

But that is likely to take years of additional research to demonstrate that the technique is both effective and safe.

Nevertheless, even this kind of basic research is controversial.

“This is really disturbing,” says Fyodor Urnov, associate director of the Altius Institute for Biomedical Sciences in Seattle. He worries such experiments could encourage more irresponsible scientists to misuse gene-editing technologies.

“As we’ve learned from the events in China, it is no longer a hypothetical that somebody will just go ahead and go rogue and do something dangerous, reckless, unethical,” Urnov says.

Egli’s research is reviewed in advance and overseen by a panel of other scientists and bioethicists at Columbia.

While the debate over research like Egli’s continues, the U.S. National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, the World Health Organization and others are trying to develop detailed standards for how scientists should safely and ethically edit human embryos.

Some bioethicists and scientists are calling for an explicit global moratorium on creating any more gene-edited babies. Others, like Urnov, would like to see a hiatus in even basic research.

The U.S. government prohibits the use of federal funding for research involving human embryos. But gene editing of human embryos can be done using private funding. The Food and Drug Administration is barred from considering any studies that would involve using genetically modified human embryos to create a pregnancy. But laws that govern the creation of genetically modified babies vary widely internationally.

Egli is well aware that his work may be controversial to some people. To try to be completely transparent about his experiments, Egli recently invited NPR to his laboratory for an exclusive look at his research.

“We can’t just do the editing and then hope everything goes right and implant that into a womb. That’s not responsible,” Egli says. “We have to first do the basic research studies to see what happens. That’s what we’re doing here.”

To show NPR what he is doing, early one morning Egli pushes open the door of a tiny windowless room on the sixth floor of one of Columbia’s research towers in Upper Manhattan. The lab is jammed with scientific equipment, including two microscopes.

Egli snaps on blue rubber gloves and opens a frosty metal cylinder holding frozen human eggs.

“I’m going to wear gloves because we want to keep things clean,” he tells me.

To begin his experiment, Egli starts the long, slow process of thawing the frozen human eggs that were donated for research. After several hours of careful work and waiting, Egli has readied 15 eggs for his experiment.

After setting up a large microscope, Egli slides a round glass dish under the lens. The dish contains sperm from a blind man who carries the mutation that Egli is trying to fix. It also holds the CRISPR gene-editing tool.

“I’m starting with just one egg,” he says as he gently places the first thawed egg into the dish.

“It’s a beautiful cell,” Egli says, pointing to a magnified image of the egg on a computer monitor. “I would say it’s one of the most beautiful cells.”

Egli maneuvers a tiny glass needle protruding into the side of the microscope dish toward one of the sperm. “So you can see a moving sperm over here,” he says. “Now I’m picking it up. The sperm is in the needle. Now I’m dipping it in the CRISPR tool.”

Once the sperm is inside the needle with the CRISPR gene-editing tool, Egli points the needle’s tip at the egg. “Oh no!” he exclaims with a sigh. “The sperm is swimming away.”

He searches the dish for the errant sperm.

“Oh, here it is,” he says as he pulls the sperm back into the needle.

Next, Egli gently pierces the egg with the needle. “The membrane is broken — breached. There we go,” Egli says as he injects the sperm and CRISPR tool into the egg. He breathes a sigh of relief.

Egli injects a human egg with a sperm carrying a genetic mutation that causes blindness and a CRISPR tool he hopes will fix the mutation.

Rob Stein/NPR

The idea is that CRISPR will slice out the mutation in the sperm, and the healthy DNA in the egg will serve as a template to repair the genetic mutation.

“Hopefully the CRISPR tool will cut the mutation and then the egg will replace that with a version that no longer causes disease,” Egli says. “The genome from the mother would be rescuing the mutant genome from the father.”

The approach was developed by scientists led by Shoukhrat Mitalipov of the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland.

Egli was initially skeptical of the Oregon group’s claims that they had used CRISPR for the first time to repair a mutation in human embryos this way. Egli’s research is aimed at trying to confirm that it works and how.

Mitalipov’s group is also continuing to study the technique to see whether it can safely fix several genetic mutations in human embryos, including one of the breast cancer genes.

For the next two hours, Egli painstakingly fertilizes and edits one egg after another. He has to overcome a variety of technical complications. At one point, the tip of the fragile needle unexpectedly breaks off at a crucial moment.

“There we go,” he says later, after the needle is replaced. “That one definitely worked. Beautiful.”

This work may be beautiful to Egli, but it makes critics very nervous.

“Anyone with a connection to the Internet will be able to download the recipe to make a designer baby,” Urnov says. “And then the question becomes: ‘What’s to prevent them from using it?’ As we learned in the past year: apparently nothing.”

So Urnov worries about any such research proceeding.

“We need to hit the pause button and keep it pressed until we understand how do we proceed in a way that minimizes the risk of people going rogue,” Urnov says.

Urnov and others argue society needs a much broader debate about whether there is a truly a compelling reason to ever try to make any more gene-edited babies. There are many other ways to prevent genetic diseases, they note.

“If we’ve learned anything from what’s happened in China, it’s that the urge to race ahead pushes science to shoot first and ask questions later,” says J. Benjamin Hurlbut, an associate professor of biology and society at Arizona State University. “But this is a domain where we should be asking questions first. And maybe never shooting. What’s the rush?”

That’s especially true when the prospect of creating gene-edited babies raises so many fraught ethical questions, including fears that it could eventually lead to the creation of “designer babies,” critics say.

“We don’t need to be mucking around with the genes of future children,” says Marcy Darnovsky, director of the Center for Genetics and Society, a watchdog group. “This could open the door to a world where people who were born genetically modified are thought to be superior to others, and we would have a society of people who are considered to be genetic haves and genetic have-nots.”

But many other scientists and bioethicists disagree.

“This is valid research, and I think it’s important research,” says R. Alta Charo, a bioethicist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. “It has value not only for the possible use in the future for some number of conditions that would involve a live birth, but it has value for basic understanding of embryology, basic understanding of development,” Charo says. “Of course I think we should be doing that research. Why wouldn’t you be doing that research?”

Many leading scientists agree.

“Is there value in doing that kind of research? I think there is,” agrees Jennifer Doudna, a biochemist at the University of California, Berkeley, who helped invent CRISPR. “Does it have to be carried out carefully and under the right regulatory guidelines? Of course. But I think there’s value in doing research like that.”

“I’d like to see the U.S. be involved and show leadership on how to do that responsibly rather than say we’re not going to have a seat at the table,” Doudna says.

Back in Egli’s lab, it’s now nearly 3 p.m., and he is wrapping up the day’s experiments.

“OK, that’s it. That’s the last one,” he says as he places back into storage the last of 14 eggs he managed to fertilize and hopefully edit. He will stop their development the next morning to see whether it worked.

Fight diabetes with dark chocolate: Compounds in cocoa found to help cells release more insulin

(Natural News) A study has discovered that specific compounds found in dark chocolate (particularly its cocoa content) can help fight diabetes. These compounds, known as epicatechin monomers, can aid the body release more insulin and respond to increased blood glucose better. The body needs the insulin hormone to control glucose, which is the blood sugar,…

Turmeric’s “Weight Loss Secret”: It Turns Bad Fat Good

by Sayer Ji, Green Med Info: A groundbreaking study published in Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry reveals that curcumin, a golden-hued compound in turmeric, may provide a unique solution for overweight individuals by altering the composition of fat cells in their bodies in favor of the calorie-burning type.  Obesity and overweight are global epidemics today, and are […]

The post Turmeric’s “Weight Loss Secret”: It Turns Bad Fat Good appeared first on SGT Report.

Magnesium can reduce your risk of Type 2 diabetes by 23%

(Natural News) Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body develops a resistance to the insulin that your body produces. This impairs the insulin’s ability to remove sugar from your blood and transfer it into your cells to be converted into energy. Research has found that a deficiency in magnesium is linked to a heightened risk of…

Blood Test Detects Rate of Brain Cell Death from Alzheimer’s Up to 16 Years Before Signs of Dementia

Scientists at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH) and the University Hospital Tübingen now show that a protein found in the blood can be used to precisely monitor disease progression long before first clinical signs appear.

When brain cells die, their remains can be detected in the blood. However, most proteins degrade too rapidly.

Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is resistant to breaking down in the blood. Scientists have shown that neurofilament accumulates in the blood long before the onset of clinical symptoms and it very sensitively reflects the course of Alzheimer’s disease and enables predictions on future developments.

Omens of dementia

Jucker and his colleagues monitored the development of neurofilament concentration in these individuals from year to year. Up to 16 years before the calculated onset of dementia symptoms, there were noticeable changes in the blood. “It is not the absolute neurofilament concentration, but its temporal evolution, which is meaningful and allows predictions about the future progression of the disease,” says Jucker. In fact, in further investigations, the scientists showed that changes in neurofilament concentration reflect neuronal degradation very accurately and allow predictions on how brain damage will develop. “We were able to predict loss of brain mass and cognitive changes that actually occurred two years later,” says Jucker.

Nature Medicine – Serum neurofilament dynamics predicts neurodegeneration and clinical progression in presymptomatic Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract

Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a promising fluid biomarker of disease progression for various cerebral proteopathies. Here we leverage the unique characteristics of the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network and ultrasensitive immunoassay technology to demonstrate that NfL levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (n = 187) and serum (n = 405) are correlated with one another and are elevated at the presymptomatic stages of familial Alzheimer’s disease. Longitudinal, within-person analysis of serum NfL dynamics (n = 196) confirmed this elevation and further revealed that the rate of change of serum NfL could discriminate mutation carriers from non-mutation carriers almost a decade earlier than cross-sectional absolute NfL levels (that is, 16.2 versus 6.8 years before the estimated symptom onset). Serum NfL rate of change peaked in participants converting from the presymptomatic to the symptomatic stage and was associated with cortical thinning assessed by magnetic resonance imaging, but less so with amyloid-β deposition or glucose metabolism (assessed by positron emission tomography). Serum NfL was predictive for both the rate of cortical thinning and cognitive changes assessed by the Mini–Mental State Examination and Logical Memory test. Thus, NfL dynamics in serum predict disease progression and brain neurodegeneration at the early presymptomatic stages of familial Alzheimer’s disease, which supports its potential utility as a clinically useful biomarker.

Mercedes-Benz to ramp up business with China auto suppliers

January 24, 2019

STUTTGART (Reuters) – Daimler AG will deepen partnerships with Chinese auto suppliers since they often lead United States and European rivals in key technologies for electric cars and connected vehicles, Mercedes-Benz executive Wilko Stark said on Thursday.

Stark, who is currently head of Procurement and Supplier Quality at Mercedes-Benz said the shift toward electric and connected cars has made it more dependent on battery cell chemistry and connected vehicles expertise from outside the company.

“We will think about partnerships in some areas. The role of partnerships as a whole will gain in importance,” Stark said during a news conference in Stuttgart to discuss the German carmaker’s procurement strategy.

Mercedes-Benz will rely more on its suppliers to take a leading role in the area of research and development as well as to identify cost-cutting potential through process optimization, Stark said.

“We will intensify scouting of Chinese suppliers. China is more advanced than the United States in many areas of digital innovation,” Stark said on Thursday.

“China will dramatically increase in importance,” Stark said referring to the raft of suppliers that Mercedes-Benz does business with.

China, a market where the luxury passenger car brand sold 674,125 cars last year, is setting the pace in terms of rolling out electric mobility and digital services like mobile phone-based payment systems, giving local suppliers an edge over European and United States competitors, Stark said.

“In the area of connectivity services, the Chinese are ahead of the Americans; we have no choice but to deepen our relationship with these suppliers,” he said, naming China’s Alibaba and Tencent as leading players.

Daimler is also thinking about a broader alliance on batteries in view of the challenge of trying to police potential ethical or human rights violations in mining of rare earth minerals – such as cobalt, which is often found in conflict zones, but is needed for electric car batteries.

“But there are no formal decisions in this area,” Stark added.

Mercedes is also scouting suppliers for innovations to see whether the German carmaker could make use of a more compact, lighter electric vehicle battery.

Stark noted that denser, cheaper batteries with shorter recharging times could also allow Mercedes to bring down the cost of electric cars closer to their equivalent combustion-engined variants.

“Overall volume and weight are as important as energy density,” Stark said, referring to battery cells.

By bundling orders for components for conventional and electric vehicles with the same supplier, Mercedes-Benz hopes to help its supplier base manage the transition between electric and non-electric cars.

Separately, Stark said the replacement of Carlos Ghosn as Renault chairman will have no impact on an alliance between Renault and Mercedes.

“We have a relatively stable cooperation and supply agreement with Renault-Nissan. This supply relationship is stable and will remain unchanged,” Stark said.

Renault on Thursday appointed Michelin boss Jean-Dominique Senard as its new chairman after Carlos Ghosn was forced to resign in the wake of a financial scandal that has rocked the French carmaker and its partner Nissan.

(Reporting by Edward Taylor; editing by Elaine Hardcastle and G Crosse)

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(Natural News) The absolute worst medical decision a parent of a newborn child can make is to allow doctors and nurses to severely compromise the immune system of their infant by injecting him or her with known neurotoxins, foreign proteins, and carcinogens like mercury, formaldehyde, monkey kidney cells, pig viruses, and genetically modified cells from…

This Chinese herb fights off infection by reducing oxidative stress in your body

(Natural News) Researchers from Guangxi University discovered that the Chinese medicinal plant Spatholobus suberectus Dunn can remedy viral infections through its antioxidant properties. Viruses are microorganisms that hijack host cells so that they can reproduce more of themselves. If the virus is pathogenic to the host, it could cause diseases brought about by cellular damage….

5 Easy Ways To Boost Your Immune System Naturally During Cold And Flu Season

This article was originally published by Sara Tipton at Tess Pennington’s ReadyNutrition.com

Tess is the author of The Prepper’s Blueprint: How To Survive ANY Disaster

Not everyone is on board with the flu shot once winter rolls around. If you are one of those who doesn’t want to get the shot, this guide is for you! It is possible to boost your immune system naturally and give your body the extra edge this cold and flu season without getting the controversial shot.

1. Cut Back On The Booze And Smoking

The first thing to do to get your body ready to fight off all those germs is to cut back on alcoholic drinks. Excessive consumption of alcohol impairs the immune system and increases vulnerability to lung infections. Consider cutting back or quitting smoking too if you enjoy this indulgence. Tobacco smoke undermines basic immune defenses and raises the risk of bronchitis and pneumonia in everyone including in those around you who breathe in the second-hand smoke. It’s been known to aggravate and increase the likelihood of middle ear infections in kids.

2. Eat More Citrus Fruits, Veggies, Nuts, and Seeds

You can also begin eating healthier. Even if dieting is not your thing, having a well-balanced and vitamin and mineral rich diet will benefit your body in several ways, including that much needed immune system boost. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, and try to get in healthier fats, such as seeds and nuts. On top of feeling better in general, add citrus fruits specifically. Fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, and lemons have high vitamin C content, and that’s one of the most powerful vitamins to boost when feeling ill.

3. Get Plenty Of Sleep

The next thing you should do is get enough sleep. Americans, in general, are chronically sleep deprived. But during those months when you need your body in tip-top condition in order to fight off those nasty germs. Your body needs sleep to fight off viruses. According to the Mayo Clinic, studies have shown that people who don’t get quality sleep or enough sleep are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus, such as a common cold virus. Lack of sleep can also affect how fast you recover if you do get sick. This is because while you sleep, your immune system releases proteins called cytokines, some of which help promote sleep. Certain cytokines need to increase when you have an infection or inflammation, or when you’re under stress. Sleep deprivation often decreases the production of these protective cytokines. In addition, infection-fighting antibodies and cells are reduced during periods in which when you don’t get enough sleep.

4. Get Some Sun!

Sunlight triggers the skin’s production of vitamin D. In the summer, a 10-15 minute exposure (minus sunscreen) is enough. However, above 42 degrees latitude (Boston) from November through February, sunlight is too weak and very few foods contain adequate levels of this essential vitamin. Low vitamin D levels correlate with a greater risk of respiratory infection. A 2010 study in kids showed that 1200 IU a day of supplemental vitamin D reduced the risk of influenza A.  This vitamin is essential to managing stress, which too much of can also impact your immune system.

5. Try An Immune-Boosting Bone Broth

According to Ready Nutrition, medical experts point out that broth helps to kick-start your immune system through the slow cooking process. The process of slowly simmering bones for up to a period of 24 hours causes the bones and ligaments to release healing compounds such as collagen, and essential amino acids such as proline, glycine, and glutamine.  These amino acids have the power to transform your health, heal your body, and calm your mind. Further, the minerals in the marrow help build blood cells, which is the healing mechanism in the body. When vegetables are added to the broth you’ll get an even more powerful immune boost! They release dense nutrients, antibiotic, and antiviral properties into the liquid.

For great recipes and how to make the best most effective bone broth, click here.

If you follow even a few of these easy and helpful tips you should be putting yourself on the path to having a strong immune system and giving your body the ability to fight off the common cold or the flu!

The Prepper's Blueprint

Tess Pennington is the author of The Prepper’s Blueprint, a comprehensive guide that uses real-life scenarios to help you prepare for any disaster. Because a crisis rarely stops with a triggering event the aftermath can spiral, having the capacity to cripple our normal ways of life. The well-rounded, multi-layered approach outlined in the Blueprint helps you make sense of a wide array of preparedness concepts through easily digestible action items and supply lists.

Tess is also the author of the highly rated Prepper’s Cookbook, which helps you to create a plan for stocking, organizing and maintaining a proper emergency food supply and includes over 300 recipes for nutritious, delicious, life-saving meals. 

Visit her website at ReadyNutrition.com for an extensive compilation of free information on preparedness, homesteading, and healthy living.

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