Sci-Ed Update 352
Flu triggers cancer, how foods spark anaphylaxis, why skin wrinkles, gut treatment for Parkinson's, parent-of-origin gene effects, reading A&P terms aloud, GLP-1 drugs reverse aging, cancer vaccine
Universal Cancer Breakthrough: mRNA Vaccine Makes Tumors Visible
In one of the most promising leaps in cancer research this decade, scientists at the University of Florida have unveiled an experimental mRNA cancer vaccine with the potential to fight nearly every type of cancer. Instead of relying on the toxic and often debilitating effects of chemotherapy or radiation, this new approach turns the patient’s own immune system into a precision-guided weapon—one that can seek out, attack, and remember cancer cells for years to come.
The vaccine works by triggering the production of type-I interferons—potent immune-signaling proteins naturally released during viral infections. These interferons send a danger signal across the body, forcing tumor cells to display PD-L1 and other molecular flags on their surface. Once exposed, these “unmasked” tumors can be targeted by the immune system’s killer T cells with unprecedented precision.
Read more→ AandP.info/4183ed
Ozempic really could turn back the clock on your biological age
The type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic has been linked to slower rates of ageing, and now we have good-quality evidence that this really does occur.
GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, both of which contain the medication semaglutide, have gained huge prominence for their effects on obesity, but are also being explored for conditions such as cardiovascular disease, addiction and dementia.
Scientists have previously suggested that they might delay biological ageing – the rate at which cells age – largely based on animal studies and observational human data. Now, we have the first clinical trial results providing direct evidence of that, says Varun Dwaraka at diagnostics company TruDiagnostic in Lexington, Kentucky.
Read more→ AandP.info/521681
Reading A&P Terms Out Loud Helps Reading Comprehension
In this episode, I talk about how simply reading A&P terms out loud—not just in our heads—can make a real difference in both reading speed and comprehension.
Saying those complex words primes our brains to recognize them faster and more accurately while reading and listening to lectures, discussions, and tutorials—all of which can help our students wade through the dense vocabulary of anatomy and physiology.
I also share a quick update on the revised number of human protein-coding genes (now just over 21,000), point you toward a free Brain Facts primer from the Society for Neuroscience, and give my usual friendly nudge to help spread the word about TAPP Radio (theapprofessor.org).
To listen to this episode, click on the play button above ⏵ (if present) or this link→ theAPprofessor.org/podcast-episode-20.html
These genes can have the opposite effects depending on which parent they came from
The effect of a gene can vary greatly — and sometimes be the complete opposite — depending on whether it is inherited from the mother or the father. Some genetic variants can, for instance, increase a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes when inherited from the father, but lower it when inherited from the mother. But such effects have been challenging to unpick owing to gaps in genomic data. A study published in Nature this week describes a statistical method used to identify at least 30 parent-of-origin effects1 in 14 genes.
When a child is conceived, it inherits two copies of almost every gene — one from each parent — and both are generally turned either on or off. But in some regions of the genome, one copy can be turned on, or expressed, while the other is silenced. This can lead to ‘imprinting’ disorders such as Prader-Willi syndrome, which is usually caused by a missing or non-functional paternal copy of the UBE3A gene on chromosome 15. In contrast, a missing or non-functional maternal copy can cause Angelman syndrome.
Researchers have for decades suggested that the silencing of certain genes is driven by an evolutionary conflict between maternal and parental origin. For instance, the expression of paternal genes would promote the growth of offspring during pregnancy, but that would come at the cost of the mother’s resources. By contrast, the expression of maternal genes would help to conserve the mother’s resources so that she can have more children at the expense of her current offspring’s growth. But studying how parent-of-origin variants affect human traits is difficult because researchers usually need genomic data from a person and their parents, which are not often available…
To avoid the need for parental genomic data, a research team in Europe and the United States developed a statistical method that can infer the parent of origin for genetic variants using genomic data that are available from any relatives.
Read more→ AandP.info/7ab55d
Parkinson's Link to Gut Bacteria Hints at an Unexpected, Simple Treatment
Researchers have suspected for some time that the link between our gut and brain plays a role in the onset of Parkinson's disease.
A recent study identified gut microbes likely to be involved and linked them with decreased riboflavin ( vitamin B2) and biotin (vitamin B7), suggesting an unexpectedly simple treatment that may help: B vitamins.
"Supplementation therapy targeting riboflavin and biotin holds promise as a potential therapeutic avenue for alleviating PD symptoms and slowing disease progression," Nagoya University medical researcher Hiroshi Nishiwaki said when the study was published in May 2024.
Read more→ AandP.info/4d65cc
Scientists Finally Explain Why Your Skin Wrinkles As You Age
Those 'crow's feet' at the corners of your eyes really do deserve to be called laughter lines, according to a recent study by researchers from Binghamton University in New York.
Using skin samples from people aged 16 to 91, the team confirmed the repeated stretching and releasing of skin in one direction strains the aged tissue in a way that leads to wrinkles in a similar fashion to the wearing of creases into your favorite pair of denim jeans.
"This is no longer just a theory," says biomedical engineer Guy German. "We now have hard experimental evidence showing the physical mechanism behind aging."
Read more→ AandP.info/5fccbb
New clues emerge on how foods spark anaphylaxis
Severe allergic reactions can be swift and deadly. Two new studies of mice, published August 7 in Science, reveal a key step in this terrifying cascade. What’s more, these findings hint at a drug to prevent it.
Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction commonly triggered by insect stings, medications and foods such as peanuts or eggs. After exposure to the allergen, a person’s immune system can overreact, leading to swelling, trouble breathing and dangerously low blood pressure.
Once underway, these extreme reactions can be stopped with epinephrine, administered either as an injection or, as of 2024, a nasal spray. This hormone helps open airways and shrink blood vessels, among other actions. But it doesn’t always work.
“Epinephrine only treats anaphylaxis once it has already occurred,” says immunologist Tamara Haque of Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. “We need treatments to prevent this severe reaction before it starts.”
By studying mice that develop signs of anaphylaxis after repeated exposure to food allergens, the new studies identified a key signal in the gut that kicks off anaphylaxis — molecules known as leukotrienes.
Read more→ AandP.info/c6bc79
‘Sleeping’ cancer cells in the lungs can be roused by COVID and flu
Hidden in the lungs of some breast cancer survivors are tumour cells that can remain dormant for decades — until they one day trigger a relapse. Now, experiments in mice show that these rogue cells can be roused from their slumber by common respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19 or the flu.
The findings, published in Nature on 30 July1, seem to extend to humans too: data from thousands of people show that infection with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is linked with a nearly twofold increase in cancer-related death, possibly helping to explain why cancer death rates increased early during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The results are “really quite dramatic”, says James DeGregori, a cancer biologist at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, and an author of the study. “Respiratory-virus infections didn’t just awaken the cells,” he says: they also caused them to proliferate, or multiply, “to enormous numbers”.
Read more→ AandP.info/c2d036