Supercharged marrow transplant: Zebrafish reveal drugs that aid engraftment
Bone marrow transplantation, a.k.a. stem cell transplantation, can offer a cure for certain cancers, blood disorders, immune deficiencies and even metabolic disorders. But it’s a highly toxic procedure, especially when a closely matched marrow donor can’t be found. Using stem cells from umbilical cord blood banked after childbirth could open up many more matching possibilities, ... Read More about Supercharged marrow transplant: Zebrafish reveal drugs that aid engraftment
Gene therapy restores hearing in deaf mice
More than 70 different genes are known to cause deafness when mutated. Jeffrey Holt, PhD, envisions a day when patients with hearing loss have their genome sequenced and their hearing restored by gene therapy. A proof-of-principle study published today by the journal Science Translational Medicine takes a clear step in that direction, restoring hearing in deaf mice. “Our gene ... Read More about Gene therapy restores hearing in deaf mice
How our neutrophils might sabotage wound healing in diabetes
When you get a cut or a scrape, your body jumps into action, mobilizing a complicated array of cells and factors to stem bleeding, keep the wound bacteria-free and launch the healing process. For most of us, that process is complete in a couple of weeks. But for many people with type 1 and type ... Read More about How our neutrophils might sabotage wound healing in diabetes
Fruit flies’ love lives could clarify brain cells’ role in motivation
If you have children present, you might want to click out of this post. But if you want to understand motivation, you’ll want to know about the sexual behavior of fruit flies. In the brain, motivational states are nature’s way of matching our behaviors to our needs and priorities. But motivation can go awry, and ... Read More about Fruit flies’ love lives could clarify brain cells’ role in motivation
New Human Neuron Core to analyze ‘disease in a dish’
Last week was a good week for neuroscience. Boston Children’s Hospital received nearly $2.2 million from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) to create a Human Neuron Core. The facility will allow researchers at Boston Children’s and beyond to study neurodevelopmental, psychiatric and neurological disorders directly in living, functioning neurons made from patients with these ... Read More about New Human Neuron Core to analyze ‘disease in a dish’
A simpler way to measure complex biochemical interactions
Life teems with interactions. Proteins bind. Bonds form between atoms, and break. Enzymes cut. Drugs attach to cell receptors. DNA hybridizes. Those interactions make the processes of life work, and capturing them has led to many medical advances. “Determining which molecules interact, and measuring the strength of these interactions is fundamental for many areas of ... Read More about A simpler way to measure complex biochemical interactions
Genome editing: A CRISPR way to correct disease
Technology sometimes unfolds at a slow, measured pace and sometimes at lightning speed. Right now, we are witnessing what is arguably one of the fastest moving fields in biomedical science: a form of genome editing aptly known as CRISPR. CRISPR allows researchers to make very precise—some would say crisp—changes to the genomes of human cells ... Read More about Genome editing: A CRISPR way to correct disease
Stem cell medicine gets a “roadmap” and a quality assurance tool
If you’ve lost your way on the Boston subway, you need only consult a map to find the best route to your destination. Now stem cell engineers have a similar map to guide the making of cells and tissues for disease modeling, drug testing and regenerative medicine. It’s a computer algorithm known as CellNet. As ... Read More about Stem cell medicine gets a “roadmap” and a quality assurance tool
‘Heart on a chip’ suggests a surprising treatment for a rare genetic disease
It was the variability that intrigued pediatric cardiologist William Pu, MD, about his patient with heart failure. The boy suffered from a rare genetic mitochondrial disorder called Barth syndrome. While he ultimately needed a heart transplant, his heart function seemed to vary day-to-day, consistent with reports in the medical literature. “Often patients present in infancy with severe ... Read More about ‘Heart on a chip’ suggests a surprising treatment for a rare genetic disease
How things work: Scientists find cellular channels vital for hearing
Ending a 30-year search by scientists, researchers have identified two proteins in the inner ear that are critical for hearing, which, when damaged by genetic mutations, cause a form of delayed, progressive hearing loss. The proteins are essentially transducers: They form channels that convert mechanical sound waves entering the inner ear into electrical signals that ... Read More about How things work: Scientists find cellular channels vital for hearing