Genetic modification of human embryos successfully performed for the first time

A Swedish scientist named Fredrik Lanner was able to edit the DNA in healthy human embryos for the first time. Lanner is a developmental biologist at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm has been genetically modified the healthy human embryonic using the genetic engineering tools called CRISPR-Cas9.

Genetically altering human embryos could mean big things, for better or for worse. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1eMFkx)

He studied the embryos were modified during the first seven days and stopping the growth of its development in the past 14 days. In the initial two weeks, he crippling series of genes have been identified as a gene that plays an important role in normal embryonic development, hoping to help him learn more about the genes involved with infertility.

Theoretically, this research may help us better understand the role of genetics in the development of the embryo, so that it can be used to prevent certain diseases. However, some scientists are concerned, that the DNA editing could have dangerous consequences and could be at risk of entering the faulty gene into the human genome, then causing the new disease.

Fredrik Lanner (right) of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and his student Alvaro Plaza Reyes examine a magnified image of an human embryo that they used to attempt to create genetically modified healthy human embryos. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1eMGCp)

The chairman of the Center for Genetics and Society, Marcy Darnovsky also expressed her concern. According to her, the genetic modification of human embryos could bring a loss equal to the benefits.

"When genetically modifying human embryos, that means you change the genetics of all cells in the body of the fetus, future generations of humans. This change is permanent and irreversible, we do not know what would happen," said Darnovsky.

How the DNA editing technique works. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1eMGOO)

Nowadays, it seems there will not be much danger as feared by scientists. Because, to make genetically engineered babies is illegal in Sweden and the use of human embryos for any kind of research also is illegal in the United States.

Additionally, Lanner also agree that more research is needed before the experimental production of genetically modified babies done, to ensure that the Darnovsky concerns not be true.. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | MEDICAL DAILY]

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The first baby who was born with the DNA from 3 parents

Recently, scientists have announced the birth of the first baby in the world to have DNA from three parents through a controversial method. The five-month-old baby boy has the DNA from both his mother and father as well as a third bit of genetic code from an outside donor.

An embryologist works on a petri dish at a fertility clinic. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1eMQA6)

In a report published in the New Scientist, says that a baby boy was born five months ago in Mexico from the Jordanian spouses and is now in a state of good health.

Dr. John Zhang, an American fertility doctor go to Mexico to seek such births since the technique was still banned in the United States. It is known, that the mother of the baby has a fatal nervous system disease genes called Leigh Syndrome. Two previous baby died shortly after birth and the mother had miscarried four times.

Dr. John Zhang holds the baby. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1eMQv9)

Dr. Zhang throw out the DNA that causes the disease from the mother's DNA, and then inject the healthy donor DNA and then fertilize the egg with the father's sperm. Reportedly, Dr. Zhang to make a full presentation of the case in a medical meeting that will be held next month in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Federal health officials banned the technique in the United States because previous experiments lead to babies suffering from genetic abnormalities. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | NEW SCIENTIST |  VOA NEWS]

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Zika infection thought to be spreaded through the Tears

Zika virus can live in the eye and left its genetic material into tears. Thus the results of a study conducted by a team of researchers from the Faculty of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis. The study helps explain why some patients infected with Zika suffered eye diseases, including inflammation of the uvea which can cause permanent blindness.

"Our research shows that the eyes can be a host for Zika virus. We need to consider whether a patient is infected Zika had infectious virus in their eyes, and how long the virus was settled, "said Michael S. Diamond, one of the study's senior author.

The Aedes aegypti mosquito has been blamed for spreading Zika but scientists believe there must be another factor involved. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1dqVDX)

The researchers conducted experiments on mice to determine the effects Zika infection in the eye. As a result, they found live virus in the eyes of mice seven days later. These observations confirm that Zika virus can move into the eye.

Eye infection increases a person's chances of contracting infection through contact with water Zika eyes of patients Zika. The researchers found that mice infected tear containing RNA Zika Zika virus, but the virus was not found penginfeksi time of the test after 28 days the infected mice.

Zika virus infection in the eye increases a person's chances of contracting the infection through contact with the tears of the Zika patients. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1dqVWX)

"Although we did not find any live virus in mice tears, does not mean it can not be transmitted to humans," said Jonathan J. Miner, lead author of the study. Miner added: There may be a time when the tears can infect people who come into contact, and finally to transmit the virus.

In the eye, the immune system is less active than in other body parts. It aims to avoid accidental damage to the tissue that plays a role in vision when the immune system is fighting infection. When immunity is reduced, as a result, there is often a lag in the eye infection after cleaning of the whole body.

This visual abstract the findings of Miner et al., who describe how ZIKV infection in the eye results in inflammation and injury. ZIKV infected the iris, cornea, retina, and optic nerve and caused conjunctivitis, panuveitis, and neuroretinitis in mice. This manuscript establishes a model for evaluating treatments for ZIKV infections in the eye. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1dqVR9)

"We plan to conduct human studies to determine whether the virus is transmitted is in the cornea or other parts of the eye, because it can have an impact on corneal transplantation," said Rajendra S. Apte, a senior author of the study.

He said the research was important because viruses such as herpes also inadvertently transmitted through corneal transplantation. Researchers Zika now more expensive modes of transmission Zika because the virus is spreading more rapidly than expected. Besides mosquitoes, several factors may be contributing to its spread.

"Sexual transmission may not be the primary, but can other body fluids, such as saliva, urine or tears," said Diamond, who is an associate professor of molecular microbiology, pathology and immunology.

Infection Zika became the world's attention as it spread rapidly throughout the world and can cause brain damage and death of the fetus. About a third of the number of babies infected during pregnancy Zika suffered eye diseases such as inflammation of the optic nerve, retinal damage or blindness after birth. In adults, Zika can cause conjunctivitis-redness and itching eyes, and in rare cases, can cause inflammation of the uvea. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | SCIENCEDAILY | INDEPENDENT]

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New vaccine gene may give protection from Zika & Cancer

One new vaccine gene, which researchers say could be designed and developed in a week, can be adapted for the protection of a number of diseases, including Zika and possibly cancer.

Mosquitoes are one of the most common vector-borne, ranging from Zika to Malaria. And Zika cause birth defects in babies. The disease spread throughout America, from Brazil to Puerto Rico now reached the United States.

Scientists are racing to make a vaccine to fight the virus Zika. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1dY04S)

So far raised fierce competition to create a vaccine against Zika. Some of them are now entering clinical trials. A chemical engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Omar Khan hopes that his RNA vaccines will soon follow.

"Things such as Zika or Ebola outbreak recently, we were able to quickly respond within seven days. So where are hard pressed, and we need something safe, we were able to accomplish that," said Khan.

Vaccines that use the RNA messengers to stimulate the immune system. Researchers were able to direct directing these genetic materials of the virus or bacteria to fight any disease-causing organisms, and tied onto a single nanoparticle.

The ideas are old. But changing the vaccine into the cell is not easy, so the MIT researchers have designed it to be as small viruses being targeted. The researchers believe that they may be able to package the RNA vaccines against a number of other diseases.

"So, we are of course interested to know whether these vaccines can be used to treat patients with cancer or even for patients who may be at risk of developing certain cancers. Maybe we can give them the vaccine so that they will not get cancer later in life," says Daniel Anderson of MIT.

So far the new RNA vaccines tested in mice. The researchers have established the company to promote the versatile RNA vaccines when the vaccines are ready available for human. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | VOA NEWS]

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Researchers developed a small gadget for water sterilization

Naturally, the contaminated water is able to be sterilized by sunlight through the UV rays that kill bacteria within 48 hours to complete the process. However, a tiny gadget being developed by the researchers from Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory utilizes a wider spectrum of sunlight to speed up the sterilization process.

Researchers from Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory developed a small gadget for water sterilization. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1dSUtp)

"Our device looks like a little rectangular black glass," explains lead researcher Chong Liu of Stanford University. "We just dropped it into the water and put everything under the Sun, and the Sun did all the work."

The Sun's rays are moving electrons in the device using a molybdenum disulfide that is capable of creating a reaction in the water. Hydrogen peroxide and other disinfectants evolving from this reaction, which is able to work to clean the bacteria in the water.

"It really works. Our concern is to find ways to overcome the problem of pollution so that people can live better," said Liu. This technology is able to compete in the market, because molybdenum disulfide is very cheap to produce. Thus the process of sterilizing water with this tool will be more efficient and cheaper.  

Although promising, but this method does not eliminate chemical pollutants researcher and has only been tested on three strains of bacteria were mixed with less than one ounce of water in a laboratory. The next step is to test the device in real-world stew contaminants. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | SCOPE]

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What happens to Our brain when We sleep?

Why do humans spend a third of their time (8 hours per day) to sleep? Are we a lazy creatures? According to Christoph Nissen, a psychiatry of the University of Freiburg in Germany revealead that sleep is not just rest and not to waste time.

According to his research published in Nature Communications on Tuesday, August 23, 2016, sleep provide an opportunity to the brain to organize and precipitate memory and prevent signal saturation.

Scientists found that, deprived of rest, the brain’s neurons seemingly became over-connected and so muddled with electrical activity that new memories could not be properly laid down. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1dQOBp)

"This study shows us that sleep is a very active brain activity and not a waste of time. Sleep is needed to support good brain function," said Nissen.

Nissen's research results confirm that the hypothesis of synaptic homeostasis that put forward by Giulio Tononi, a professor of medicine and sleep from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2003.

According to this hypothesis, when awakened, the human brain neural networks are full of information that must be processed. The process of making the brain a signal saturation. Sleep helps the human brain to precipitate information and organize themselves so ready to be used again for the next day.

Sleep like the brain resetting. Just in one night, we vigil and sleep-deprived, the brain will be saturate the signal and less ready to receive and send new information. As a result, staying up would make people less poor concentration, difficulty reacting quickly, as well as difficult to save the new memory.

As quoted of The Guardian on Tuesday, August 23, 2016, Nissen derive conclusions about the benefits of sleep for the brain by examining the response of 11 men and 11 women aged between 19-25 years after enough sleep and late nights.

Nissen revealed that after late nights, the object of research had lower nerve signals to move muscles as well as the response of neurons that are also lower, a sign of trouble to save memory. These results open up new opportunities to overcome depression. Instead overcome by anti-depreasan, depression can be cured by sleeping.

In response to these findings, Tononi said that the study was "elegant and powerful" as well as confirming the view that as long as this can only be proven in animals. He also emphasized, "Sleep is important. One reason is that it allows the brain to learn new things, store and organize the existing memory." *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | THE GUARDIAN]

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