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biology

Revolutionary Research: Creating Artificial Fetal Tissue from Amniotic Cells to Identify Causes of Congenital Malformations

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com March 4, 2024

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

Money Today Reporter Park Geon-hee | 2024.03.05 01:00

Research team at University College London, UK
Creating the small intestine, kidney, and lungs of the fetus by culturing cells obtained from the amniotic membrane at 16 to 34 weeks of pregnancy.
‘Fetal stem cells’, which have been subject to ethical debate, appear to be an alternative… Accelerating the identification of causes of congenital malformations

A research team at University College London, UK, succeeded in creating artificial fetal tissue using cells collected from the amniotic sac. He explained that through this, the cause of congenital malformations that occur in the second half of pregnancy can be identified. /Photo = Getty Image Bank They succeeded in artificially creating various organs such as the stomach, intestines, and lungs of a fetus using only cells collected from the amniotic membrane. This is the first time that organ tissue from a fetus in the second half of pregnancy, over 22 weeks old, has been created. It is expected to help reveal the causes of congenital deformities, which have been difficult to research due to ethical issues.

According to the National Health Insurance Corporation, last year’s birth rate in Korea hit an all-time low of 0.72, while the number of babies born with congenital deformities increased. A congenital deformity is a structural abnormality in the body from birth. Research is continuing to determine the cause of the deformity, but it has been difficult to pinpoint because of various genetic and environmental factors. There were also limitations in using organs obtained from actual fetuses.

On the 5th, the research team led by Paolo de Coppi, professor of pediatric surgery at University College London (UCL) in the UK, announced in the international academic journal ‘Nature Medicine’ that they had succeeded in creating artificial fetal tissue using cells collected from the amniotic membrane. Using this, the cause of congenital malformations that occur in the second half of pregnancy can be identified. Additionally, the use of fetal stem cells obtained through abortion can replace existing stem cell technology, which has caused ethical controversy.

The technology to create a human fetal model by culturing stem cells obtained from fetal tissue is fraught with ethical and legal issues. Depending on the country, abortion itself may be illegal, and there is no consensus on whether it is ethically appropriate to use fetal stem cells obtained through abortion for research. Even if stem cells obtained from the fetus are used, only fetal stem cells before the 22nd week of pregnancy can be obtained, so research on fetal development in late pregnancy has been limited.

Professor Kofi’s research team created artificial fetal tissue by culturing epithelial cells obtained from the amniotic membrane of pregnant women at 16 to 34 weeks of age. The amniotic sac is a thin membrane that surrounds the fetus and is filled with amniotic fluid. The research team analyzed the base sequence of the epithelial cells covering the inner surface of the amniotic membrane. Through this, epithelial cells that would grow into the fetus’s stomach, intestines, kidneys, and lungs were identified and cultured separately.

The cultured cells proliferated over two weeks and gradually formed a single tissue. The research team confirmed that the cells form the small intestine, kidney, and lung of the fetus, and that each organ has functional characteristics. This technology was then applied to create an artificial lung for a fetus with congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Congenital diaphragmatic hernia is a congenital disease in which an abnormality occurs in the diaphragm area and part of the stomach moves up into the chest above the diaphragm. As a result, it was confirmed that the symptoms of congenital diaphragmatic hernia appeared in the artificial lung.

An artificial organ (organoid) that functions similar to fetal tissue was created using cells collected from the amniotic membrane rather than an actual fetus. Using artificial organs, we can experiment with various treatments without taking the risk of touching the human body directly. Through this, there is the possibility of developing customized treatments tailored to diseases or physical characteristics.

The research team said, “We have now been able to create fetal organs without fetal stem cells obtained through abortion,” and added, “It will help resolve ethical issues and conduct research on fetal development in late pregnancy that has not been done so far.” The significance of the study was revealed.

A scene from a paper briefing conducted online by the research team, including Professor Paolo de Coppi and Dr. Mattia Gerli, on February 26th. /Photo=Nature Medicine

This is why an erection is worthwhile this morning – 2024-02-23 17:52:02

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com February 23, 2024

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

In a new study on mice, researchers from the Karolinska Institute got to the bottom of why frequent erections are good.

In a study conducted in Sweden, a previously unknown factor was found that enables erections.

Connective tissue cells, i.e. fibroblasts, form filamentous proteins in connective tissue. Researchers from Uppsala University and the Karolinska Institute discovered in a recent study why they are important for an erection.

– Fibroblasts are the most abundant cells in the penis of both mice and humans, but they have been ignored in the study, says the release Eduardo Guimareswho is a researcher at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at the Karolinska Institutet.

Fibroblasts regulate blood circulation in the penis, and that is what causes the penis to stiffen into an erection. The fibroblasts use the neurotransmitter noradrenaline, which in turn leads to the expansion of the blood vessels in the penis.

The study found that the number of penile fibroblasts was influenced by the number of erections. The more erections, the more fibroplasts. The more fibroplasts, the more erections.

Humans do not have a spermatic cord, unlike almost all other primates. Adobe Stock / AOP

Can mice and humans be compared in such a study? Senior researcher Christian Göritz underlines in the release that in this case mice and humans have significant similarities.

– Mammalian erections work in the same way in terms of anatomy and cell structure. However, there is one significant thing that separates humans from most mammals. Humans don’t have bone in their penis. It means that efficient circulation and its regulation is even more important in humans.

The study found that the older the mice were, the fewer fibroblasts they had. In humans, the number of erections also decreases with age. One reason may be a decrease in the number of fibroblasts.

Researchers think that the ability to maintain and get an erection could be trainable. It could even be compared to gym training.

However, this was not investigated in this study.

– This is completely speculative, but it is a completely reasonable interpretation that getting an erection becomes easier if there are more of them, Göritz says in the announcement.

Erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction, which is a common sexual problem in men, often increases with age and diseases.

The causes can vary from circulatory and nervous system diseases to psychological factors, side effects of medicines and unhealthy lifestyles.

As self-care measures, weight control, quitting smoking, increasing exercise and moderate alcohol consumption are useful. Alcohol does not treat erectile dysfunction by itself, but what is meant here is that alcohol consumption should be reduced to the level of moderate consumption – preferably completely without it. The risk consumption limit for alcohol consumption set for people over 65 is 2 doses at once or 7 doses per week. The high-risk limit for alcohol consumption among younger people is estimated to be 6–7 doses per day or 23–24 doses per week for men.

Considering professional help, such as sexual counseling or therapy, is advisable.

Medication can also help, either in the form of oral or topical preparations. They can be used to treat most erectile dysfunctions.

Source: Health Library, Alko.fi

Sources: Research bulletin, the study itself

Matter clarified 23.2.2024 at 11:56: Clarified what is meant by moderate use of alcohol.

#erection #worthwhile #morning

February 23, 2024 0 comments

World

Pacific Lamprey: Ancient Vertebrate with Unique Feeding Habits and Life Cycle

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com September 25, 2023

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

The Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) lives in freshwater or along the North Pacific coast from California to Alaska, and in the Bering Sea from Russia to Japan. Minnows feed on the blood and body fluids of other fish.

Pacific lampreys are special in that they belong to the oldest vertebrate group, the jawless. Today, there are about 40 species of lampreys around the world. These eel-like creatures lived in the currents of rivers and seas long before dinosaurs and even trees. They have survived at least four major mass extinctions.

The skeleton of the Pacific lamprey consists only of cartilage. Instead of a jaw, they have a funnel-shaped sucker with sharp teeth, which they use to tear through the skin of their victims and suck out their blood and other body fluids. As far as we know, lampreys do not eat fish flesh.

VIDEO: YOUR ANCIENT NEIGHBOR – THE PACIFIC ROCKER

Female lampreys tend to lay up to 200,000 eggs, which have an incubation period of three to four weeks in fresh water. Once the larvae have hatched, they burrow into the riverbed, where they remain for up to ten years. They then go to the ocean to feed, returning to freshwater rivers only after several years to spawn. Adult lampreys can reach a length of 84 centimeters and can swim hundreds of kilometers in search of a suitable spawning ground, Live Science reported.

Pacific lampreys are desirable prey for many species of birds, mammals and fish because of their thick blubber. Crayfish also play a very important role in freshwater and marine ecosystems.

2023-09-25 21:00:00
#Pacific #lamprey #blood #body #fluidsucking #parasite #survived #mass #extinctions

September 25, 2023 0 comments

World

Invasive Red Fire Ants Found in Europe: Threatening the Continent’s Ecosystems

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com September 13, 2023

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

Jakarta –

Red fire ants move towards Sicily, Italy. This is the first sighting of the invasive species in Europe. If these South American insects continue to spread like they have elsewhere, experts fear they could take over the entire continent.

Currently, the red fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) is the world’s fifth most expensive invasive species, causing billions of dollars in environmental damage in many countries.

As the name suggests, this species emits a venomous bite that feels burning. Because these insects gather in groups of more than half a million individuals, they can easily attack and overwhelm prey many times larger than themselves.

As ant colonies spread, they engulf plants and animals, invading and clearing land of wildlife. In Australia, this invasive species almost surpasses the environmental damage caused by feral cats, feral dogs, foxes, camels, rabbits and cane toads combined.

“S. invicta is one of the worst invasive species. It can spread very quickly,” said evolutionary biologist Mattia Menchetti from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Spain, quoted from Science Alert, Thursday (14/9/2023).

“Finding this species in Italy was a big surprise. But we knew a day like this would come,” he said.

Fire ants are similar to invasive weeds in that they spread most easily into areas already disturbed by humans. When humans drastically changed the face of the Earth, ants also followed in our footsteps.

For years, scientists have warned that the global spread of fire ants is inevitable. In the past century, this species has reached Mexico, the southern United States, China, Taiwan, Australia, the Caribbean, Japan, and the Philippines.

Most of these attacks, historically, appear to have originated in the southern United States. With the globalization of modern trade, experts say that fire ants have a greater opportunity to travel on products such as soil, seedling plants, hay or beehives around the world.

It only takes one tainted package to cause all that. Therefore, officials in Europe have attempted to intercept some red fire ant-contaminated products at borders for years.

But if these ants manage to pass through a harbor, they can spread for miles in a short time, flying with the wind or making rafts with their own bodies to float on rivers or flood waters. They could even travel underground.

“For decades, scientists have worried that fire ants would arrive in Europe. We couldn’t believe it when we saw them in person,” Menchetti said.

He and his colleagues first learned about red fire ants when they were sent photos of the species from Sicily. To see the ants directly, the team traveled to an area located near the city of Syracuse.

The researchers found 88 nests on a relatively small plot of land near a river, and the colony already included thousands of worker ants.

“How this species reached this location remains unclear. However, it appears that no large-scale landscaping or planting projects have been undertaken over recent years and it is highly unlikely that this was its first and only arrival point in the area,” the researchers wrote. .

“Proximity to one of the island’s main cargo ports, the port of Augusta (13 km to the north), may be relevant in this case,” they said.

Local residents say they have experienced fire ant stings since at least 2019, meaning the ants may have spread to other areas as well.

By comparing the genetics of Italian fire ants with those of fire ants elsewhere in the world, the researchers said it was most likely that the fire ants came from the US, China or Taiwan and made it to ports in Italy, before spreading to the mainland.

Researchers estimate that around 7% of mainland Europe had a climate suitable for these ‘invaders’, including half of Europe’s urban areas.

“This is particularly concerning because many cities, including London, Amsterdam and Rome, have large ports, which would allow the ants to spread rapidly to more countries and continents,” said biologist Roger Vila of the Institute of Evolutionary Biology.

Menchetti, Vila and their colleagues now plan to destroy as many fire ant nests as possible in Sicily. It is unknown how long they can keep the species from spreading further.

Watch the video “Chinese scientists discover new species while investigating water sources”

(rns/fay)

2023-09-13 22:44:46
#Horrified #Europe #starting #invaded #fire #ant #colonies

September 13, 2023 0 comments

Health

The Amazing Ability of the Liver to Regenerate: Discovering the Youthful Age of Human Liver Cells

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com July 2, 2023

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

Jakarta –

Liver or liver is known to have the ability to filter toxins. However, do you know that buying hearts also has amazing abilities?

This organ has the extraordinary ability to regenerate itself. This ability makes it younger than other organs.

But how young is the heart in the human body? Here’s the explanation quoted from the Science ABC page.

Determination of Liver Age

A molecular biologist, Olaf Bergmann of the Dresden University of Technology in Germany initially conducted studies on mice and found that their livers could live up to 400 days. However, this is not directly proportional to what happens in humans.

“If we want to know what happens in humans, we need to directly assess the age in human liver cells,” said Dr Olaf.

Until finally he peeked at research conducted in 2005 by Dr. Kirsty Spalding. He calculated the age of brain neurons using radiocarbon dating, which is being used in archeology as a new tool for calculating the age of human cells.

Radiocarbon is a type of carbon that forms in the atmosphere. This carbon will react with oxygen to form radioactive carbon dioxide which helps plants during the process of photosynthesis.

This carbon will be passed on to the animals that consume the plants. Once an animal or plant dies, the radioactive carbon in it will slowly decrease due to radioactive decay.

Archaeologists use this principle to determine the age of organic materials such as wood or bone. However, at that point it is not possible to specifically calculate the actual age of human cells.

Thus Dr. Kirsty added another method. It used the derivation of the extensive above-ground testing of nuclear weapons in the 1950-1960s. Initially, the test caused a spike in 14C (radiocarbon) levels in the environment.

So it is forbidden to use even in research. In 1963, there was an exponential decrease in 14C levels so Dr Kirsty used this decrease to correlate the 14C levels in human DNA.

This appears to have worked retrospectively in determining the age of cells in the human body. This step was also carried out by Dr. Olaf Bergmann.

Real Age

Not much different from Dr Kristy, Dr Olaf also initially calculated the age of the liver using retrospective radiocarbon dating. They compared the values and levels of radiocarbon in the atmosphere with tissue samples.

After that, the researchers also looked at 14C levels in human liver tissue in more than 50 individuals with an age range of 20-80 years. The results were found, when the average age of human liver cells is less than three years.

Through this research, Dr. Olaf Bergmann and his team became the first researchers to prove that the liver is the most youthful organ because it is able to renew itself. In addition, research has also found that liver cells can live up to 10 years.

The proportion of these cells will gradually increase as a person ages. However, further research is needed to understand the role of older cells in the liver.

Watch Video “Kominfo Blocks Sites and Social Media Groups Selling and Buying Organs on the Internet”

(nah/nah)

2023-07-02 10:00:25
#turns #human #heart #stay #young #age

July 2, 2023 0 comments

News

“Person crashes multiple cars in Saudi Arabia neighborhood caught on video”

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com May 14, 2023

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

Al-Marsad Newspaper: A video clip documented a person deliberately crashing a number of cars in a neighborhood in the Kingdom.

The video showed a person driving a car recklessly and hitting cars parked in front of houses on a public street.

And during the video, a number of young men from the neighborhood gathered, and tried to stop the driver and prevent him from hitting cars by throwing stones at him. Some women also stood in a daze, watching what was happening, until the driver left.

The video angered the pioneers of social networking sites, demanding his arrest as soon as possible.

2023-05-14 08:28:02
#car #driver #intentionally #hits #cars #neighborhood #runs #Witness #residents #reaction

May 14, 2023 0 comments

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biology

Revolutionary Research: Creating Artificial Fetal Tissue from Amniotic Cells to Identify Causes of Congenital Malformations

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This is why an erection is worthwhile this morning – 2024-02-23 17:52:02

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Erectile dysfunction

Pacific Lamprey: Ancient Vertebrate with Unique Feeding Habits and Life Cycle

Invasive Red Fire Ants Found in Europe: Threatening the Continent’s Ecosystems

The Amazing Ability of the Liver to Regenerate: Discovering the Youthful Age of Human Liver Cells

Determination of Liver Age

Real Age

“Person crashes multiple cars in Saudi Arabia neighborhood caught on video”