Towards a Universal Amyloid Strategy

Here is a dense scientific post from the SENS Foundation that might be better read back to front, starting with the research partnership announcement at the end. Some fraction of degenerative aging is caused by an accumulation of various forms of amyloids between cells, probably the best known of which is that involved in Alzheimer's disease. One goal for the Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS) approach to aging is to establish a general technology platform that can be used to remove any form of amyloid: "In late 2008, we reviewed then-unpublished work by Dr. Mark Pepys, who was working on an ambitious project anticipated to allow for the disaggregation of nearly all disease-associated amyloids. ... I am therefore delighted to have the privilege to be given permission [to] make the first public announcement that the Supercentenarian Research Foundation has recently helped to facilitate a collaboration between researchers already working in amyloid diseases, to develop antibodies to cleave aggregated wild-type and mutant transthyretin - the form responsible for senile cardiac amyloidosis (a prevalent, but not exclusive, cardiac amyloidosis in supercentenarians)."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.sens.org/node/831

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

Novel Immune Cells Kill Cancer

Via EurekAlert!: "A team of researchers has developed a method to produce cells that kill tumour cells in the lab and prevent tumours forming in mouse models of cancer. ... In this research, T cells were transformed into cells similar to another type, Natural Killer (NK) cells, which commonly act against viruses and cancer cells. ... We had shown that a gene called Bcl11b was essential for normal development of immune system cells - and of particular interest in the development of T cells. Here we can see the fruits of that work: we show, for the first time, that we can modify the developmental fate of immune system cells to produce a novel type that - if we can see the same effect in humans - could be of enormous value in cancer treatment. ... the Bcl11b gene was active only in T cells in the immune system and that its activity was needed at the earliest stages of production of T cells. When the team knocked out the Bcl11b gene, the mice produced no T cells. ... Remarkably, the mice lacking the Bcl11b gene produced a new type of immune system cell - the Induced T to Natural Killer cells. This is the first time we have seen these cells ... Even more important, we can see that these reprogrammed killer cells can attack cancer cells, whether in test tubes or in mouse models. ... The ITNK cells killed melanoma and lymphoma cells in experiment in test tubes and were much more efficient than unmodified Natural Killer cells in the mouse and in human."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-06/wtsi-mck061010.php

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

Patent application: Levels of Oct1 as a method of identifying CSCs

(WO2010065400) Cancer Biomarker and Methods of Using Thereof.

Excerpt from PCT Biblio. Data:

International Application No.: PCT/US2009/065742
Publication Date: 10.06.2010

Excerpt from Description:

Described herein are biomarkers which can be used for identifying a subject at risk for or evaluating the progression of cancer. In certain aspects, these biomarkers can be used to identify cancer stem cells. These biomarkers can include Octl or molecular variants thereof and downstream targets of Octl. In addition, described herein are methods for reducing the expression of these biomarkers associated with cancer.

What’s new in infectious diseases from UpToDate

- Brain MRI may be useful in patients with endocarditis. In one study including 53 patients, early use of cerebral MRI led to the reclassification from possible to definite IE in 30% of cases.

Figure 1. TEE shows AV Endocarditis in a patient with IVDA. There is a large vegetation on the aortic valve with 2-3+ AI (click to enlarge the image). Source: Double Hit – Right and Left-Sided Endocarditis in a Heroin Abuser.
- Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis was associated with a 50 percent reduction in deaths in patients starting antiretroviral therapy with CD4 counts lower than 200 cells.

- Universal influenza immunization: In 2010, the CDC expanded the recommendation for influenza vaccination to include all individuals 6 months of age and older. Previous guidelines recommended influenza vaccination for individuals over age 50 and for those at increased risk of influenza complications and close contacts of such individuals.

35% of UpToDate topics are updated every four months. The editors select a small number of the most important updates and share them via "What's new" page.

The page does not provide RSS feed for the different specialties. One solution is to copy/paste the URL address of each subspecialty page you are interested in the Google Reader "Add a subscription" field (top left corner). Google Reader will automatically create a RSS feed from this "feedless" page.

References:
What's new in infectious diseases. UpToDate, 2010.

Posted at Clinical Cases and Images. Stay updated and subscribe, follow us on Twitter and connect on Facebook.


Like Humans, Chimps Ape Their Betters

(HealthDay News) -- Just as humans tend to model their behavior after that of famous and admired individuals, chimpanzees also appear to copy the example of their older, higher-status cohorts, new research reveals.

The finding that chimpanzees share the human inclination to adopt new behaviors and problem-solve based on the influence of what anthropologists call "prestige" is new, and is the result of a collaborative investigation conducted by researchers at Emory University in Atlanta, the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and Beloit College, Wisc.

The authors published their findings in the May 20 issue of PLoS One.

Celebrities, politicians and community leaders are the figures of emulation for people. Previously, the practice of mimicking behavior in this way was thought to be uniquely human. Read more...

Immunice for Immune Support

El Paraiso is the Most Famous Beach in Tulum, Mexico

The small oceanfront town of Tulum, Mexico is perhaps most famous for its beaches, and none more so than El Paraiso Beach. The first thing I noticed about El Paraiso was its luxuriant swath of palm trees. Many of the beaches that stretch for miles on the Maya Riviera are all but devoid of shade, but at El Paraiso palms cluster thickly at the back of the beach and scatter toward the ocean, providing ample shade for the beach bar and restaurant, as well as for lounge chairs and mattresses that can be rented for the day.

Beach bars and shade palms back this lovely beach in Tulum

The next thing I noticed was the sand itself. Sugar fine, pure white, and always cool to the touch, it was the most gorgeous sand that I had ever seen. It was so perfect that I rubbed it all over my body several times that day. After rinsing off in the ocean my skin gleamed as if I’d paid for a pricey salt scrub exfoliation. And the ocean was pure bliss: gorgeous turquoise water so clear I could see every ripple on the bottom, gently lapping waves with an occasional larger wave that allowed me to body surfing back to shore, and a temperature just right – not warm like bathwater, but not the least bit chilly.

Magnificent white sand and turquoise water

Though I could have rented a lounge chair for about $5 per day; or a round vinyl-covered bed with a table, chairs and umbrella rent for about $15, I wanted to be near the shore and in touch with the sand, so I simply spread a beach towel and laid on the ground. Had I needed them, there were public showers and a bathroom in the restaurant behind the beach area. I opted not to eat at the restaurant because I’d had reports that it was not the best choice and the heavy beat music that blared from huge speakers at the bar would have intruded on my tranquility, but the music was enjoyable from my spot at the water’s edge and beach vendors kept me supplied with plastic glasses full of fresh peeled mangoes and pineapple.

El Paraiso Beach is also the site of Extreme Kite Boarding School. Located among the trees on the south end of the beach, this company offers lessons in kite boarding for those who crave more adventure than lounging on a beach for the entire day. As for me, I was content to watch fluffy clouds scud across the sky and seabirds glide gracefully on thermal updrafts while I munched on another strip of mango.

Photo Credit: Barbara Weibel
Article by Barbara Weibel of Hole In The Donut Travels

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