Health

Using neurons directly reprogrammed from tissues of stranded whales to assess brain health A research team of the Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES) of Ehime University, Japan succeeded for the first time in direct reprogramming of whale somatic cells to neuronal cells, and conducted a neurotoxicity test using these cells. Exposure to a metabolite (4′OH-CB72) of polychlorinated biphenyls, ubiquitous environmental pollutants, caused apoptosis in the reprogrammed neurons. Transcriptome analysis of 4′OH-CB72-treated whale neurons showed altered expressions of genes associated with oxidative phosphorylation, chromatin degradation, axonal transport, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Magnetic field could boost blood vessel growth to regenerate damaged tissue.

A subset of fibroblasts located in small foci of tissue on the edges of extensive scarring produce a protein that protects against cell aging.

A study showed braces that give our smiles a makeover could also transform oral microflora to a pre-gum disease state. Now scientists plan to use their findings to prevent this from happening.

Researchers have found a way to enhance radiation therapy using novel iodine nanoparticles.

Researchers from Osaka City University show the benefits of mixing alginic acid with calcium phosphate cement (CPC), a common bone replacement material, with in vitro and in vivo studies. The biopolymer is shown to improve the setting time and compressive strength of CPC, as well as help it acquire porosity – which allows cells to enter the defected area and grow new bone.

Our brain has no lymphatic system; however, it does have fluid flow, which is believed to play a role in removing waste from the brain. However, the fluid's point of origin and fluid flow is still unclear. The “multi-scale stable isotopes imaging” project in Hokkaido University aims to solve this mystery using advanced technology. “We would not have been able to perform this study without Hokkaido University’s MRI technology and the isotope microscope,” said the project’s PI, Professor Kohsuke Kudo of the Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine.

ARN's July newsletter features research about a promising treatment candidate to reverse dementia, a newly discovered climate pattern, using starch in tiny energy devices, exploring earth Earth ecosystems and the photo of the month.

Lonely older adults live at least three fewer years, in poorer health, and are less active than non-lonely peers, say ageing research experts.

Researchers analyze bone marrow-derived and peripheral blood-derived fibrin clots showing that the former contains more growth factors. They then show that bone marrow-derived fibrin clots can be used for meniscus suturing, even in the inner-most avascular regions, and with a 2-year post-operative follow-up, they show bone marrow-derived fibrin clots support healing better than their peripheral blood counterparts.

Japanese and Zambian scientists have shown that environmental lead poisoning in children affects not only their own health and wellbeing, but the vitality and mental health of their mothers, as well.

Researchers have identified a new treatment candidate that appears to not only halt neurodegenerative symptoms in mouse models of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, but also reverse the effects of the disorders. The treatment candidate has been declared safe by Japan’s governing board, and the researchers plan to begin clinical trials in humans in the next year.

A new non-invasive technique scans “chemical fingerprints” to see if ordinary cells’ reprogramming into stem cells is on track and verify transformation success by matching “print” patterns.

The inaugural virtual edition of Singapore Health and Biomedical Congress will be held on 7 & 8 October 2021. Register and submit abstracts now.

It is generally agreed that sperms “swim” by beating or rotating their soft tails. However, a research team led by scientists from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has discovered that ray sperms move by rotating both the tail and the head. The team further investigated the motion pattern and demonstrated it with a robot. Their study has expanded the knowledge on the microorganisms’ motion and provided inspiration for robot engineering design.

Productive ageing is an internationally clear direction of social policy development. A recent survey conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) of Lingnan University (LU) in Hong Kong confirmed that an age-friendly city framework would help to promote the productive engagement of older adults in Hong Kong. The research team recommended that the Hong Kong Government to enact policies and programmes improving intergenerational communication and interaction, promoting inclusivity to address ageism for positive engagement leading to healthy and productive ageing.

Urbanisation, technological advances, and increasing convenience in everyday life have restricted the amount of physical exercise most people engage in, resulting in a major public health concern. This persistent and growing health-related problem calls for an acute need to develop an intervention programme that can effectively promote physical activities, not only at individual level but also at the family, community, and citywide levels.

- CTCELLS Co., Ltd., Selected for '200 Baby Unicorns' Organized by MSS & KISED - Successfully Attracts 5 Billion Won Investment through Series A Investment Attraction

A signalling protein thought to be able to treat liver damage in paracetamol toxicity could actually worsen it. Instead, Singapore scientists discovered, blocking its effects could be the way forward.

This is an opinion piece by Associate Professor Dr Loh Siew Yim (Malaysia), Dr Gail Boniface (UK), Professor Sharon Britnell (Canada).

A team of scientists has shown that the healing of skin blisters is driven by hair follicle stem cells, which delay their own development in the process.

The chances of restoring fertility through sperm stem cell transplant are as random as a coin toss. But a team of scientists developed a new strategy that serves as a “weighted coin” that can favorably rig the odds to achieve outcomes where fertility is successfully restored.

Researchers from Osaka City University find that when the larva nematode C. elegans is fed a diet of Bacillus subtilis var. natto, a bacteria used to ferment soy beans into the traditional Japanese food natto, upon reaching adulthood these worms are able to survive infections from the gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis longer than when fed a standard diet of non-pathogenic E. coli.

High-resolution genome structural analyses combined with large-scale simulations show the arrangements of the genome’s spool-like structures affecting gene expression.

Researchers at The International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) have developed an algorithmic approach to predict progression of a condition called pterygium, which involves abnormal tissue growth across the eye.

The devastating Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011 displaced some 500,000 people to evacuation shelters. A research team that conducted regular visits to shelters to assess their status and inhabitants well-being have analyzed their data and found that about half of shelters had inadequate clean tap water and toilets, leading to worsening health outcomes for inhabitants.

Single-cell gene studies are clarifying the roles of the brain’s specialised immune cell in Alzheimer’s disease and offer new avenues for treatment of this incurable condition.

Scientists from Hokkaido University have discovered a novel defensive response to SARS-CoV-2 that involves the viral pattern recognition receptor RIG-I. Upregulating expression of this protein could strengthen the immune response in COPD patients.

Scientists from Hokkaido University have shown that an antigen-based test for quantifying SARS-CoV-2 in saliva samples is simple, rapid, and more conducive for mass-screening.

Dr. Kazuhiro Ohtani is a certified public psychologist and a lecturer at Hokkaido University’s Graduate School of Education. His main research interest is the academic motivations of Japanese students, especially adolescents. He believes that children in the age range of puberty are more prone to depression, which often leads to the loss of academic motivation.