Gene Therapy Gets Under The Skin
Friday, June 26, 2009

Vaseline, a known molecule from apples and a gene network encapsulated in algal gelatin are the components of a possible gene therapy which literally gets under the skin. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. This English proverb now has a new meaning. Marc Gitzinger from the research group of Martin Fussenegger, Professor of Biotechnology and Bioengineering Science in the Department of Biosystems in Basle, has developed a prototype for gene therapy through the skin. An important part in this is played by phloretin, an antioxidant found in apples which makes cell walls more permeable and is used in cosmetics as an anti-wrinkle agent.
Capsules and cream:-
The method of administration sounds very simple: first implant a capsule with a particular gene under the skin and then apply skin cream in order to stimulate the gene into action, which finally expresses an active principle which is able to escape from the capsule in a precise dose.
Fussenegger’s group has managed to do something which sounds like science fiction. The researchers have produced alginate capsules with living cells containing a specially designed genetic network. This network produces the protein SEAP. The capsules were implanted under the skin of test mice which were then coated with an ointment. This skin cream consists of commercial milk fat mixed with phloretin according to a particular formula.
And it worked. Phloretin penetrated the skin, the gel capsules and the cells contained within. As hoped for by the researchers, the antioxidant from the apples reduced the production of protein. With a large dose of phloretin in the cream, the production of SEAP could be stopped altogether.
“When developing the principle we had no particular clinical picture in mind”, emphasised the ETH professor. “We were concentrating on the route of administration through the skin”. A genetic network such as this can also be designed in such a way that when activated correctly, insulin or growth factors are produced. The researcher can imagine that certain metabolic diseases might be treatable by this method. The D-BSSE scientists have already had the method patented and hope that the pharmaceutical industry will be interested in further developing this principle.
Liver spared:-
This form of gene therapy has several advantages, stressed the ETH professor. It puts no strain on the liver because it has a very local action and phloretin is a molecule which can be found in everyday foodstuffs and undergoes rapid degradation in the body. Furthermore, the network can be precisely controlled and the therapy is well tolerated by the liver, adds Fussenegger. The disadvantage of orally administered therapeutic agents is that the liver, as the detoxifying organ, destroys most of the active agent before it reaches the target site.
Fussenegger is also convinced that implants are well accepted by the public. Implants can be stored in the body for a relatively long time and are easily removed after the end of therapy or in the event of complications.
This new genetic network is a typical example of progress in synthetic biology. Researchers use known and well-characterised biological components to construct artificial networks which in turn are able to produce gene products such as specific proteins. Researchers can also use certain components to make biological switches which in turn allow such systems to be switched on or off.

Posted bySaini at 7:18 AM 0 comments  

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Michael Jackson died

Pop singer Michael Jackson died in Los Angeles. Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted "King of Pop" who emerged from childhood superstardom to become the entertainment world's most influential singer and dancer before his life and career deteriorated in a freakish series of scandals, died on Thursday, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. He was 50.
The person said Jackson died in a Los Angeles hospital. The person was not authorised to speak publicly and requested anonymity. The circumstances of his death were not immediately clear. Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a call at his Los Angeles home about 12:30 pm, Capt Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda told the newspaper.
Jackson's death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music's premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage. His 1982 album Thriller — which included the blockbuster hits Beat It, Billie Jean and Thriller — remains the biggest-selling album of all time, with more than 26 million copies.

Posted bySaini at 7:10 AM 0 comments  

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Britney in film
Thursday, June 25, 2009

Hot Britney Spears is reportedly in talks to star in a movie that involves time machines and concentration camps. The Womanizer singer has a new film project in development called The Yellow Star of Sophia and Eton, according to National Ledger.
The publication reports that Spears will play the lead role of Sophia LaMont, a woman who creates a time machine, travels back to World War II when she meets a Jewish man named Eton at a concentration camp, reports Contactmusic.
The two then fall in love and travel back to the present day with the intention of getting married, but they are both killed by Nazis. She is expected to begin work on the new film after she completes her Circus world tour.

Posted bySaini at 4:35 PM 0 comments  

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Nothing new in US stock
Wednesday, June 24, 2009

US Stocks ended mixed but little changed Tuesday, one day after a sell-off. Traders are looking for the central bank to outline its expectations for the economy and signal when it might raise interest rates. The Fed's two-day meeting ends Wednesday. According to preliminary calculations, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 16.10, or 0.2 percent, to 8,322.91. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 2.06, or 0.2 percent, to 895.10, and the Nasdaq composite index fell 1.27, or 0.1 percent, to 1,764.92. The Fed is widely expected to keep its key interest rate near zero, but investors are unsure how optimistic the policymakers will be in their economic assessment, and whether the central bank will consider raising rates later this year to curb inflation.
Meanwhile, the market was also following the week's $104 billion in Treasury auctions. The government sold $40 billion in debt Tuesday amid strong demand. Investors have been on edge during such auctions because any signs that a desire for government debt is waning could hit the market. Treasury demand needs to stay strong for the government to finance its bailout and stimulus programs without significantly raising yields. Bond yields affect borrowing rates for consumers. The recent selloff, however, has brought very little volatility, and that's a positive sign, said Scott Fullman, director of derivatives investment strategy for WJB Capital Group in New York. The biggest loser among the 30 Dow stocks was Boeing Co., which fell $3.03, or 6.5 percent, to $43.87 after again delaying the first test flight of its long-awaited 787 jetliner. The company said it needed to reinforce part of the aircraft to go up.

Posted bySaini at 11:13 AM 0 comments  

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Five policemen gang raped woman in Delhi
Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Deep angry protestersthrough stones on a police station here after a woman claimed that she was raped by an SHO and four other policemen inside its remises, prompting Delhi government to direct a women's commission to probe the matter. The woman's claims triggered protests in Inderpuri in south-west Delhi, where she resides, with a large crowd attacking and ransacking the police station. Although a case has not been registered so far , Delhi Police transferred the investigations to Crime Branch besides shifting Station House Officer Pradeep Kumar to Police Lines to ensure "free and fair probe". Police said the preliminary medical examination report of the woman suggested that she was not raped even as Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit directed the Delhi Women's Commission to probe the allegations. The woman alleged that she was taken to the police station yesterday by two policemen to enquire about her husband, whom the police said was a "local criminal involved in betting".
"They put me inside a lock up and started hurling abuses and thrashed me. Then they took me upstairs where the SHO and four other uniformed men raped me. I can recognise them by face," the woman told reporters. She claimed that she was sexually assaulted by the SHO and four others who later threatened her with dire consequences if she revealed the incident to anyone. After she was let off, the woman said in a police complaint, she informed her husband who took her to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital. The husband said the hospital authorities asked him to inform the police.
However, Delhi Police said that the preliminary medical examination report of the woman, who alleged that she was sexually assaulted by five policemen, suggested that she was not raped. "We have received the preliminary medical examination report. It says that there is no injury mark on the body of the victim," Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said. However, he said, the vaginal swab has been preserved and will be sent to the Forensic Laboratory in Rohini for further tests. "We are still awaiting the final report as the report from the forensic experts is needed to finalize the medical report," he said. SHO Pradeep Kumar had taken charge of the station on May 24.

Posted bySaini at 11:58 PM 0 comments  

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Super hottest couple

A poll was conducted by a website asking their members to vote for the Hottest Couples of Bollywood this year. The main ingredient of masala Hindi films is the love story and the on screen chemistry between the two. It becomes a big news when the on screen jodis becomes the off screen jodi too. We have so many couples but Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka has topped the poll as the best couple. The Kaminey co-star is buzzed of romancing each off screen too. Though both haven’t agreed about seeing each other but our eye candy (sources) from the industry has the entire story to say about them.
G Salman and Katrina stood on second position in the poll. Let it be on or off screen they both look in much love. At the end Salman ka dum hai then let it be Ash, Bijlani or Clauda for instance.
The sultry actress who was titled one of the sexiest and hottest female in Asia, Bipasha and the hottest lad with sexy butt John Abraham were the third to get the position. This is one of the favourite jodi of Bollywood and most promising couples and their persona on and off screen is just adored by the junta. Well the rest follows is the Saifu and Bebo’s jodi with much hyped made when they hit on each other initially. Alongside the blue eye guy Ranbir and the Om Shanti Om girl Deepika are also in the list of the hottest couples of Bollywood this year.

Posted bySaini at 11:40 PM 0 comments  

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DNA Template Could Explain Evolutionary Shifts
Monday, June 22, 2009

Rearrangements of all sizes in genomes, genes and exons can result from a glitch in DNA copying that occurs when the process stalls at a critical point and then shifts to a different genetic template, duplicating and even triplicating genes or just shuffling or deleting part of the code within them, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in a recent report in the journal Nature Genetics.
The report further elucidated the effect of the fork stalling and template switching mechanism involved in some forms of copy number variation. "I think this is going to make people think very hard about copy number variation with respect to genome evolution, gene evolution and exon shuffling," said Dr. James R. Lupski, vice chair of molecular and human genetics at BCM and senior author of the report. The mechanism not only represents a newly discovered method by which the genome generates copy number variation among genes, but it also demonstrates that copy number variation can occur at a different time in the life of a cell. DNA replication takes place as the cell is dividing and becoming two – a process known as mitosis.
Copy number variation involves structural changes in the human genome that result in the deletion of genes or parts of them or extra copies of genes. Often, this process is associated with disease or with evolution of the genome itself. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) exists as two complementary strands that remain together because of the attraction between nucleotides. A, or adenine, is always attracted to T, or thymine. C, or cytosine, is always attracted to G, or guanine. When a cell divides, it must reproduce its DNA so that each cell that results from the division has the same genetic code. That means it must replicate its DNA. During this process, an enzyme called a helicase separates the two strands, breaking the hydrogen bonds between the A – T and G – C base pairs. The two separating strands become the replication fork. On one strand, an enzyme called DNA polymerase reads the genetic material in the strand as a template and makes a strand of complementary DNA to pair to it. Again, the code is A to T and C to G. This process is continuous. On the lagging strand, the complementary strand is made in short, separated segments by a process that involves RNA and a series of enzymes.
Until the 1990s, researchers studying reasons for genetic mutations or changes looked at molecular "typos" in this process, tiny changes in the As, Ts, Cs or Gs called single nucleotide polymorphism . They changed the message of the gene. However, in the early 1990s, Lupski was one of the early champions of a newly discovered mechanism in which the structure of the DNA itself was grossly duplicated or deleted to change numbers of copies of a gene that occurred in the genetic material. This "copy number variation" wrote a new chapter in the understanding of human genetic variation. In a previous report, Lupski and colleagues described how the process that copies DNA during cell division stalls when there is a problem with the genetic material. In some cases, the process seeks a different template, often copying another similar but significantly different stretch of DNA before it switches back to the appropriate area.
In this newer report, Lupski and colleagues describe how this process – called fork stalling and template switching in humans or microhomology-mediated break-induced replication in simpler models – generated genomic rearrangements ranging in size from several megabases to a few hundred base pair during normal cell division, resulting in the duplication or even triplications of individual genes or the rearrangements of single exons.
In studies of subjects with abnormalities in the gene associated with Charcot-MarieTooth type 1A , the researchers found that the fork stalling, template switching phenomenon explained the changes, from those that involved triplication of a gene to others that resulted from shuffling within an exon. Studies of one family – two children and a mother – demonstrated that the event occurred during mitosis or cell division, a significant finding that further confirms the significance of the event. The researchers noted that finding this mitotic rearrangement of the gene in the mother, who did not have the disorder, of two children with a neuropathy suggests that the mechanism might be considered in genetic counseling about the risk of having another child with the disorder.
The scientists wrote, "We propose that FoSTeS/MMBIR may be a key mechanism for generating structural variation, particularly nonrecurrent CNV (copy number variation), of the human genome." The observation of mosaicism for an apparent mitotically generated, FoSTeS/MMBIR-mediated complex PMP22 rearrangement in the unaffected mother of two children with neuropathy suggests this mechanism can have implications for genetic counseling regarding recurrence risk. Others who took part in this research include Mehrdad Khajavi of BCM, Anne M Connolly of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo., and Charles F Towne and Sat Dev Batish of Athena Diagnostics in Worcester, Mass.

Posted bySaini at 7:27 PM 0 comments  

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Shiney Ahuja Rape Case in Fast Track Court
Sunday, June 21, 2009

Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan announced in Mumbai that the rape case against Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja would be tried in a fast-track court. Shiney Ahuja has beed shifted to jail. Earlier, National Commission of Women Girija Vyas had urged the Maharashtra state government to shift the case to the fast track court. This will be the first time in that a rape case would be tried in a fast track court in Maharashtra state. Meanwhile, lot of angry protestors tore and stamped posters of Shiney Ahuja.
Shiney Ahuja is married to Anupam and he has a two years old daughter. Shiney Ahuja came in highlight from his movie Gnagster, though he has done some more films also and he joined bollywood in 2003.

Posted bySaini at 2:39 PM 0 comments  

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Now banks lending more to property buyers in UAE

Dubai: Now mortgage lending in Dubai appears to be increasing amid growing confidence in the real estate sector that better liquidity will see a recovery by the end of the year. Noor Islamic Bank reported that its mortgage business is 40 to 50% up on the start of the year. Dubai Islamic Bank has announced it would offer 90% financing on properties in the United Arab Emirates. 'Things have improved from last year, it's a stable situation. The market has improved,' said Fahd Reaz senior product manager in personal and home finance for Noor Islamic Bank in Dubai.
And anecdotal evidence has shown over the last three months that liquidity is returning to the banking system. In March HSBC increased its loan to value ratios to 75% and 70% on villas and apartments. But there is still some reluctance to lend to off-plan properties. Reaz admitted the bank was 'apprehensive' about lending to buyers of off-plan properties, which some suggest has fallen up to 50% in Dubai in the wake of the global crisis. Charles Neil, chief financial officer at Dubai-based broker Landmark Properties, said 30% of the group's total transactions were mortgage financed in May this year, compared to just 17% between January and April. Neil said it was critical for mortgage availability to increase otherwise prices could continue to fall hurting the UAE property market further. But he predicted no substantial increase in home loan financing in the next two years and predicted house prices would not rise before 2011. Dubai Islamic Bank is also offering re-financing solutions for properties that are already completed. 'Property buyers in the UAE are seeking easy home financing solutions. At DIB, customers are our top priority and we are pleased to open new doors for them by offering up to 90% finance,' said Adnan Chilwan, Chief of Retail and Business Banking, DIB in Dubai.

Posted bySaini at 12:35 PM 0 comments  

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Is Nanotechnology Safe?
Saturday, June 20, 2009

Today there are currently more than 800 products on the market — including clothes, skin lotions and cleaning products — claiming to have at least one nanocomponent, and therapeutic nanocarriers have been designed for targeted drug delivery inside the human body. Human exposure to nanomaterials, which are smaller than one one-thousandth the diameter of a human hair, raises some important questions, including whether these "nano-bio" interactions could have adverse health effects.
Now, researchers at UCLA and the California NanoSystems Institute, along with colleagues in academia and industry, have taken a proactive role in examining the current understanding of the nano-bio interface to identify the potential risks of engineered nanomaterials and to explore design methods that will lead to safer and more effective nanoparticles for use in a variety of treatments and products.
In a research review published in the July issue of the journal Nature Materials, the team provides a comprehensive overview of current knowledge on the physical and chemical properties of nanomaterials that allow them to undergo interactions with biological molecules and bioprocesses.
"What we have established here is a blueprint that will serve to educate the first generation of nanobiologists," said Dr. Andre Nel, leader of the team and chief of the division of nanomedicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the California NanoSystems Institute.
Despite remarkable advances in nanoscience, relatively little is known about the intracellular activity and function of engineered nanomaterials, an area of study particularly important for the development of effective and safe nanoparticle drug-delivery systems. Much of the current knowledge derives from the study of tagged or labeled nanoparticles and their effects on cells after cellular uptake — without any detailed understanding of what these interactions may lead to, good or bad.
The review article examines the variety of ways in which nanomaterials interface with biological systems and presents a roadmap of the physical and chemical properties of the materials that could lead to potentially hazardous or advantageous interactions at the nano-bio interface. A better understanding of the biological impact, combined with appropriate stewardship, will allow for more informed decisions about design features for the safe use of nanotechnology.
In addition to Nel, the team included Tian Xia, a researcher in UCLA's nanomedicine division, UCLA associate professor of civil and environmental engineering Eric Hoek, Lutz Mädler of the University of Bremen, Darrell Velegol of Penn State University, Ponisseril Somasundaran of Columbia University, Fred Klessig of Pennsylvania Bio Systems, Vince Castranova of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and Mike Thompson of FEI Co.
"We are committed to ensuring that nanotechnology is introduced and implemented in a responsible and safe manner," said Nel, who also directs the Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology, which is funded by the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency and is headquartered at the CNSI.
"Based on our rapidly improving understanding of nano-bio interactions, we have done a thorough examination of the literature and our own research progress to identify measures that could be taken for safe design of nanomaterials," he said. "Not only will this improve the implementation and acceptance of this technology, but it will also provide the cornerstone of developing new and improved nanoscale therapeutic devices, such as drug-delivering nanoparticles."
The review article spotlighted several important research advancements:
1 A classification of the interactions when nanomaterials contact and bind to biological systems will help scientists understand how man-made materials may react when exposed to cells, tissues and various life forms in different natural environmental contexts.
2 When nanomaterials enter a biological fluid — for example, blood, plasma or interstitial fluid — the materials' surface may be coated with proteins. Understanding how these protein layers change the properties of the nanomaterials and the ways in which they interact in the body can provide valuable information on how to alter the protein coatings to allow for targeted delivery of nanomaterials to specific tissues, such as in cancer treatments.
3 Physicochemical properties such as size, charge, shape and other characteristics could greatly affect the ability of nanomaterials to enter a cell; this could determine whether a material can be useful in nanomedicine applications or could cause harm if taken in by life forms in an ecosystem or food chain.
4 Nanoparticles can elicit a wide range of intracellular responses, depending on their properties, concentrations and interactions with biological molecules. These properties and their relationships to cellular function can induce cellular damage or induce advantageous cellular responses, such as increased energy production and growth.
Based on the link between certain nanomaterial properties and potential toxic effects, the team asserts that scientists can reengineer specific nanomaterial properties that are hazardous while maintaining catalytically useful function for industrial use.
As an example of a safe design feature, some nanoparticles now receive a surface coating designed to improve safety by preventing bioreactivity. Nanoparticles in cosmetic formulations such as suntan lotions, for instance, may be coated with a water-repelling polymer to reduce direct contact with human skin. An extension of this principle uses polymers and detergents to decrease cellular uptake. However, there is the potential that when the coating wears off, the material may become hazardous. It is therefore important to consider improving the stability of coating substances. Coating nanoparticles with protective shells is also an effective means of preventing the breakup of materials that could release toxic substances upon dissolution.
"Instead of waiting for knowledge to unfold randomly, we can already begin to view the events at nano-bio interface as a discoverable scientific platform that can be used for setting up a deliberate inorganic-organic roadmap to new, better and safer products," Nel said. "What we can identify by understanding the rules that shape the nano-bio interface will have a massive impact on the ability to develop safe nanomaterials in the future." This is all about the emerging technology.

Posted bySaini at 3:21 PM 0 comments  

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