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Epigenetics – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Posted: September 30, 2015 at 11:42 pm

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biotechnology | Britannica.com

Posted: September 29, 2015 at 5:41 pm

Biotechnology,genetic engineering: recombinant DNAEncyclopdia Britannica, Inc.the use of biology to solve problems and make useful products. The most prominent area of biotechnology is the production of therapeutic proteins and other drugs through genetic engineering.

People have been harnessing biological processes to improve their quality of life for some 10,000 years, beginning with the first agricultural communities. Approximately 6,000 years ago, humans began to tap the biological processes of microorganisms in order to make bread, alcoholic beverages, and cheese and to preserve dairy products. But such processes are not what is meant today by biotechnology, a term first widely applied to the molecular and cellular technologies that began to emerge in the 1960s and 70s. A fledgling biotech industry began to coalesce in the mid- to late 1970s, led by Genentech, a pharmaceutical company established in 1976 by Robert A. Swanson and Herbert W. Boyer to commercialize the recombinant DNA technology pioneered by Boyer and Stanley N. Cohen. Early companies such as Genentech, Amgen, Biogen, Cetus, and Genex began by manufacturing genetically engineered substances primarily for medical and environmental uses.

For more than a decade, the biotechnology industry was dominated by recombinant DNA technology, or genetic engineering. This technique consists of splicing the gene for a useful protein (often a human protein) into production cellssuch as yeast, bacteria, or mammalian cells in culturewhich then begin to produce the protein in volume. In the process of splicing a gene into a production cell, a new organism is created. At first, biotechnology investors and researchers were uncertain about whether the courts would permit them to acquire patents on organisms; after all, patents were not allowed on new organisms that happened to be discovered and identified in nature. But, in 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of Diamond v. Chakrabarty, resolved the matter by ruling that a live human-made microorganism is patentable subject matter. This decision spawned a wave of new biotechnology firms and the infant industrys first investment boom. In 1982 recombinant insulin became the first product made through genetic engineering to secure approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Since then, dozens of genetically engineered protein medications have been commercialized around the world, including recombinant versions of growth hormone, clotting factors, proteins for stimulating the production of red and white blood cells, interferons, and clot-dissolving agents.

In the early years, the main achievement of biotechnology was the ability to produce naturally occurring therapeutic molecules in larger quantities than could be derived from conventional sources such as plasma, animal organs, and human cadavers. Recombinant proteins are also less likely to be contaminated with pathogens or to provoke allergic reactions. Today, biotechnology researchers seek to discover the root molecular causes of disease and to intervene precisely at that level. Sometimes this means producing therapeutic proteins that augment the bodys own supplies or that make up for genetic deficiencies, as in the first generation of biotech medications. (Gene therapyinsertion of genes encoding a needed protein into a patients body or cellsis a related approach.) But the biotechnology industry has also expanded its research into the development of traditional pharmaceuticals and monoclonal antibodies that stop the progress of a disease. Such steps are uncovered through painstaking study of genes (genomics), the proteins that they encode (proteomics), and the larger biological pathways in which they act.

In addition to the tools mentioned above, biotechnology also involves merging biological information with computer technology (bioinformatics), exploring the use of microscopic equipment that can enter the human body (nanotechnology), and possibly applying techniques of stem cell research and cloning to replace dead or defective cells and tissues (regenerative medicine). Companies and academic laboratories integrate these disparate technologies in an effort to analyze downward into molecules and also to synthesize upward from molecular biology toward chemical pathways, tissues, and organs.

In addition to being used in health care, biotechnology has proved helpful in refining industrial processes through the discovery and production of biological enzymes that spark chemical reactions (catalysts); for environmental cleanup, with enzymes that digest contaminants into harmless chemicals and then die after consuming the available food supply; and in agricultural production through genetic engineering.

recombinant DNA technology: genetically modified organism productionEncyclopdia Britannica, Inc.Agricultural applications of biotechnology have proved the most controversial. Some activists and consumer groups have called for bans on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or for labeling laws to inform consumers of the growing presence of GMOs in the food supply. In the United States, the introduction of GMOs into agriculture began in 1993, when the FDA approved bovine somatotropin (BST), a growth hormone that boosts milk production in dairy cows. The next year, the FDA approved the first genetically modified whole food, a tomato engineered for a longer shelf life. Since then, regulatory approval in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere has been won by dozens of agricultural GMOs, including crops that produce their own pesticides and crops that survive the application of specific herbicides used to kill weeds. Studies by the United Nations, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the European Union, the American Medical Association, U.S. regulatory agencies, and other organizations have found GMO foods to be safe, but skeptics contend that it is still too early to judge the long-term health and ecological effects of such crops. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the land area planted in genetically modified crops increased dramatically, from 1.7 million hectares (4.2 million acres) in 1996 to 160 million hectares (395 million acres) by 2011.

Overall, the revenues of U.S. and European biotechnology industries roughly doubled over the five-year period from 1996 through 2000. Rapid growth continued into the 21st century, fueled by the introduction of new products, particularly in health care.

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biotechnology | Britannica.com

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Stem Cell Therapy

Posted: September 28, 2015 at 8:43 pm

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Swiss Stem Cell Therapy/ Stem Cells/ Swiss Cell Therapy Enables You To Receive More Effective And Affordable Stem Cell Therapy At The Comfort Of Your Own Home Without Any Of The High Costs, Risks, Side Effects, Hassles, And Moral Implications That Are Associated With Traditional Stem Cell Therapy. So You Can Get Antiaging, Health and Beauty Benefits At The Same Time!

Swiss Cell Therapy is a high-tech softgel capsule form of ovine embryonic stem cell therapy. This extraordinary oral supplement offer patients with degenerative diseases the opportunity to undergo an innovative and promising embryonic stem cell treatment with only 1% - 3% cost of traditional injectible stem cell therapy and without any of the usual risks, side effects, hassles and moral issues.

Live Cell Therapy aims to awaken dormant cells within the human body, thereby stimulating the growth and function of existing tissues and repairing or regenerating old and malfunctioning cells. It offers what vitamins, minerals, hormones, chemicals and other conventional treatments cannot. It can provide the exact components at the Cell level necessary for aged, damaged or diseased tissues and organs to heal and regenerate, thus providing incredible health, anti-aging and beauty benefits at the same time!

Since 2001, tens of thousands patients from all over the world have safely and successfully taken Live Cell Therapy to treat many degenerative diseases such as:

ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) Alzheimer's disease Cardiovascular diseases Cerebral Palsy Diabetes mellitus (type 1 & type 2) Erectile dysfunction Macular degeneration Multiple Sclerosis Osteoarthritis Parkinson's disease Spinal cord injuries Stroke

Aside from treating their degenerative diseases, Live Cell Therapy patients have also gained many other health, anti-aging & beauty benefits such as:

Vast improvement in the immune system against diseases. Deeper and more relaxing sleep. Stabilization of weight at a normal level. Better digestion and elimination of constipation. Improvement in blood circulation. More flexible joints and discs. Boost of Sex Drive and Potency with endurance & vitality. Prevention or relief of male/ female sexual dysfunction. Decreased serum concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides. Decreased risk of heart disease and cancer. Rejuvenation and anti-aging. Regenerated cells, tissues, and organs. Delay in Menopause and reduction in Pre-Menopause Syndrome. Renewed sexual satisfaction. Enhancement in Stamina & Energy Level, preventing from feeling tired easily. Lightening of facial pigmentation. Refining of facial pores and a glow to your skin. Finer skin texture with a more evenly toned color. Improvement in skin elasticity and thickness, and reduction of wrinkles. Firming of sagging breast and breast development.

The most worth mentioning is that most Live Cell Therapy patients have treated their diseases and gained the above benefits with a fraction (1% - 3%) of the cost of traditional stem cell therapy! [More Details On Why Live Cell Therapy Is Indeed Better Stem Cell Therapy]

What Is Stem Cell Therapy?

Stem Cell Therapy is the process of injecting undifferentiated cells into an organism in the hopes that the cells will differentiate into the same type of cell as the damaged cells and replace them. These undifferentiated cells, called stem cells, have the potential to produce any kind of cells in the body and have the capacity for self-renewal.

Stem cells can be derived from adult tissue or from umbilical cord blood, but often the procedure involves extraction from human embryos. This source of stem cells poses extreme controversy as many people believe that human life begins at conception and that destruction of this pre-born life, even to save or reduce suffering in existing human life, is morally unacceptable.

Aside from these serious moral implications, Stem Cell Therapy is also a risky procedure. The surgery and injection one would undergo to receive Stem Cell Therapy could put you at risk for graft versus host disease or graft rejection. These conditions occur when the transplanted stem cells are recognized as foreign by your immune system and attacked. Immuno-suppressant drugs are used to avoid graft rejection, but this can increase the risk of infection or kidney failure. The surgery and injection would also bring side effects such as bacterial/ viral infections, hemolytic anemia, gastrointestinal and hepatic complications, and pulmonary complications.

Also, because stem cells are taken from human donors or human embryos, the method for screening against the AIDS or hepatitis viruses in the cells or the method used for cell extraction must also be of concern.

Even with all of these possible complications, the average cost of receiving Stem Cell Therapy once through injection is $20,000 - $30,000 because you can only receive it at some exclusive hospitals and clinics in a few countries around the world.

Therefore, if you want to avoid high costs, risks, side effects, hassles and moral implications, do NOT consider Stem Cell Therapy especially NOW when you have a much more inexpensive, safe, convenient and ethical alternative Live Cell Therapy.

What Is Live Cell Therapy

Live Cell Therapy, also called Cell Therapy, was first invented in an injection form by Swiss physician Dr. Paul Niehans in 1931. As you will soon learn: Cell Therapy is actually the forefather of the better-known Human Stem Cell Therapy, which was invented in the 1960s based on the principle of Cell Therapy. Because of their extreme health and beauty benefits but very high cost, Cell Therapy injections have long been a celebrity secret in preserving a youthful appearance and prolonging vital health.

Pope Pius XII was so pleased with the treatment that he inducted Dr. Paul Niehans, the founder of Cell Therapy, into the Papal Academy of Science, making him the successor to the late Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin.

Many celebrities, presidents, and members of the Swiss World Cup teams have benefited from Cell Therapy.

President Eisenhower, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and French General De Gaulle received it to maintain their powers of concentration and their physical endurance. Adenauer credited it with giving him the energy to lead the Republic of Germany though he was more than 90 years old. Charlie Chaplin said it enabled him to become married and father children after age 70.

Exclusive clinics for the rich & famous in Switzerland have administered the Anti-Aging Cell Therapy to both western and oriental celebrities, improving and prolonging their vitality and preserving their youthful appearance and abilities.

How Does Live Cell Therapy Work?

Live Cell Therapy uses the same principle as Human Stem Cell Therapy. However, instead of extracting stem cells from a human placenta, Cell Therapy starts with the selection of specific organ cells from an animal fetus (unborn young) bred specifically for this purpose. Many years of experience have shown that sheep are the best donor animals because they are vital, hardy animals with the best immune systems and natural disease resistance. Sheep proteins are particularly compatible with the human body and trigger no immune reactions. In Cell Therapy, these vigorous young sheep stem cells, with their vital life force still active, are injected into a human host. Since stem cells have NO antigens, they are NOT recognized as foreign by the host body. According to Dr. Niehans' proven theory, they circulate from the site of injection until they recognize and congregate at the human counterpart of the organ from which they were taken (liver cells go to the liver, sex cells go to the sexual organs, heart cells go the heart, etc.). These young cells, which are functionally organ specific but not species specific, imprint their vigor upon old, tired, and degenerating cells, stimulating them to function with renewed efficiency. The organ itself then retains its vigor and vitality.

In addition to general body revitalization, health maintenance, and life extension, Cell Therapy will effectively stimulate the cells of the specific organ systems concerned with obesity, arthritis, chronic fatigue, asthma, degenerative brain disease, osteoporosis, circulatory disturbances, sexual dysfunction, male impotence, diabetes mellitus, hormonal disturbances, skin eruptions, and many other metabolic ailments. Also, your face will look younger and healthier in texture and color, your body physically fitter and more flexible.

Many physicians feel that the most important results of using Cell Therapy are its revitalization of the body's immune system & defense mechanisms. When damage occurs to the cells that make up the various tissues and organs involved in the immune system (either through the aging process or from environmental poisons), the body becomes defenseless against both external invasion and internal degeneration. Damage to the organs of the immune system may be reversed through revitalization & regeneration with Live Cell Therapy. These new and energetic fresh cells act quickly and effectively to stimulate the body's defense mechanisms. There are enormous benefits in the use of this therapy to DRAMATICALLY SLOW DOWN the aging process and to help you REGAIN your beauty, your health, your vitality, and your physical power.

The Latest Live Cell Therapy Products

In the past, Live Cell Therapy was only available in injection form, and the only way to receive it was going to a few exclusive clinics in Switzerland at a cost of $22,000 (1960's currency) per injection - which is why this wonderful therapy remained a secret to celebrities, UNTIL NOW... For the first time in 80 years, Live Cell Therapy has become available to the public in high-tech softgel capsule form and skin serum form, making it possible and affordable to receive the incredible anti-aging, health & beauty benefits without leaving your home!

The latest high-tech softgel capsule form of Live Cell Therapy - Able Sheep Placenta Advanced Capsules (PE). The new advanced softgel capsules can provide treatment for degenerative diseases and bring many health and anti-aging benefits at the same time.

Sheep Placenta Advanced Capsules (PE) Able Sheep Placenta is currently the ONE and ONLY lyophilized (freeze-dried) ovine placenta extracted in the unrivalled form of high-tech bio-active capsules for anti-aging, as well as tissue regeneration and rejuvenation; giving you not just beautiful skin with vibrant vitality, but also a regenerated, younger, and healthier YOU. [More Details]

The latest skin serum form of Live Cell Therapy - ABLE Botanical Placenta Advanced Skin Serum (BP). The new advanced skin serum is specifically designed for skin rejuvenation and facial beauty benefits.

Botanical Placenta Advanced Skin Serum (BP) Discover ABLE Botanical Placenta Advanced Skin Serum - the medical cosmetic pioneer brings together the best from research and innovation, its excellent source of human engineering concepts that including promotes skin regeneration process, the embryonic botanical cell based ingredients compounds enhance our body's natural ability to restore and replenish skin cells. The cutting edge micro stem cell extract technologies make this new advanced skin serum an exclusive formula miraculous transforms skin by gently replenishing to natural levels which is one of the most important steps in keeping skin appear bright and fresh. [More Details]

Why Is Live Cell Therapy Better Than The Traditional Stem Cell Therapy?

As stated above, Live Cell Therapy is the direct descendent of the originally secret Cell Therapy of Switzerland (the forefather of all forms of Stem Cell Therapy). Live Cell Therapy is better than the traditional Stem Cell Therapy due to the following reasons.

Reason #1: Live Cell Therapy uses better and more controllable donor to extract stem cells than Stem Cell Therapy. Unlike Stem Cell Therapy which extracts stem cells from human placenta, Live Cell Therapy extracts stem cells from sheep placenta. In principle, it would have little risk of allergy if human extracts were applied onto human bodies. However, as the advancement in technology and civilization, human bodies start to contact all kinds of viruses, bacteria, heavy metal, radiation in the environment and chemical medications soon after their birth which cause lots of toxins in the cells of the human body. Some of the toxins can not be eliminated even with high temperature, high pressure, anti-toxins programs or sterilization programs. Such toxins in the human body will remain inside. Coupled with unavoidable, uncontrollable and unhealthy dietary intake of human beings, (we are what we eat) apart from possibility of AIDS and hepatitis viruses transmissions, many European Countries & USA regulations and sanctions stem cells from human donors. Ethical and moral reasoning is also against the usage of human cells extract and animals are the preferred donors for stem cells. Perhaps the most differentiating part would be the quality of these animals raised solely for medicament purposes in specially designed farmhouses, simply called Medical Animals (not the food animals which we raised for food consumption). Medical Animals can be controlled such as the raising environment, food and health control. We can manually control their living conditions and eliminate the negative factors for their health. Medical Animals never given antibiotics, hormones or chemicals unlike their Food Animal counterparts, Therefore, all the European pharmaceutical factories prefer animal to human as the honor of stem cells. And sheep in particular are the best choice as they are cancer free, aids free and having the best immune systems compared to any other animals. In any case, its impossible to specially breed medical human for this purpose.

Reason #2: Live Cell Therapy is easier, more convenient and less painful to receive than Stem Cell Therapy. Unlike Stem Cell Therapy which can only be applied via injection in the selective hospitals/ clinics, Live Cell Therapy delivers stem cells through high-tech bio-active softgel capsules which can be shipped in secure packages and delivered right to your home! The lyophilized (freeze-dried) method employed in Able softgel capsules produces stem cells which remain biologically active (a proven technique for gently conserving biological substances) without damaging the effectiveness of the valuable, big, bio-active matter. Being enteric coated, Able softgel capsules by-pass the stomach and dissolve in the small intestine whereby the stem cells and other active ingredients are fully absorbed by the body. Therefore, to receive the results and benefits of Live Cell Therapy, all you need to do is to take 1 - 3 softgel capsules a day at the comfort of your own home. There is no trip to the hospitals, no hassle, no pain!

Reason #3: Live Cell Therapy is much more affordable than Stem Cell Therapy. The above two reasons (sheep donor and softgel capsule form) make Live Cell Therapy about 100 times less expensive than Stem Cell Therapy! The average cost of receiving Stem Cell Therapy once through injection is $20,000 - $30,000 depends on the exclusive hospital/ clinic which performs it (including initial consultation fees, travel expenses, hospitalization fees and the price of Stem Cell Therapy itself). In comparison, the cost of receiving Live Cell Therapy for one month is only $184.95 - $554.95 (for 30 - 90 Able softgel capsules) plus $10 - $30 shipping fees!

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Stem Cell Therapy

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Stem Cell Treatments: False Hope Warning Signs – WebMD

Posted: September 28, 2015 at 8:43 pm

Unproven, Risky Treatments Mislead Patients to Seek Cutting-Edge Therapy

Anyone still considering a therapy after checking all of the above can download the 26-item list of questions the ISSCR recommends asking. Ask a doctor or medical professional to help you understand the answers to these questions about the treatment, scientific evidence behind it, oversight of the clinic and practitioner, safety and emergency plans, patient rights, and costs.

"One of the notorious signs of an unproven therapy is the claim it will treat anything," Levine says. "A lot of people say we have stem cells that will seek out your ailments and cure them, whatever they are, anything from spinal cord injury to autism to heart disease . It is hard to imagine how a single therapy could really be beneficial for all of these things."

In the U.S., the FDA says "stem cells, like other medical products that are intended to treat, cure, or prevent disease, generally require FDA approval before they can be marketed."

However, treatments may avoid FDA regulation if the stem cells:

Transplanting such cells, clinics argue, is a surgical procedure rather than treatment with a drug or biological product. Licensed doctors can perform such transplants if they deem it medically appropriate for a patient.

"It is a gray area," says Mahendra Rao, MD, PhD, director of the National Institutes of Health's Center for Regenerative Medicine. "If you make too many health claims, it is still illegal. But if you do it correctly and there is validation to your work and you make your claims carefully, it is a surgical procedure not regulated by the FDA."

Because it's a gray area, Rao says, "certain groups try to see what they can drive through this window."

The FDA is stepping up its inspections of U.S. stem cell clinics and defending its actions in federal court. However, people can still find doctors and clinics in the U.S. who offer unproven stem-cell treatments.

"This is a very confusing time for patients. They have two questions: 'Can I do it?' and 'Should I do it?'" Hare says. "If the answer to 'Can I do it?' is yes, patients automatically assume the answer to 'Should I do it?' also is yes. And that can be dangerous."

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Stem Cell Treatments: False Hope Warning Signs - WebMD

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Epigenetics | The S File — Pregnancy

Posted: September 28, 2015 at 1:47 pm

Please note that this section contains my personal notes from my readings on this topic.

I first heard about epigenetics on a Dr. Oz show discussing pregnancy myths. He says that this new field of science epigenetics is finding that what happens in the womb can influence which genes are turned on and off. From a PBS special on epigenetics:

Epigenetics literally translates into just meaning above the genome. So if you would think, for example, of the genome as being like a computer, the hardware of a computer, the epigenome would be like the software that tells the computer when to work, how to work, and how much.

Randy Jirtle in Epigenetics on PBS (July 24, 2007)

In fact, its the epigenome that tells our cells what sort of cells they should be. Skin? Hair? Heart? You see, all these cells have the same genes. But their epigenomes silence the unneeded ones to make cells different from one another. Epigenetic instructions pass on as cells divide, but theyre not necessarily permanent. Researchers think they can change, especially during critical periods like puberty or pregnancy.

Neil Degrasse Tyson in Epigenetics on PBS (July 24, 2007)

Basically, what you eat can affect your future generations. So youre not only what you eat, but potentially what your mother ate, and possibly even what your grandparents ate.

Randy Jirtle in Epigenetics on PBS (July 24, 2007)

One of the main findings of our research is that epigenomes can change in function of what we eat, of what we smoke, of what we drink. And this is one of the key differences between epigenetics and genetics.

Manel Esteller in Epigenetics on PBS (July 24, 2007)

From the Dr. Oz website:

As DNA, the blueprint of your body, is rolled out during development, it gets copied. And while that copying occurs, the things you are experiencing what you eat, the toxins you are exposed to can stop that copy machine from working properly. This basic principal of epigenetics means that, while we cant control what genes we pass on to our children, we may be able to control which genes get turned on or turned off.

Heres another example that will help you put epigenetics in perspective. We share 99.8 percent of the same DNA as a monkey, and any two babies share 99.9 percent of the same DNA. Heck, we even have 50 percent of the same DNA as a banana. So genes alone cannot explain the diversity in the way we look, act, behave, and develop. How those genes are expressed plays a huge role in how vastly different we are from monkeys and how explicitly and subtly different we are from each other.

What you can do:

CAN YOU CONTROL WHICH GENES YOUR CHILD WILL EXPRESS?

ByDR. MICHAEL ROIZEN

While you cant control which genes you pass on to your child, you do have some influence over which genes are expressed, affecting what features are seen in your baby (his phenotype). In fact, what you eat, breathe, and even feel can affect the long-term health of your child.

Stressors in the mothers environment cause a change in the gene expression patterns of the fetus. That means the chemicals your baby is exposed to in utero, via the foods you eat and the cigarettes you dont inhale, serve as biological light switches in your babys development. On, off, on, off you decide how your childs genes are expressed, even as early as conception.

You dont have total control. We still dont know how you can change your babys eye color, or when his hair falls out. But we do know how to influence some really important factors like your childs weight or intelligence. So theres an important reason why were able to turn certain genes on and off. Our bodies have to adapt to a changing environment (thats how a species survives, after all). But our ability to adapt would be much too slow if we had to wait generations for our genes to change through random mutation (the classical theory of evolution).

Weve got to get people thinking more about what they do. They have a responsibility for their epigenome. Their genome they inherit. But their epigenome, they potentially can alter, and particularly that of their children. And that brings in responsibility, but it also brings in hope. Youre not necessarily stuck with this. You can alter this.

Randy Jirtle in Epigenetics on PBS (July 24, 2007)

Sources:

(1) Dr. Oz website

(2) Epigenetics on NOVA scienceNOW, Aired on PBS July 24, 2007.

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Epigenetics | The S File -- Pregnancy

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Epigenetics Research Technologies

Posted: September 28, 2015 at 1:47 pm

Epigenetic regulation refers to biological mechanisms in which DNA, RNA, and proteins are chemically or structurally modified, without changing their primary sequence. These epigenetic modifications play critical roles in the regulation of numerous cellular processes, including gene expression, DNA replication, and recombination. Epigenetic regulatory mechanisms include DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling, RNA methylation, and regulation by small and long non-coding RNAs. While epigenetic modifications can be very stable and passed on to multiple generations in some cases, they can also dynamically change in response to specific cellular conditions or environmental stimuli. When epigenetic mechanisms are misregulated, the result can be detrimental to health and can lead to cancer, neurological disorders, and developmental abnormalities. Therefore, epigenetic modifications are emerging as important diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in many fields of medicine.

In recent years, epigenetics has exploded into one of the most exciting and rapidly expanding fields in biology. Zymo Research has grown with it, becoming The Epigenetics Company. Zymo Research understands the need for high-quality and reliable products for epigenetics research, and we offer an extensive and continually growing line of products, kits, and genome-wide services to facilitate investigations into epigenetic regulation of cellular processes. We are committed to continue meeting the needs of epigenetic researchers into the future.

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Epigenetics Research Technologies

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Epigenetics | Tocris Bioscience

Posted: September 28, 2015 at 1:47 pm

Epigenetics can be defined as acquired changes in chromatin structure that arise independently of a change in the underlying DNA nucleotide sequence. Epigenetic modifications - including acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination amongst others - alter the accessibility of DNA to transcription machinery and therefore influence gene expression. Ongoing research is revealing the extent of the influence of epigenetics in disease states, and continues to provide a wealth of novel therapeutic targets.

Epigenetic mechanisms integrate environmental changes at the cellular level and enable cellular plasticity. As a result, they are involved in pathologies related to diet, lifestyle and environmental exposure to toxins, including cancer, inflammation and metabolic disorders. Proteins that carry out these epigenetic modifications can be thought of as being either "writers", "readers" or "erasers".

More Information Epigenetic writers catalyze the addition of chemical groups onto either histone tails or the DNA itself. These modifications are known as epigenetic marks.

More Information Epigenetic reader domains can be thought of as effector proteins that recognize and are recruited to specific epigenetic marks. "Writer" and "eraser" enzymes may also contain such reader domains, leading to the coordination of "read-write" or "read-erase" mechanisms.

More Information Epigenetic marks are not necessarily permanent modifications; instead, they can be removed by a group of enzymes known as "erasers" in order to reverse the influence of a given epigenetic mark on gene expression.

Neuroscience 2015

October 17-21, 2015

Chicago, IL

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Egg Stem Cells – MIT Technology Review

Posted: September 27, 2015 at 9:50 pm

A recent discovery could increase older women's chances of having babies.

Karen Weintraub

May/June 2012

WHO Jonathan Tilly OvaScience, Boston

TECHNOLOGY Stem cells in ovarian tissue could form new eggs or be used to rejuvenate a womans existing eggs.

OTHER NOTABLE INNOVATORS

Evelyn Telfer University of Edinburgh, Scotland

David Albertini University of Kansas

Jonathan Tilly may have discovered a way to slow the ticking of women's biological clocks. In a paper published in March, the Harvard University reproductive biologist and his colleagues reported that women carry egg stem cells in their ovaries into adulthooda possible key to extending the age at which a woman might have a baby.

Today, a woman's fertility is limited by her total supply of eggs and by the diminished quality of those eggs as she reaches her 40s. Tilly's work with the stem cellscells that can differentiate, or develop into other kinds of cellscould address both issues. For one thing, it's possible that these newly discovered cells could be coaxed to develop into new eggs. And even if not, he says, they could be used to rejuvenate an older woman's existing eggs.

Tilly first found egg stem cells in mice in 2004. Once he identified egg stem cells in ovarian tissue from adult women, he isolated the cells and injected them into human ovary tissue that was then transplanted into mice. There the cells differentiated into human oocytes, the immature egg cells that mature, one at a time, at ovulation. Tilly didn't take these oocytes any further, but he says he has gotten egg stem cells from mice to generate functional mouse eggs that were fertilized and exhibited early embryonic development.

The research is still a long way from creating a crying human newborn. Nevertheless, the paper "changes what we understand" about fertility, says Tilly, who also directs a center for reproductive biology at Massachusetts General Hospital. Though some of Tilly's peers remain dubious that the cells he's found in women's ovarian tissue are actually stem cells or could become functional egg cells, many find the research provocative. "I think this is a very intriguing leap," says Elizabeth McGee, an associate professor and head of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Virginia Commonwealth University. "However, I think there's still a long way to go before this becomes a useful product for women."

Boston-based OvaScience, which is commercializing Tilly's work, hopes it won't be too long. The company's cofounders include venture capitalist Christoph Westphal and Harvard antiaging researcher David Sinclair, who founded Sirtris Pharmaceuticals and sold it to GlaxoSmithKline for $720 million in 2008. OvaScience has raised $43 million to pursue fertility treatments and other applications for the stem cells.

One of the more tantalizing implications is that this technology could be used to reclaim the youth of an older woman's eggs. Tilly says he can do this by transferring mitochondriathe cell's power sourcefrom the stem-cell-derived cells into the existing eggs. Researchers who tried something similar in the 1990s, with the help of young donors, found that mitochondria from the donors' egg cells could improve the viability of older eggs. But the nearly 30 children who resulted from this work ended up with DNA from two women as well as their father. (It's not clear whether the children suffered any health consequences.) By being her own source for the younger mitochondria, a woman could avoid that potentially dangerous mix of DNA, Tilly says.

David Albertini, director of the Center for Reproductive Sciences at the University of Kansas Medical Center and a member of OvaScience's advisory board, says he "can't wait to get [his] hands on" Tilly's cells for his own egg research. But he says it's too soon to consider implanting them in women before much more testing is done in mice.

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Stem Cells + HA New Injection for Knees?; Fracture Repair …

Posted: September 27, 2015 at 9:50 pm

Source: Wikimedia Commons and Ghanson Elizabeth Hofheinz, M.P.H., M.Ed. Wed, March 6th, 2013 Print this article

Mesenchymal Stem Cells + HA for Knee Repair

What do you get when you mix hyaluronic acid (HA) with a certain type of stem cell? A solution that might potentiate the benefits of microfracture, says Brian Cole M.D., a sports medicine and cartilage restoration orthopedic surgeon at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush in Chicago. He tells OTW, We have enrolled our first patient in a trial that utilizes lyophilized hyaluronic acid and adult mesenchymal stem cells from umbilical cord donors to augment microfracture in the treatment of a localized cartilage defect of the knee. Our team, which includes Andreas Gomoll, M.D. of Brigham and Women's Hospital, is assessing the safety and efficacy of stem cells from umbilical cord bloodmixed with hyaluronic acidas an adjunct to microfracture surgery. This is a two-year, Phase I/IIa study that should pave the way for a pivotal study in approximately two years. Although our goal is to enroll a total of 12 participants (18 years and older), like in any cartilage trial, the number of patients with isolated defects is relatively small; they cant have any significant comorbidities such as apposing surface arthritis, malalignment or meniscal deficiency. Specifically, this treatment is meant for individuals who have localized cartilage damage and will not include patients who have been told they should have knee replacement surgery or who have bone on bone arthritis.

BMP: Not a Cancer Risk?

Now and five years from now we will most likely still be using BMP (bone morphogenic protein), says one spine surgeon. Why? Because we need it. Andrew Hecht, M.D. is Chief of Spine Surgery and an assistant professor of orthopedics and assistant professor of neurosurgery at Mount Sinai; he also sits on the NFL brain and spine committee. Even in the setting of MI techniques BMP is an important tool for spine surgeons. There remains a lot of concern about the right dose and carrier for various surgeries, but I think we will get better at delivering BMP and thus will be able to use it in more parts of the spine. We use it sparingly in challenging cases, such as when someone is at risk for nonunion. I know that my colleagues around the country continue to weigh the pro and cons of BMP, but I have found it to be very effective. We have had minimal complications, likely because we have been judicious in its use and take steps to reduce risks of complications such as the use of steroids when using it in the cervical spine.

Last year our team at Mt. Sinai presented a paper at the North American Spine Society meeting about the risk of cancer from BMP. In our researcha meta analysiswe found no cases where BMP took normal cells and transformed them into cancer cells. Additionally, Dr. Paul Anderson did a review of a national inpatient sample and did not find any evidence of increased cancer in patients who had received BMP. The problem is that we dont know its effect on existing cancers. BMP has suppressive effects on some types of cancer cells and others it may be more stimulatingand there are some concerns that when used in high doses BMP can stimulate the growth of cancer cells.

Fracture Repair: Dont Aim for Perfection?

Concerned that if you dont fix that fracture flawlessly you may leave the patient open for arthritis? Think again. Donald D. Anderson, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the department of orthopaedics and rehabilitation at the University of Iowa (UI). He tells OTW about his work in the UI Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory: Most surgeons believe that when you fix an articular fracture that you must do it perfectly. This is because research over the years has shown that irregularity in the joint surface leads to elevated joint contact stress, which in turn leads to arthritis. So surgeons are taking this approach to restore function. While this elevated joint contact stress is a risk factor for arthritis, there has not been a sound way of assessing it. There is some indication in the literature and in clinical experience that you dont have to get it perfect, but in the absence of any way to tell what to do surgeons are a bit lost.

This uncertainty leads to wider exposures, which leaves patients more vulnerable to infection and other operative complications. Our research has shown how a CT scan after an ankle fracture repair can be used to create a computer model to predict the contact stress. By following a cohort of patients, we have shown that its basically a threshold effect with respect to elevated contact stress. If the CT scan shows exposure to contact stress below a certain level then it doesnt matterthe patient wont develop arthritis. We began with a small number of patients at Iowa, but we are extending that to 150 patients from a number of institutions across the country. Lets say this holds upthen we will have a good idea of the threshold above which people develop arthritis. This may mean that surgeons can decide intra-operatively if they have done a good enough job based on such computer modeling. Surgeons could use deduced fragment poses from fluoroscopic images, correlated with pre-operative CT models, to make contact stress assessments in the operating room.

Too Many Spine Surgeons Rely on Outdated Data

Its time for more clarity when it comes to spinal fusion. Doctor A in Pittsburgh does one thing, Dr. B in Tallahassee does another. Dan Riew, M.D. is The Mildred B. Simon Distinguished Professor of Orthopedics and Professor of Neurosurgery at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He reveals details about his latest research: We are working on how to diagnose fusion properly because there are no accepted standards for how to diagnose fusion with plain X-rays. Some doctors use flexion or extension, some look for less than 2 mm of motion, while others look for less than 1 mm. Some physicians arent even bothering to get any kind of flexion extension views. We know, however, that if you want to have results that are highly sensitive and accurate you should look for less than 1 mm of motionand you must have greater than 4 mm at an unfused level. That way you are sure that the patient flexed and extended adequately.

When we compared CT Scans with intraoperative exploration plus plain X-rays we found that plain X-rays can be nearly as good as CT Scans. But to get that good you must have criteria of less than 1 mm of motion on a magnified plain X-ray. The clinical implications are such that when patients complain about pain after surgery they are sometimes told, There is nothing wrong with you. The fusion looks solid. But the fact is that a lot of those patients can be helped by a repair of the nonunion. Also, a lot of studies purport to have a 100% fusion rate based on the use of outdated criteria. Unfortunately, I think that some of my colleagues still think these criteria are valid.

Christopher Wahl, M.D. New Chief at UC San Diego

The new head of sports medicine at the University of California, San Diego Health System, Dr. Christopher Wahl, is known for treating complex, high-energy traumatic sports injuries. Dr. Wahl, who served as associate professor and team physician for the University of Washington in Seattle, was the orthopedic surgeon for the Huskies athletic teams, including football, mens basketball, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and tennis.

Dr. Wahl, who attended medical school and completed his residency training at Yale University, plans to focus his practice on cartilage restoration and transplanta
tion, repair of the knee and shoulder, rotator cuff pathology, shoulder stabilization and treatment of fractures. Dr. Wahl completed a sports medicine and shoulder surgery fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. He continued his professional education studying trauma surgery in Germany and Switzerland before starting his clinical practice. In 2011, Wahl was awarded the American Orthopedic Society Traveling Sports Medicine Fellowship and traveled throughout the countries of South America to visit sports medicine clinics, hospitals and institutes.

Dr. Wahl has lectured and published extensively on sports medicine and surgery, including: the anatomic factors predisposing to anterior cruciate ligament tears, the treatment of recurrent shoulder dislocations associated with bone loss and the diagnosis and management of knee dislocations and multiple-ligament knee injuries. In addition, he has developed several innovative surgical techniques for the treatment of cartilage repair, shoulder instability and revision surgery for failed procedures.

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Brain Facts – Dialogue for Kids (Idaho Public Television)

Posted: September 27, 2015 at 9:49 pm

The Brain

The brain is one of the most amazing parts of your body. Everyday it allows us to do activities that we determine and many that we don't. Our brain can:

It's true! Inside your skull your brain controls everything you do!!! It is more powerful and faster than any computer. Your brain is the most important part of you and it is very complicated.

In the book, The Great Brain Book: An Inside Look At The Inside Of Your Head, (Scholastic Reference, 2002) author, HP Newquist said, "Understanding the brain is one of the biggest challenges facing scientists. We're just now beginning to figure out how all the pieces of the brain work, but we have a long way to go. We still don't know how it creates thoughts or how it stores pictures in your hear. It's not a photo album or a CD player that just files your favorite images and songs. It's a complicated organ that does billions of things every second that you're alive. That makes it the most powerful organ on earth."

Your brain fills the upper part of your bony head which is called the skull. The top part of the skull, called the cranium, is made of 8 bones. The rest of your skull includes 14 bones in the face and 3 small bones in each ear. How about that! There are 28 bones in your skull and your brain is tucked safely inside, protected by this vast number of bones. Learn more about the skull here.

The brain is always working, even while you sleep.

Your brain can go without oxygen for 3-5 minutes before injury will occur.

Scientists aren't sure how many brain cells you lose each day because of decay and misuse but you don't need to worry. You have enough to last for your whole lifetime!

Here are some more fascinating facts about the brain.

How does a human's brain size compare with other animals' brain sizes?

The right hemisphere controls the left side of the body, the left hemisphere controls the right side. These two hemispheres are connected by nerves through the corpus callosum.

Your brain is the size of a large grapefruit but it looks like a large pinkish-gray walnut. There are many folds and creases and it feels soft and squishy. It weighs about 1 pound at birth, 2 pounds at elementary age, and 3 pounds as an adult.

HUMAN BRAIN TISSUE

The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain the outer part is called the cerebral cortex

The cerebellum is about the size of a pear

The brain stem is located at the bottom of the brain, above the neck where it connects the brain to the spinal cord

divided into 2 parts called the right and left hemispheres

tucked under and behind the cerebrum

controls reflexes such as sneezing, swallowing, coughing

responsible for: thinking, senses, producing and understanding language, memories, eating, emotions, body temperature, drinking, sleeping, hormones

controls muscle movement, balance, coordination

responsible for automatic survival functions such as breathing, heartbeat, digestion, and keeping your body alive while you sleep

You can't understand what the brain does without knowing about the spinal cord. The spinal cord is an extension of the brain that runs down the middle of the back. The spinal cord is about 44 cm (19 in) long in adults. It is protected by 33 bones called vertebrae. The brain and the spinal cord are called the central nervous system. The central nervous system is one part of the nervous system. The rest is called the peripheral nervous system.

The wires of the nervous system are called neurons. The brain and the spinal cord contain billions of neurons. They send and receive information throughout your body.

All kinds of messages travel in neurons. If you touch a hot stove, neurons send a pain message from your finger to your brain. Your brain then sends a message through neurons, and through your spinal cord to the muscles in your arm to pull your hand away. Neurons can send signals to thousands of other neurons at a rate of about 200 miles per hour.

The point of connection between two neurons is called a synapse - from the Greek word "synaptein" meaning to fasten together. Chemicals and/ or electricity flow across this connection to communicate with the brain.

We don't really know how all parts of the brain work together. Scientists, called neuroscientists, are doing experiments every day to try to solve these and other mysteries of the brain.

Your brain contains approximately 100 billion neurons. They each link to as many as 10,000 other neurons.

If you could line up all the neurons in your body end to end, they would stretch almost 600 miles.

More than 30,000 neurons can fit on the head of a pin.

Some areas of the cerebral cortex are important for thinking and reasoning, some for voluntary movements and speech. There are also areas for your senses. You see, hear, smell, taste and feel because of your brain. Your senses; touch, ear, eye, nose, and tongue gather information about your surroundings and send this information through sensory neurons to special areas in the cerebral cortex. Take a closer look at the cerebral cortex to see where the signals go to from each sense.

Some parts of the body such as your hands and lips have more sensory neurons than other parts. They are for detecting touching, pressure, roughness, smoothness, dry, wet, cold, hot, and pain. This body map, called an homunculus shows you how much of the cerebral cortex is responsible for processing touch receptor information.

Unlike a cut, some scraped skin, or torn and broken bones that can heal and mend, your brain cannot repair itself. It is very important for you to keep it healthy and to take care of it. Protecting your brain from accidents is very important. Take a look here for ways to keep your brain healthy.

Exercise your brain...THINK

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