A protein known as ALKBH7 plays a key role in controlling the programmed necrosis pathway. To determine the location of ALKBH7 in cells, MIT researchers engineered these cells to express ALKBH7. The cells appear yellow where ALKBH7 is present in the mitochondria. Credit: Jennifer Jordan and Dragony Fu

MIT researchers have identified a protein, ALKBH7, that is crucial to a cell death process known as programmed necrosis. When cells suffer unrepairable DNA damage, the programmed necrosis pathway is initiated so that the cells rupture and die. This prevents the damaged cells from potentially developing into cancer cells. Cancer cells are sometimes resistant to another type of programmed cell death known as apoptosis.

According to researcher Leona Samson, "People really used to think of necrosis as cells just falling apart, that it wasn't programmed and didn't require gene products to make it happen. In the last few years it has become more clear that this is an active process that requires proteins to take place." These findings could mean potential new targets for cancer drug treatments. The drugs could work in a similar manner to the necrosis protein ALKBH7 to cause cancer cells to self destruct.

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• Study IDs Key Protein for Cell Death (Science Daily)

This is a colony of human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) (upper portion) generated by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Credit: Cell, Tachibana et al.

For the first time, researchers have successfully produced human embryonic stem cells using a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). This process involves removing the nucleus from an egg cell and replacing it with the nucleus of another cell. In the study, human skin cell nuclei were transplanted into unfertilized enucleated (removed genetic material) egg cells. These cells went on to develop and produce embryonic stem cells. The stem cells had no chromosomal abnormalities and normal gene function.

According to researcher Shoukhrat Mitalipov, "A thorough examination of the stem cells derived through this technique demonstrated their ability to convert just like normal embryonic stem cells, into several different cell types, including nerve cells, liver cells and heart cells. Furthermore, because these reprogrammed cells can be generated with nuclear genetic material from a patient, there is no concern of transplant rejection." Stem cell therapies could be used to treat individuals with conditions such as multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, cardiac disease, and Parkinson's disease.

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• Human Skin Cells Converted Into Embryonic Stem Cells (Science Daily)

Mosquito Credit: James Gathany / CDC

Can bacteria prevent the spread of malaria? Michigan State University researchers have shown that the bacteria Wolbachia can actually prevent the transmission of malaria to humans by protecting mosquitoes from the malaria parasite. The researchers developed a strain of mosquitoes that were infected with Wolbachia bacteria. These mosquitoes transmitted the bacteria to the entire mosquito population providing protection against the malaria parasite.

According to researcher Zhiyong Xi, "Our work is the first to demonstrate Wolbachia can be stably established in a key malaria vector, the mosquito species Anopheles stephensi, which opens the door to use Wolbachia for malaria control." Once the mosquitoes gain immunity to the malaria parasite, they do not transmit malaria to humans.

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• Using Bacteria to Stop Malaria (Science Daily)

Image Credit: Samarttiw / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

University of Edinburgh researchers have uncovered evidence that indicates that exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays has health benefits. When a person's skin is exposed to the sun's rays, it reduces blood pressure by causing levels of nitric oxide to rise in the blood. This dramatic reduction in blood pressure could cut the risks of developing heart disease or stroke.

According to researcher Richard Weller, "We suspect that the benefits to heart health of sunlight will outweigh the risk of skin cancer. The work we have done provides a mechanism that might account for this, and also explains why dietary vitamin D supplements alone will not be able to compensate for lack of sunlight." While blood pressure dropped for individuals in the study who were exposed to UV rays for specific time periods, vitamin D levels remained unaffected.

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• Sunshine Could Benefit Health and Prolong Life (Science Daily)