Spheres of Influence Although the idea of curing diseases by replacing faulty genes with healthy ones is decades old, the revolutionary potential of genetic therapy has yet to be unlocked. Any practical therapy would have to overcome the multiple challenges of inserting healthy genes into the correct tissue and targeting only malfunctioning cells, while ensuring that no harmful immune response follows. Present-day treatments tested in trials consist of injecting patients with a harmless virus loaded with the replacement gene, which the virus then splices into the host cells’ DNA. But with our immune systems honed to kill viruses, the procedure can be risky. Researchers working on alternatives have produced protein-based pellets (pictured) loaded with genetic material for delivery inside diseased cells. The nanoscale-sized pellets should be friendlier to the immune system than viruses, and could potentially also be shaped into rods, spheres or coils, to help them enter only targeted tissue. Written by Tristan Farrow — Angela Pannier University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA Originally published under Creative Commons (CC-BY 2.0) Published in Journal of Nanobiotechnology 10:44
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Spheres of Influence

Although the idea of curing diseases by replacing faulty genes with healthy ones is decades old, the revolutionary potential of genetic therapy has yet to be unlocked. Any practical therapy would have to overcome the multiple challenges of inserting healthy genes into the correct tissue and targeting only malfunctioning cells, while ensuring that no harmful immune response follows. Present-day treatments tested in trials consist of injecting patients with a harmless virus loaded with the replacement gene, which the virus then splices into the host cells’ DNA. But with our immune systems honed to kill viruses, the procedure can be risky. Researchers working on alternatives have produced protein-based pellets (pictured) loaded with genetic material for delivery inside diseased cells. The nanoscale-sized pellets should be friendlier to the immune system than viruses, and could potentially also be shaped into rods, spheres or coils, to help them enter only targeted tissue.

Written by Tristan Farrow

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Source: bpod.mrc.ac.uk

A Budding Success As prostate cancer rates rise, researchers are racing to understand the faulty genes that fuel the disease and find more effective treatments. This task is made tougher by the fact that only a handful of gene faults have been found so far. One new kid on this genetic block is beta-catenin, which is implicated in a number of other cancers. To find out more about beta-catenin’s role in normal prostate growth and in cancer, researchers have bred ‘knockout’ mice lacking the gene. On the left is the developing prostate gland of a mouse just a few days before birth, showing orange-coloured buds that will go on to form fluid-secreting ducts in the adult prostate. These buds haven’t properly formed in the gland on the right, taken from a mouse lacking beta-catenin. The scientists have found that beta-catenin is also involved in aggressive prostate cancer, revealing new routes to potential therapies. Written by Kat Arney — Amanda Swain The Institute of Cancer Research Originally published under a Creative Commons Attribution license Published in PLOS Genetics 9(1): e1003180
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A Budding Success

As prostate cancer rates rise, researchers are racing to understand the faulty genes that fuel the disease and find more effective treatments. This task is made tougher by the fact that only a handful of gene faults have been found so far. One new kid on this genetic block is beta-catenin, which is implicated in a number of other cancers. To find out more about beta-catenin’s role in normal prostate growth and in cancer, researchers have bred ‘knockout’ mice lacking the gene. On the left is the developing prostate gland of a mouse just a few days before birth, showing orange-coloured buds that will go on to form fluid-secreting ducts in the adult prostate. These buds haven’t properly formed in the gland on the right, taken from a mouse lacking beta-catenin. The scientists have found that beta-catenin is also involved in aggressive prostate cancer, revealing new routes to potential therapies.

Written by Kat Arney

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Source: bpod.mrc.ac.uk

A Watchful Welcome Our bodies have bustling transport networks, thriving day and night with a traffic of blood, water and nutrients. Unfortunately, cancer cells sometimes use these natural highways to hitchhike their way between vulnerable tissues. The success of their journey, known as metastasis, depends on how well they adjust to living in a new place. This section of a mouse kidney (highlighted in red) has been transplanted with cells from the pancreas (highlighted in green). The image was taken through a glass ‘window’ stuck to the skin – offering a peek at the welcome these migrant cells received. The friendly kidney cells spread their blood vessels out towards their new neighbours, enabling them to grow (the assembly of vessels magnified on the right is 400 times smaller than an outstretched hand). Watching how cancer takes advantage of the hospitality of human tissues may influence new therapies designed to send travelling cancers packing. Written by John Ankers — Jacco van Rheenen Hubrecht Institute, The Netherlands Reprinted with permission from AAAS. Published in Science Translational Medicine 4(158): 145
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A Watchful Welcome

Our bodies have bustling transport networks, thriving day and night with a traffic of blood, water and nutrients. Unfortunately, cancer cells sometimes use these natural highways to hitchhike their way between vulnerable tissues. The success of their journey, known as metastasis, depends on how well they adjust to living in a new place. This section of a mouse kidney (highlighted in red) has been transplanted with cells from the pancreas (highlighted in green). The image was taken through a glass ‘window’ stuck to the skin – offering a peek at the welcome these migrant cells received. The friendly kidney cells spread their blood vessels out towards their new neighbours, enabling them to grow (the assembly of vessels magnified on the right is 400 times smaller than an outstretched hand). Watching how cancer takes advantage of the hospitality of human tissues may influence new therapies designed to send travelling cancers packing.

Written by John Ankers

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Source: bpod.mrc.ac.uk

Mini Missiles In the game Angry Birds, destroying the evil pigs’ fortress isn’t always straightforward. Often, rather than attacking the tough exterior, it’s best to launch a bird through tiny gaps in the walls and strike at the heart of the problem. But then, which bird to choose? Cancer biologists are experimenting with ways to shoot drug carriers through small holes in the walls of tumours. Here are depicted tiny spherical containers called micelles injected into the blood vessels supplying the tumour of a mouse. Differently-sized micelles are stained green (each measuring 3/100,000 cm across) and red (7/100,000 cm across) giving the vessel a bright yellow appearance. Only the green micelles are small enough to fly through the holes in the tumour wall and spread out fully into the cancer. Tiny micelles might one day be used to deliver a chemotherapy payload straight into the heart of human cancers. Written by John Ankers — Horacio Cabral Department of Bioengineering, The University of Tokyo, Japan Reprinted by permission from Macmillan Publishers Ltd: Nature Nanotechnology Copyright 2011 Published in Nature Nanotechnology 6, 815–823
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Mini Missiles

In the game Angry Birds, destroying the evil pigs’ fortress isn’t always straightforward. Often, rather than attacking the tough exterior, it’s best to launch a bird through tiny gaps in the walls and strike at the heart of the problem. But then, which bird to choose? Cancer biologists are experimenting with ways to shoot drug carriers through small holes in the walls of tumours. Here are depicted tiny spherical containers called micelles injected into the blood vessels supplying the tumour of a mouse. Differently-sized micelles are stained green (each measuring 3/100,000 cm across) and red (7/100,000 cm across) giving the vessel a bright yellow appearance. Only the green micelles are small enough to fly through the holes in the tumour wall and spread out fully into the cancer. Tiny micelles might one day be used to deliver a chemotherapy payload straight into the heart of human cancers.

Written by John Ankers

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Source: bpod.mrc.ac.uk

Awe Therapy Awe is an age-old emotion, and many of us positively crave sights and thrills that make us gape in wonder. Few would argue against the feel-good factor of awe-inspiring moments. While many emotions have been put under the microscope, awe is not one that has ever been studied scientifically to any great extent, until now. Researchers are starting to wonder whether jaw-dropping moments might be therapeutic. Psychologists have to this end recently devised a way to study the feeling of awe in the lab. Across a series of experiments they found that experiencing awe caused people to be less materialistic and more willing to volunteer their time to help others. Written by Brona McVittie — Research to be published in Psychological Science Image Copyright JohnEngler.com
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Awe Therapy

Awe is an age-old emotion, and many of us positively crave sights and thrills that make us gape in wonder. Few would argue against the feel-good factor of awe-inspiring moments. While many emotions have been put under the microscope, awe is not one that has ever been studied scientifically to any great extent, until now. Researchers are starting to wonder whether jaw-dropping moments might be therapeutic. Psychologists have to this end recently devised a way to study the feeling of awe in the lab. Across a series of experiments they found that experiencing awe caused people to be less materialistic and more willing to volunteer their time to help others.

Written by Brona McVittie

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Source: bpod.mrc.ac.uk

Seeking Targets Cancer forms when cell division [the process of making new cells] goes out of control. Current treatment for some cancers, particularly brain tumours, doesn’t always stop cell division and the cancer comes back. So the search is on for different therapies. When developing new treatments, however, where should scientists start? Here we can see a slice from a glioblastoma – the most common form of brain tumour – stained with fluorescent proteins. The aggressively dividing tumour cells all share a protein called NG2 (stained green). This protein is already known to play a role in cell division but it’s now implicated in two further key steps to cancer. NG2 helps cells spread to other body regions, while also fostering the formation of new blood vessels that nourish the tumour. Blocking NG2 with drug therapy may present a new opportunity to improve patient survival. Written by Julie Webb — Talal F. Al-Mayhani Colin Watts Reprinted with permission from Oxford University Press Published in Neuro-Oncology
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Seeking Targets

Cancer forms when cell division [the process of making new cells] goes out of control. Current treatment for some cancers, particularly brain tumours, doesn’t always stop cell division and the cancer comes back. So the search is on for different therapies. When developing new treatments, however, where should scientists start? Here we can see a slice from a glioblastoma – the most common form of brain tumour – stained with fluorescent proteins. The aggressively dividing tumour cells all share a protein called NG2 (stained green). This protein is already known to play a role in cell division but it’s now implicated in two further key steps to cancer. NG2 helps cells spread to other body regions, while also fostering the formation of new blood vessels that nourish the tumour. Blocking NG2 with drug therapy may present a new opportunity to improve patient survival.

Written by Julie Webb

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Source: bpod.mrc.ac.uk