Latest news with #PNASNexus
New York Post
2 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
Could Down syndrome be eliminated? Scientists say cutting-edge gene editing tool could cut out extra chromosome
Cutting-edge gene editing technology could eradicate Down syndrome, according to Japanese scientists. Down syndrome, which causes a range of developmental differences and affects 1 in 700 newborns in the United States, is caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21. The extra chromosome, also known as trisomy 21, causes cellular overactivity, compromises a range of processes within the body, and can manifest in distinctive physical traits, learning difficulties, and health concerns. Advertisement Now new research out of Mie University in Japan suggests that by using the DNA-modifying tech CRISPR, it is possible to remove the surplus chromosome in affected cells and bring cellular behavior closer to typical function. 3 Down syndrome, which causes a range of developmental differences and affects 1 in 700 newborns in the United States, is caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21. Mongkolchon – CRISPR-Cas9 is a gene-editing system that utilizes an enzyme to identify specific DNA sequences. Once the enzyme locates a matching site, it snips through the DNA strands. Ryotaro Hashizume and his colleagues designed CRISPR guides to target only the trisomy 21 chromosome, a process called allele-specific editing, which directs the cutting enzyme to the desired spot. Advertisement When they used it on lab-grown cells, removing the extra copy of the gene normalized the way the genes expressed themselves in the body — suggesting that the genetic burden had been removed. They also found that after the extra chromosome was removed, genes tied to nervous system development were more active and those related to metabolism were less active. This backs up previous research that found extra copies of chromosome 21 disrupt brain development during early fetal growth. Researchers also tested their CRISPR guides on skin fibroblasts, which are mature, non-stem cells taken from people with Down syndrome. Advertisement In these fully developed cells, the editing method successfully removed the extra chromosome in a number of cases. 3 Hashizume and his team designed CRISPR guides to target only the trisomy 21 chromosome, a process called allele-specific editing, which directs the cutting enzyme to the desired spot. Gorodenkoff – After removal, these corrected cells grew faster and had a shorter doubling time than untreated cells, suggesting that removing the extra chromosome may help with the biological strain that slows down cell growth. Advertisement But the CRISPR can affect healthy chromosomes, too, and researchers are refining their program so that it only attaches to the extra copy of chromosome 21. This work proves that, rather than making small fixes, CRISPR can eliminate an entire chromosome. The scientists published their findings in PNAS Nexus. Hashizume and his team are hopeful that their work may be used to design regenerative therapies and treatments that address genetic surplus at its source. 3 Researchers also tested their CRISPR guides on skin fibroblasts, mature, non-stem cells taken from people with Down syndrome. Yakobchuk Olena – Researchers will continue to analyze the risks of DNA changes and monitor how modified cells function over time and their viability in real-world settings. A recent case study explored a medical mystery related to Down syndrome; the brain of an American woman with Down syndrome showed all the classic signs of Alzheimer's disease, yet she remained symptom-free throughout her lifetime. Advertisement People with Down syndrome face a much higher risk of developing Alzheimer's-related dementia as they age — an estimated three to five times higher than the general population. Scientists are still working to pinpoint the exact cause, but it's believed that the extra copy of chromosome 21 drives the overproduction of amyloid precursor protein. This excess production leads to the buildup of amyloid beta plaques in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Scientists reveal futuristic farming technique that may solve two global problems at once: 'Can revolutionize food production'
A team of scientists in Singapore has uncovered powerful new evidence that vertical farming — growing food in stacked and often indoor, controlled environments — could radically change how we feed the planet while also helping restore it. The study, led by Dr. Vanesa Calvo-Baltanás and published in the journal PNAS Nexus, examined how six food groups — crops, algae, mushrooms, insects, fish, and cultivated meat — performed in the controlled environmental agriculture of a 10-layer vertical farming system. The results were summarized in a report from the Technical University of Munich, shared by The foods not only dramatically outperformed traditional crop yields, but they also came with significantly lower environmental costs. For example, mushrooms and insects grown in vertical farms could produce up to 6,000 times more protein per acre than traditional farming. They also processed agricultural waste into edible, nutritious food, required very little light, and helped close resource loops that typically lead to pollution or emissions, which have damaging long-term effects on human health. With the climate crisis escalating and the world population projected to be near 10 billion by 2050, according to the United Nations, sustainable food systems are no longer optional. A study published in the journal Nature Food predicted a possible increase in food demand of around 60% by mid-century. Current agricultural methods are vulnerable to rising temperatures, extreme weather, and land degradation, and they consume massive amounts of water, land, and dirty fuels. Vertical farming provides a way to cut down on land use, eliminate pesticides, and produce food locally year-round, even in dense cities. In vertical farming, "food can be grown close to consumers, independent of the weather and using space efficiently," Calvo-Baltanás said in the university report, per In just one acre of vertical space, a greenhouse can yield what would typically require 40 acres of farmland, according to Eden Green Technology. And because it can reduce the need for long-haul shipping of food, it can cut down on transportation pollution and food waste. What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Not enough time Not enough space It seems too hard I have a garden already Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The technology isn't without hurdles. High energy demands and social acceptance remain key barriers to scaling up. But the study's authors say policy incentives, public support, and innovations in clean energy could unlock the full potential of this system. "Controlled environment agriculture can revolutionize food production," said Dr. Calvo-Baltanás. "However, technological advances, interdisciplinary research to tackle energy issues, policy incentives, and public engagement are needed to realize its full potential." As part of the Proteins4Singapore project, the researchers hope to help meet 30% of Singapore's nutritional needs locally by 2030 — a model other cities could soon follow if successful. Some innovators are already proving how vertical farms can thrive in urban settings. And, as the research shows, vertical farming may not just feed the future, but also help heal the planet along the way. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Newsweek
28-05-2025
- Science
- Newsweek
These Hungry Animals Eat Their First Meal Before Birth
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Forget The Very Hungry Caterpillar—scientists have discovered that another notoriously ravenous insect can eat its very first meal before it is even born. Entomologist Koutaro Ould Maeno of the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences and colleagues report that, in dry conditions, undersized desert locusts can hatch from oversized eggs with a little bit of the egg's yolk already in their guts. This little snack, the team believes, gives the young locusts the extra time and energy to find food to eat after hatching—allowing them to survive longer than their regular counterparts. The extra yolk, the researchers wrote, "functions as a 'lunch box'"; as they explain, "producing large eggs is advantageous under harsh conditions." A swarm of locusts A swarm of locusts Michael Wallis/iStock / Getty Images Plus The desert locust—Schistocerca gregaria—is a species of short-horned grasshopper found in parts of Africa, Arabia and southwest Asia that lives in one of two phases based on environmental conditions. Ordinarily, the insects live solitary lifestyles, moving independently and typically sporting a coloration that allows them to blend in with the background vegetation. When droughts cause food supplies to dwindle and locust populations to become more dense, the insects undergo both bodily and behavioral changes into a gregarious form. This sees the locusts switch to a more yellow coloration and emit pheromones that attract each other—encouraging group movements and swarm formation. These swarms, which can contain a staggering 390 million locusts per square mile, may travel long distances to reach new areas and form plagues that consume vast swathes of vegetation, making them a major agricultural pest. In their study, Maeno (who also goes by the moniker "Dr. Locust") and his colleagues raised desert locus in both isolated and crowded conditions, as well as in dry and wet settings. When reared in crowds, female locusts were found to lay fewer but larger eggs than those raised in isolation. Larger offspring are expected to have an advantage in competing for food. Meanwhile, dry conditions caused both solitary and gregarious locusts to have smaller offspring than in dry conditions—and both these hatchlings from small and large eggs were found to have residual yolk within their guts after birth. Pictured: Sample Locusts from the experiments; those from dry conditions were found to have yolk in their guts (black arrows). Pictured: Sample Locusts from the experiments; those from dry conditions were found to have yolk in their guts (black arrows). PNAS Nexus 2025. DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf132 "We show that larger progeny survive longer than smaller ones, which is expected," the researchers explained. "However, hatchlings from desiccated large eggs are abnormally small but have more yolk as energy—and survive longer under starved conditions than hatchlings from normal eggs." In fact, among solitary locusts reared in dry conditions, small hatchlings lived 65 percent longer in the absence of food than their normal-sized counterparts. And small gregarious hatchlings birthed in dry conditions survived a whopping 230 percent longer than solitary eggs produced in wet conditions. Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about locusts? Let us know via science@ Reference Maeno, K. O., Piou, C., Leménager, N., Ould Ely, S., Ould Babah Ebbe, M. A., Benahi, A. S., & Jaavar, M. E. H. (2025). Desiccated desert locust embryos reserve yolk as a "lunch box" for posthatching survival. PNAS Nexus, 4(5).
India Today
19-05-2025
- Health
- India Today
Is 5G harmful to humans? Scientists finally test it by blasting human cells with 5G waves
There are many conspiracy theories. And one of them is that 5G is harmful to birds, and if it is harmful to birds then it is probably harmful to humans and their brain. Now, a recent study is giving a clear answer to this question. Do 5G signals pose danger to human health? The answer is: no, they do at Germany's Constructor University recently conducted research and came to conclusion that '5G-exposed human skin cells do not respond with altered gene expression and methylation profiles'. advertisementDuring this research the scientists directly exposed human skin cells to high-intensity 5G electromagnetic waves. And the results were reassuring. Published in PNAS Nexus, the study puts an end to the ongoing debate over the potential health risks of 5G see the impact of 5G waves, researchers used two types of human skin cells — fibroblasts and keratinocytes — and exposed them to frequencies of 27 GHz and 40.5 GHz, which fall within the higher-end spectrum of 5G signals. These higher frequencies are part of the millimetre-wave bands expected to be widely deployed in the near future. According to the study, "even under worst-case conditions, no significant changes in gene expression or methylation patterns are observed after exposure."'We wanted to simulate worst-case exposure conditions,' the researchers were quoted as saying in reports. They also deliberately applied electromagnetic fields significantly stronger than what is permitted under international safety guidelines. According to the study, the exposure times ranged from two to 48 hours, simulating both short-term and prolonged contact with 5G the research points out that there were no detectable alterations in gene expression or DNA methylation. Notably, both gene expression and DNA are key indicators of cellular health and function. According to the study, frequencies up to 3 GHz can penetrate about 10 millimetres into the skin, while those at or above 10 GHz barely reach beyond 1 millimetre. This according to the researchers makes any deep biological interaction extremely is to be noted that researchers have already found that high-intensity radio frequencies can cause tissue heating. However, this research was conducted in a controlled environment to rule out temperature-induced effects. The conclusion: if there is no heating, there is no harm. The study challenges the claim that 5G exposure might cause non-thermal biological effects. 'Our data casts fundamental doubt on the existence of non-thermal biological effects from 5G exposure,' noted the research this study, the researchers hope to 'close this debate' with hard evidence and help the public better understand how electromagnetic radiation works within safe parameters. However the broader concerns about screens and wireless devices still remain, as these can impact mental and physical well-being in more subtle ways.
Android Authority
15-05-2025
- Health
- Android Authority
Take off your tinfoil hat: Exposure to 5G doesn't alter your genes, new study finds
TL;DR A new study found no genetic changes in human cells exposed to 5G radiation, even at high intensities. Researchers ruled out heating effects, confirming previous claims of harm were likely due to temperature, not EMF. 5G waves can't penetrate deep into the skin, and aren't scrambling your DNA. The 5G conspiracy crowd has been banging their drum for years, but scientists have now directly tested their central claims. In a useful but unsurprising result, a new 5G study found that blasting human skin cells with the radiation doesn't do anything to your genes. The peer-reviewed study, published in PNAS Nexus via Oxford Academic, exposed cultured human skin cells to 5G electromagnetic fields at two common frequencies: 27 GHz and 40.5 GHz. The cells were subjected to this radiation at intensities up to 10 times the current safety limits for both two-hour and 48-hour periods. The result was no changes in gene expression or alterations in DNA methylation — in other words, nothing. 5G frequencies are too low to damage DNA. This isn't just a case of not finding much or narrowing the possible harm. The researchers took great care to rule out heat as a confounding factor, which has skewed the few isolated studies that reported apparent effects and fueled the conspiracy. By carefully managing temperature and isolating the electromagnetic exposure, they confirmed that any changes seen in past studies were likely caused by warming and not the EMF itself. In summary, the energy of 5G frequencies is too low to ionize atoms or break molecular bonds, which means it can't damage DNA. Not even a little. The study also found these signals don't even make it past the surface — 5G waves can only penetrate a matter of millimeters into your skin. So even if they were dangerous, which the study found they're not, they're not getting deep enough to start altering your brain or internal organs. Of course, conspiracy theorists are rarely shaken from their beliefs by a forensic and peer-reviewed 5G study such as this one. It'll no doubt be branded as some fake news government propaganda. People are welcome to wear a tinfoil hat if it makes them feel safer, but they can't say the science is on their side. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
