March 25th 2024

 
 

EARA News Digest 2024 - Week 13


Welcome to your Monday morning update, from EARA, on the latest news in biomedical science, policy and openness on animal research. 

This week: Zebrafish & muscle diseaseInsulin breakthroughBlindness & gut bacteria?Dressing wounds using mussels & silkworms

Could gene protect against muscle diseases? 

Researchers in Sweden (pictured) have discovered a gene found in the eye muscles that may help in the treatment of a severe muscle wasting disease.

The study at Umeå University, along with Lund University, looked at zebrafish with muscular dystrophy (MD) – a group of genetic diseases that cause weakening and wasting of the muscles – and showed that a specific gene (fhl2b) may have a protective effect against the disease.

The only muscles that are known to not be affected by muscular dystrophy are those that control eye movements (even if they have the same genetic defect), and fhl2b is only found in the eye muscles.

When the researchers made the zebrafish, with a common MD type called Duchenne MD, overproduce the gene, they saw that the muscles were in better condition, became stronger and that the fish survived longer (MD) can greatly reduce life expectancy). 

Jonas von Hofsten, at Umeå (pictured back right with his colleagues), said: “There is a long way to go before we arrive at new treatment methods. But the results mean that we have a clear track for further research on how we can use the specific gene and protein to slow down this painful disease progression.”

 

 

Cows provide possible solution to insulin supply

US research has revealed that genetically altered cows can produce human insulin proteins in their milk, giving hope of solving the current problems of global insulin supply.
 
The search for sustainable production of insulin – essential in the treatment of diabetes – has been ongoing since the hormone's discovery in 1921.

Initially sourced from the pancreas of cows and pigs, the production shifted in the late 70s to using genetically engineered bacteria and then yeast.
 
Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign integrated a segment of human DNA coding for proinsulin – the precursor molecule for the in-body production of insulin in humans – into the cells of 10 cow embryos and then implanted these in the wombs of regular cows, resulting in one genetically altered calf.
 
The team then successfully induced pregnancy in the newly modified cow, which, with help from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, revealed the presence of human proinsulin and insulin in the cow's milk.
 
The unexpected outcome, published in the Biotechnology Journal, demonstrated the cow's ability to convert proinsulin directly into insulin, potentially surpassing current production methods in yield and cost-effectiveness.
 
Matthew Wheeler, the lead scientist at Illinois (pictured), said: "Our goal was to make proinsulin, purify it out to insulin, and go from there. But the cow basically processed it herself."
 
The next steps involve scaling up the production process and ensuring the method's safety and efficacy for large-scale insulin production.

 

 

Blindness from eye disease linked to the gut

Gut bacteria may be the cause of blindness from certain eye diseases, an international study in mice has found.

Led by University College London (UCL) and Moorfields Eye Hospital, both UK, and Sun Yat-sen University, China, the research looked at mice with sight loss caused by a specific mutation in the CRB1 gene, which is linked to certain inherited eye diseases.

In the damaged part of the eye, the team discovered the presence of harmful bacteria that are usually found in the gut.

Further investigation in the mice showed that the mutated CRB1 caused the normal barriers between the eye’s retina and gut to be breached, allowing bacteria to enter the eye, damage the retina and cause sight loss.

Scientists have now suggested that these conditions might be treated with antibiotics.

Richard Lee, at UCL and Moorfields, said: “Our findings could have huge implications for transforming treatment for CRB1-associated eye diseases.

The team now hope to continue this research in clinical studies.

 

 

Wound dressings using mussels and silkworms

Mussels and silkworms may provide an improved alternative to dressing open wounds compared to existing methods, a South Korean study has found.

The team at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), the Catholic University of Korea and Ewha Women’s University, developed a new type of dressing to cover open wounds and stop bleeding, by looking at the natural adhesive that mussels use to stick to rocks, and the strength of silk fibres from silkworms.

The dressing incorporates layers of nanoscopic fibres from mussel adhesive protein (MAP) and a protein from silkworm cocoons (SP). While MAP ensures the dressing adheres to the tissues and promotes blood clotting, SP provides strength and stops bacteria from entering the wound.

When the group used the dressing on rats, they found it reduced clotting time and blood loss compared to gauze, which can lead to infection. The dressing is also biodegradable, so can dissolve harmlessly inside the body.

The next step is to assess its application in people, for example after surgery.

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