Health Research:Ebola vaccine effective in a single dose ♦ Insights for pain drug development ♦ Fountain of youth uncovered

Ebola vaccine effective in a single dose  Medical researchers have developed a quick-acting vaccine that is both safe and effective with a single dose against the Ebola strain that killed thousands of people in West Africa last year. During 2014, the outbreak of the West African Makona strain of Ebola Zaire virus killed nearly 10,000 and caused worldwide concern.

First look at 'wasabi receptor' brings insights for pain drug development  In a feat that would have been unachievable only a few years ago, researchers have pulled aside the curtain on a protein informally known as the 'wasabi receptor,' revealing at near-atomic resolution structures that could be targeted with anti-inflammatory pain drugs.

In first human study, new antibody therapy shows promise in suppressing HIV infection  In the first results to emerge from HIV patient trials of a new generation of so-called broadly neutralizing antibodies, researchers have found the experimental therapy can dramatically reduce the amount of virus present in a patient's blood.

Fountain of youth uncovered in mammary glands of mice, by breast cancer researchers The Fountain of Youth has been discovered, it was found in the mammary glands of genetically modified mice. A research team has found that when two factors that control tissue development are removed, you can avoid the impact of aging

Increase in inflammation linked to high traffic pollution for people on insulin  People on insulin living next to roads with heavy traffic had markedly increased concentration of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, compared to those living in lower traffic areas, a two-year epidemiological study has found. Individuals taking oral diabetes medications did not experience increases in CRP concentration.

Developing Insulin-Producing Cells to Treat Diabetes

Developing Insulin-Producing Cells to Treat Diabetes

Diabetes is a disorder in the use of glucose, a sugar that serves as fuel for the body. When blood glucose levels rise, beta cells in the pancreas normally make the hormone insulin. Insulin triggers cells throughout the body to take up sugar from the blood. In type 2 diabetes, the most common form, tissues in the body lose their sensitivity to insulin, and pancreatic beta cells can’t make enough insulin to keep glucose levels in check.

In type 1 diabetes, the body’s own immune system attacks and destroys beta cells. High blood glucose levels can lead to heart disease, blindness, and other health problems over time.

Human stem cell-derived beta cells that have formed islet-like clusters in a mouse.  Image by Douglas Melton, courtesy of Harvard University.

One strategy to treat diabetes is to replace destroyed beta cells. Transplanted human pancreatic cells from deceased donors have been successfully used to treat people with type 1 diabetes. However, this approach is limited by the availability of donor cells and the side effects of immunosuppression.

Another approach would be to develop functioning beta cells from stem cells. Stem cells have the potential to transform into many different cell types. Human pluripotent stem cells are adult cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to take on the characteristics of embryonic stem cells. They can grow indefinitely in the laboratory and can theoretically change, or differentiate, into any cell type found in the body.

A team led by Dr. Douglas Melton at Harvard University set out to transform stem cells into beta cells that could replace damaged beta cells. Although scientists have been able to convert stem cells into insulin-producing cells, these cells don’t have markers that indicate they are beta cells, and they aren’t responsive to glucose. The new study was funded in part by NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Results appeared online on October 9, 2014, in Cell.

The team grew a human embryonic stem cell line and 2 human-induced pluripotent stem cell lines in a culture system that enabled them to produce large numbers of cells. They tested more than 150 combinations of over 70 compounds to tease out a method to produce functional human beta cells from the cultured stem cells. They eventually fine-tuned a protocol that involved 5 different growth media and 11 different factors. When added in exact combinations over a period of several weeks, they transformed human pluripotent stem cells into beta cells that functioned similarly to normal adult beta cells.

The cultured beta cells had markers found on normal beta cells, showed changes in calcium levels when exposed to glucose, and packaged insulin into granules. When transplanted into mice, they secreted insulin in response to glucose. When the cells were transplanted into diabetic mice, abnormally high blood glucose levels lowered.

“The biggest hurdle has been to get to glucose-sensing, insulin-secreting beta cells, and that’s what our group has done,” says Melton. “We are now just one preclinical step away from the finish line.”

Additional work will be needed to develop these cells for clinical use. They could also serve as a useful screening tool for diabetes drugs.

by Carol Torgan, Ph.D

Glucose Test Strips May Report False, Abnormally High Result

Nova Diabetes Care have determined that some of the blood glucose test strips contained within Nova Max Glucose Test Strip and Nova Max Plus glucose meter kits may report a false, abnormally high blood glucose result. Nova Diabetes Care is recalling 21 lots of the Nova Max Glucose Test Strips distributed worldwide.

Risk: Patients with diabetes must monitor their blood glucose (sugar) levels.  A false, abnormally high blood glucose reading could lead to an insulin dosing error that could endanger their health. Patients with diabetes should be aware of symptoms of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). These test strips were manufactured from December 2011 through April 2013 and distributed from January 2012 through July 23, 2013.

Recommendations

• Patients should contact their health care professional for advice on how to treat symptoms of high and low blood sugar. These symptoms include excessive thirst, excessive urination, blurred vision, nausea and abdominal pain for high blood sugar and trembling, excessive sweating, weakness, hunger and headache for low blood sugar.
• Those who use Nova Max Glucose Test Strips for blood glucose testing should immediately discontinue using strips from the recalled lots.
• Customers can also check to confirm if they have blood glucose test strips from the affected lots by contacting Nova Diabetes Care customer service at 1-800-681-7390.