d(GC) - Association of Biotechnology and Pharmacy
d(GC) - Association of Biotechnology and Pharmacy
d(GC) - Association of Biotechnology and Pharmacy
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Current Trends in <strong>Biotechnology</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Pharmacy</strong><br />
Vol. 6 (2) i-iv April 2012, ISSN 0973-8916 (Print), 2230-7303 (Online)<br />
neuronal cell lineages. According to the findings <strong>of</strong><br />
School <strong>of</strong> Dentistry, Cardiff University, the OMLP-PC<br />
line was derived from cells taken from the inside lining<br />
<strong>of</strong> cheeks <strong>of</strong> patients undergoing routine dental<br />
procedures. Tests showed that even small doses <strong>of</strong><br />
the cells could completely inhibit lymphocytes.<br />
Complete inhibition <strong>of</strong> lymphocyte proliferation was<br />
seen at doses as low as 0.001% OMLP-PCs to<br />
responder lymphocytes, while annexin V staining<br />
confirmed that this immunosuppressive effect <strong>and</strong><br />
was not due to the induction <strong>of</strong> lymphocyte apoptosis.<br />
The findings <strong>of</strong> the study, demonstrates for the first<br />
time that OMLP-PC immunomodulation, unlike that<br />
for mesenchymal stem cells, occurs via a dose- <strong>and</strong><br />
HLA II-independent mechanism by the release <strong>of</strong><br />
immunosuppressive soluble factors. The results<br />
suggest that OMLP-PCs are suitable c<strong>and</strong>idates for<br />
allogenic tissue engineering <strong>and</strong> may have wideranging<br />
potential for immune-related therapies, such<br />
as to prevent rejection <strong>of</strong> transplanted organs <strong>and</strong> to<br />
treat the form <strong>of</strong> diabetes resulting from lymphocyte<br />
attack <strong>of</strong> insulin-producing cells., These cells are<br />
extremely powerful <strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong>fer promise for combating<br />
a number <strong>of</strong> diseases where we just harvest a small<br />
biopsy from inside the mouth.<br />
Y. Harini<br />
Modified Protein May Reduce Heart Attack Damage<br />
Scientists at Department <strong>of</strong> Pathology <strong>and</strong> Lab<br />
Medicine at the University <strong>of</strong> North Carolina modified<br />
a protein in the heart that greatly reduced cell damage<br />
after heart attacks, according to new research. The<br />
modified protein reduced cell damage by 50% in mice<br />
without causing damaging inflammation. These<br />
findings came during research looking at ways to<br />
prevent heart failure induced by heart attacks. The<br />
protein is called focal adhesion kinase (FAK). It<br />
organizes cell structure by triggering various<br />
processes that help the cells stay alive. FAK is<br />
important for basic processes in all cells, <strong>and</strong> it<br />
appears to be important for cell survival, growth <strong>and</strong><br />
migration in a number <strong>of</strong> cell types, but is especially<br />
critical in the heart. In mice with the new SuperFAK<br />
gene, researchers saw a massive activation <strong>of</strong> FAK<br />
after heart attack, <strong>and</strong> not as many heart cells died<br />
compared to unmodified mice. Three days after the<br />
induced heart attack, the SuperFAK mice had<br />
approximately 50% less heart injury than the<br />
unaltered mice. This benefit was maintained for eight<br />
weeks. FAK also plays a role in the development <strong>of</strong> a<br />
number <strong>of</strong> cancers <strong>and</strong> it has been associated with<br />
tumor growth <strong>and</strong> metastases. Some chemotherapy<br />
agents hinder FAK, leaving the heart susceptible to<br />
damage. Progressive cardiac damage is a typical<br />
adverse effect <strong>of</strong> several chemotherapeutic<br />
treatments. In the future, the investigators hope to<br />
develop drugs to target FAK to protect the heart during<br />
chemotherapy or following a heart attack.<br />
J. Aruna Kumari<br />
The Immune System Reacts More Vigorously to<br />
Hydrophobic Nanoparticles<br />
A recent study showed that the degree to which<br />
the immune system reacts to foreign nanoparticles<br />
is directly related to how hydrophobic the particles<br />
are. Underst<strong>and</strong>ing the interactions <strong>of</strong> nanomaterials<br />
with the immune system is essential for the<br />
engineering <strong>of</strong> new macromolecular drug or vaccine<br />
delivery systems. Investigators at Tel Aviv University<br />
Israel fabricated pure gold nanoparticles that were<br />
two nanometers in diameter. In the unmodified state,<br />
the nanoparticles were not recognized by immune<br />
cells. Thus, the effect <strong>of</strong> any change in the surface <strong>of</strong><br />
the particles could be detected. The investigators<br />
manufactured a series <strong>of</strong> gold nanoparticles that<br />
presented a linear increase in hydrophobicity. These<br />
particles were then added to cultures <strong>of</strong> immune<br />
spleen cells (splenocytes) <strong>and</strong> injected into mice.<br />
Results revealed that increased hydrophobicity <strong>of</strong> the<br />
nanoparticle headgroups, caused a linear increase<br />
in immune activity in the cell cultures. Consistent<br />
behavior was observed with in vivo mouse models,<br />
demonstrating the importance <strong>of</strong> hydrophobicity in<br />
immune system activation.<br />
Ch.Parimala<br />
EDUCATION<br />
PhD/Post Doctoral Programs<br />
Admission to Ph.D. Programme for 2012 - 2013:<br />
Applications are invited for admission to Ph.D<br />
programmes in National Institute <strong>of</strong> Plant Genome<br />
Research, New Delhi-110 067, India in the frontier<br />
areas <strong>of</strong> Plant Biology such as, Computational<br />
Biology, Genome Analysis <strong>and</strong> Molecular Mapping,<br />
Molecular Mechanism <strong>of</strong> Abiotic Stress Responses,<br />
Nutritional Genomics, Plant Development <strong>and</strong><br />
Architecture, Plant Immunity, Transgenics for Crop<br />
improvement, Molecular Breeding <strong>and</strong> other<br />
emerging areas based on plant genomics. The<br />
selection is made on the basis <strong>of</strong> interview only. The<br />
selected c<strong>and</strong>idates will be enrolled for Ph.D. program<br />
in academic affiliation with the Jawaharlal Nehru<br />
University, New Delhi. NIPGR will provide shared<br />
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