Promising new treatment for hearing-loss from Kyoto University
Date: 25/11/2010
Source: ANI via Sifi News
A promising new treatment has been developed for people who suffer from sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL).
Researchers have described the positive results of a preliminary trial of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), applied as a topical gel.
Takayuki Nakagawa, from Kyoto University, Japan, worked with a team of researchers to test the gel in 25 patients whose SSHL had not responded to the normal treatment of systemic gluticosteroids.
He said, "The results indicated that the topical IGF1 application using gelatin hydrogels was safe, and had equivalent or superior efficiency to the hyperbaric oxygen therapy that was used as a historical control; this suggests that the efficacy of topical IGF1 application should be further evaluated using randomized clinical trials".
At 12 weeks after the test treatment, 48 pc of patients showed hearing improvement, and the proportion increased to 56 pc at 24 weeks. No serious adverse events were observed. This is the first time that growth factors have been tested as a hearing remedy.
According to Nakagawa, "Although systemic glucocorticoid application results in hearing recovery in some patients with SSHL, approximately 20 pc show no recovery. Topical IGF1 application using gelatin hydrogels is well tolerated and may be efficacious for these patients".
The finding has been published in the journal BMC Medicine. (ANI)
Molecular Simulations Confirm Role of Functional Rotation in Multidrug Resistance
Date: 23/11/2010
Source: RIKEN via HPC Wire
A new molecular simulation technique developed by researchers at RIKEN and Kyoto University has confirmed for the first time the function of the transporter protein AcrB in E. coli multidrug resistance. The result marks a key step in efforts to combat antibiotic resistance, demonstrating the power of computer simulation as an essential tool for basic research.
The capacity of certain bacteria to resist a wide variety of drugs and chemicals, known as “multidrug resistance”, has attracted widespread attention for the threat it poses to global health. One of the key factors that cause such resistance is the overexpression of efflux pumps, protein transporters in the cytoplasmic membrane that flush toxic substances out of the cell.
To clarify the role of efflux pumps in multidrug resistance, the researchers modeled the dynamics of AcrB, a transporter in E. coli which enables the bacteria to expel a wide range of target substances, including many antibiotics. Earlier research characterized AcrB as a prism-shaped homo-trimer of three protein subunits with conformations corresponding to three states in a transport cycle governing access to, binding and extrusion of target substances from the cell. Evidence for this so-called “functional rotation” hypothesis, however, was lacking.
Using a new coarse-grain molecular simulation technique, the research group has now produced this crucial evidence for the first time, and has pinpointed its driving force in proton-binding to AcrB’s drug-bound molecule. The findings also reconcile previous results, which in 2002 described AcrB as a symmetric structure and then in 2006 an asymmetric one, by suggesting that each study describes a different state of the transporter, whose conformation changes during drug dissociation.
Reported in the journal Nature Communications, this verification of the functional rotation mechanism marks a key step forward toward tackling key problems of multidrug resistance. It also hints at breakthroughs to come with the launch of RIKEN’s new Next-Generation Supercomputer (“K Computer”), set to be unveiled in 2012.
Reference:
Xin-Qiu Yao, Hiroo Kenzaki, Satoshi Murakami, and Shoji Takada. Drug export and allosteric coupling in a multidrug transporter revealed by molecular simulations. Nature Communications 1: 117 (2010)(8 pages). doi: 10.1038/ncomms1116 (2010).
Buddhist sculptures go 3D on iPads at Kyoto temple
Date: 22/11/2010
Source: Kyodo (Japan Economic Newswire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge)
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| Source : Kyoto Shimbun |
Byodoin Temple in Kyoto began showing stereoscopic images of its rare ancient Buddhist sculptures Monday using iPad tablet computers at its annex museum.
Visitors can examine digital images on the iPads of five of its collection of 52 "Bosatsu on Clouds" wooden sculptures, created in 1053 and designated as national treasures, in their original colors at the Hoshokan museum in Uji in the western Japan prefecture.
The frontal, back and side images, created by three-dimensional calculations using a laser scanner, capture details visitors often miss while viewing the actual works.
"I would like the visitors to feel the aesthetic values that date back to the Heian Period," said Monsho Kamii, the head priest at the temple, referring to an era ending in the 12th century.
(c) 2010 Kyodo News International, Inc.
Panasonic’s EVOLTA Mini Robot Finishes 500KM Journey From Tokyo To Kyoto
Date: 22/11/2010
Source: Crunch Gear (Serkan Toto)
Back in September, Panasonic announced an unusual publicity stunt: let a cute mini robot walk from Tokyo to Kyoto – powered solely by the company’s rechargeable EVOLTA batteries. The 1kg robot started the journey on September 23 in Tokyo, and today, Panasonic proudly announced the robot has arrived safely in Kyoto.
In other words, it took the the little guy about 2 months to travel 310 miles. To cover the trek, Panasonic set up a dedicated Ustream channel, a YouTube channel, an official website, and a blog (all in Japanese only).
The robot was powered by a total of twelve EVOLTA batteries, which were charged daily.
Panasonic says that it moved at 2 to 3km/h and arrived in Kyoto way ahead of schedule (December 10).
It wasn’t the first time big P used the robot for a publicity stunt. In 2008, an EVOLTA-powered mini robot climbed up a 500 meter high cliff at Grand Canyon. One year later, such a robot ran 24km on the famous Le Mans 24 Hours circuit in France (on 2 AA batteries).
Dr. Shinya Yamanaka Receives 2010 Kyoto Prize in “Advanced Technology” for Work with Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Date: 10/11/2010
Source: Business Wire
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Dr. Shinya Yamanaka discovered how to revert body cells to the embryonic state. (Toshifumi Kitamura, AFP/Getty Images / January 9, 2008) |
Kyoto, Japan - The non-profit Inamori Foundation (President: Dr. Kazuo Inamori) today presented Dr. Shinya Yamanaka with its 26th annual Kyoto Prize in “Advanced Technology,” which focuses for 2010 on the fields of Biotechnology and Medical Technology.
Yamanaka, 48, is a senior investigator at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease in San Francisco; professor at Kyoto University; and director of CiRA, Kyoto University's Center for iPS Cell Research and Application. He received the Kyoto Prize for developing a technology to generate induced pluripotent stem cells, otherwise known as iPS cells.
Dr. Yamanaka's Achievements
Pluripotent stem cells are believed to hold tremendous future promise for treating human injury and disease because of their ability to grow into virtually any type of differentiated cell. For years, however, research in this area has faced two impediments. The first has been primarily an ethical concern: traditional technologies have derived stem cells from human embryos, which are destroyed in the process. The second impediment is the risk of immunological rejection, since transplanted embryonic stem (ES) cells are not the patient's own cells. Dr. Yamanaka's work is making historic progress in overcoming both of these issues.
Determined to find a way to develop stem cells that would not destroy human embryos, Dr. Yamanaka focused his research on “reprogramming” adult skin cells. By introducing just four transcription factor genes into dermal fibroblasts, he succeeded in creating “induced pluripotent” stem (iPS) cells, which exhibit pluripotency similar to that of embryonic stem (ES) cells. The potential of this achievement includes the possibility of future stem cell therapies that could be based on a patient's own cells.
Dr. Yamanaka's iPS cell technology also holds promise for revealing the pathologies of human diseases. It could one day provide insights into treating illnesses now considered incurable, and aid in the screening process for drug discovery and drug toxicity testing. Over the long term, Dr. Yamanaka's work has the potential to expand the possibilities of regenerative medicine, and the medical sciences overall.
Other 2010 Kyoto Prize Recipients
In addition to Dr. Yamanaka, this year's Kyoto Prize laureates include:
- In “Basic Sciences:” Dr. László Lovász (citizenship: U.S. and Hungary), 62, director of the Mathematical Institute at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, who has provided a link among numerous branches of the mathematical sciences in terms of algorithms through his advanced research on discrete structures.
- In “Arts and Philosophy:” Mr. William Kentridge (citizenship: South Africa), 55, a visual artist from Johannesburg, whose wide-ranging activities encompass animation, stage direction and writing.
The Kyoto Prize
The Kyoto Prize is Japan's highest private award for global achievement, honoring significant contributions to the betterment of humankind. It consists of a diploma, a 20-karat-gold Kyoto Prize medal, and a cash gift totaling 50 million yen (approximately US$610,000) per category.
The Inamori Foundation
The non-profit Inamori Foundation was established in 1984 by Dr. Kazuo Inamori, founder and chairman emeritus of Kyocera (NYSE:KYO) and KDDI Corporation. The Foundation created the Kyoto Prize in 1985, in line with Dr. Inamori's belief that a human being has no higher calling than to strive for the greater good of society, and that the future of humanity can be assured only when there is a balance between our scientific progress and our spiritual depth. As of the 26th Kyoto Prize ceremony (November 10, 2010), the prize has been awarded to 84 individuals and one foundation — collectively representing 15 nations. Individual laureates range from scientists, engineers and researchers to philosophers, painters, architects, sculptors, musicians and film directors. The United States has produced the most recipients (34), followed by Japan (14), the United Kingdom (12), and France (8).
For more information and/or photos, visit: www.kyotoprize.org.
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