UC Science Today

Chemotherapy drugs can have brutal side effects, impacting everything from digestion to the nervous system. But what if these drugs could be localized at the site of a tumor to reduce these harms? This is what researcher Chelsea Chen of the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab is working towards: new drug-capture materials that are essentially chemical sponges. The polymer devices are called ChemoFilters.

"We insert this ChemoFilter through a tiny tube into the body, and the device would be placed right next to the tumor. It is used to capture the chemotherapy drug, and that’s past the tumor, before it enters the body’s circulation. That way it decreases the systemic toxicities."

While the device was conceived with liver cancer in mind, Chen is working on ChemoFilters that can absorb other chemotherapy drugs as well.

"The ChemoFilter will have broad use, but on the other hand, it’s not applicable to all types of cancers."

To be used on humans, the device will require additional testing for federal approval.

Every hour, one person can shed about 37 million microbes into the air. That’s something to consider while spending 8 hours in windowless office buildings, not to mention any time spent on an airplane! Jonathan Allen, a bioinformatics scientist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is part of a new, national panel that will study how microbial communities of organisms (or microbiomes) can affect human health in 'built environments'.

"How can we apply the current technologies that are being used to study the microbiome in a broad array of research areas and apply them, to really advance the field in building design and interactions with people? What are the open challenges, where do the research efforts need to go to actually develop the practical information that’s going to really impact building design?"

The panel plans to assess the current base of knowledge in this field and identify research gaps to improve future building design. They will also look into other built environments like cars, subways and hospitals, where the aim will be to limit the spread of infectious disease

When we think about what sustains our bodies, copper isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind. But according to chemist Chris Chang of the University of California, Berkeley, it’s vital to many biological functions, from nutrition to signaling in the nervous system. After learning that copper is given to cows to control weight gain, Chang looked into its role in fat metabolism and obesity. His team started with plates of cultured fat cells, then moved on to a mouse model.

"What we ended up finding was that copper was a necessary component for the mice to be able to burn fat. And so what happens is if the mice don’t have enough copper in their fat cells, then they can’t undergo this process of fat burning, the act of breaking larger pieces of fat into smaller pieces of fat for energy. Then it predisposes you to having larger buildup of fat and of hence of obesity."

Since a copper imbalance can lead to metabolic issues and other diseases, Chang plans to further study how the element might be used as a therapy or possible treatment.

Editorial note: Please don't eat pennies!

When we think about what sustains our bodies, copper isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind. But according to chemist Chris Chang of the University of California, Berkeley, it’s vital to many biological functions, from nutrition to signaling in the nervous system. After learning that copper is given to cows to control weight gain, Chang looked into its role in fat metabolism and obesity. His team started with plates of cultured fat cells, then moved on to a mouse model.

"What we ended up finding was that copper was a necessary component for the mice to be able to burn fat. And so what happens is if the mice don’t have enough copper in their fat cells, then they can’t undergo this process of fat burning, the act of breaking larger pieces of fat into smaller pieces of fat for energy. Then it predisposes you to having larger buildup of fat and of hence of obesity."

Since a copper imbalance can lead to metabolic issues and other diseases, Chang plans to further study how the element might be used as a therapy or possible treatment.

Editorial note: Please don't eat pennies!

When it comes to research on the Zika virus, how well can a brain grown in a laboratory represent the real thing? In his recent studies, neuroscientist Arnold Kriegstein of the University of California, San Francisco realized that laboratories needed a model system to emulate the developing brain. These artificial models, or organoids, had to express a receptor known as A-X-L, which allows Zika to enter a baby’s brain from the blood.

"We were looking at what other model systems could be used to study how the Zika virus infects cells and we found that those organoids also express AXL, and in the exact same place as they do in the normally developing brain."

Although the model has some limitations, it is able to reproduce much of the physiology involved in Zika infection. The cells in these organoids can essentially self-organize into a 3-dimensional structure.

"So that encouraged us that this model, which people all over the world are now using, can be studied to understand more about how the virus enters the cell, the consequences of infection, and so on."

When it comes to research on the Zika virus, how well can a brain grown in a laboratory represent the real thing? In his recent studies, neuroscientist Arnold Kriegstein of the University of California, San Francisco realized that laboratories needed a model system to emulate the developing brain. These artificial models, or organoids, had to express a receptor known as A-X-L, which allows Zika to enter a baby’s brain from the blood.

"We were looking at what other model systems could be used to study how the Zika virus infects cells and we found that those organoids also express AXL, and in the exact same place as they do in the normally developing brain."

Although the model has some limitations, it is able to reproduce much of the physiology involved in Zika infection. The cells in these organoids can essentially self-organize into a 3-dimensional structure.

"So that encouraged us that this model, which people all over the world are now using, can be studied to understand more about how the virus enters the cell, the consequences of infection, and so on."

Researchers are now able to turn one cell type into another within the body of a mouse. But how can they make sure these changes happen in the right spot? To track the transformation of diseased liver cells into healthy ones, study leader Milad Rezvani of the University of California, San Francisco used a special kind of transgenic, or genetically altered, mouse model.

"We focused primarily on one transgenic model that labels this cell type that is the main culprit in liver cirrhosis. So when we reprogrammed this cirrhosis-causing cell type into liver cells, it would maintain this label. We really knew where this cell was coming from."

Although the cell transformation materials sent into the mouse ended up in some other places, like a few muscle cells, Rezvani says the amounts were negligible. More importantly, the mice revealed new patches of healthy liver tissue.

"That’s why mice are extremely important, still, to not only understand disease, but to find new therapeutic approaches."

Researchers are now able to turn one cell type into another within the body of a mouse. But how can they make sure these changes happen in the right spot? To track the transformation of diseased liver cells into healthy ones, study leader Milad Rezvani of the University of California, San Francisco used a special kind of transgenic, or genetically altered, mouse model.

"We focused primarily on one transgenic model that labels this cell type that is the main culprit in liver cirrhosis. So when we reprogrammed this cirrhosis-causing cell type into liver cells, it would maintain this label. We really knew where this cell was coming from."

Although the cell transformation materials sent into the mouse ended up in some other places, like a few muscle cells, Rezvani says the amounts were negligible. More importantly, the mice revealed new patches of healthy liver tissue.

"That’s why mice are extremely important, still, to not only understand disease, but to find new therapeutic approaches."

When it comes to the neuroscience of pain, toxins are a surprisingly handy research tool. Much of the nervous system uses what’s called sodium channels to carry signals to your brain. But if a pathway is problematic, the sheer diversity of these channels can make treatment a challenge. In a recent step towards more selective pain drugs, researcher Jeremiah Steen of the University of California, San Francisco found that a toxin in tarantula venom attaches to one type of these sodium channels that’s associated with sharp, biting pain.

"These sodium channels are expressed all over the nervous system, and they have very subtle differences. And so, when you’re trying to design a drug, it’s just very hard to find a molecule that will recognize one of these subtypes and not others."

And so, getting back to the tarantula toxin…

"What was very interesting and serendipitous for us was that it was selective for a certain subtype of sodium channel. And that’s really what allowed us to study that sodium channel using the toxin."

When it comes to the neuroscience of pain, toxins are a surprisingly handy research tool. Much of the nervous system uses what’s called sodium channels to carry signals to your brain. But if a pathway is problematic, the sheer diversity of these channels can make treatment a challenge. In a recent step towards more selective pain drugs, researcher Jeremiah Steen of the University of California, San Francisco found that a toxin in tarantula venom attaches to one type of these sodium channels that’s associated with sharp, biting pain.

"These sodium channels are expressed all over the nervous system, and they have very subtle differences. And so, when you’re trying to design a drug, it’s just very hard to find a molecule that will recognize one of these subtypes and not others."

And so, getting back to the tarantula toxin…

"What was very interesting and serendipitous for us was that it was selective for a certain subtype of sodium channel. And that’s really what allowed us to study that sodium channel using the toxin."