Medical Bulletin 26/August/2022

Ref:

Dr. Eva Holt et. al,ESC Congress 2022

New blood test to evaluate the severity of pulmonary arterial hypertension

The new blood test measures DNA fragments shed by damaged cells. Researchers found that these fragments, called cell-free DNA, were elevated in the blood of patients with PAH and increase with disease severity.

Patients with PAH have a high death rate, and the condition mostly affects women. Despite treatment advances, it currently has no cure.

Ref:

Plasma Cell-free DNA Predicts Survival and Maps Specific Sources of Injury in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Circulation. DOI: 0.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.056719

Synthetic mouse embryo from stem cells which has brain heartbeats

The results are the culmination of more than a decade of research, and they could help researchers understand why some embryos fail while others go on to develop into a fetus as part of a healthy pregnancy. Additionally, the results could be used to guide repair and development of synthetic human organs for transplantation.

The embryo model was developed without eggs or sperm. Instead, the researchers mimicked natural processes in the lab by guiding the three types of stem cells found in early mammalian development to the point where they start interacting. By inducing the expression of a particular set of genes and establishing a unique environment for their interactions, the researchers were able to get the stem cells to "talk" to each other.

Ref:

Gianluca Amadei et al,Synthetic embryos complete gastrulation to neurulation and organogenesis,Nature,10.1038/s41586-022-05246-3