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18 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY DELHI THE HINDU Magazine
Sunday, March 3, 2019

Cell lines to study familial
CAPSULES

Alzheimer’s in a dish

When many members are affected, genetic risk may be easier to detect

SHUBASHREE DESIKAN

Cloud vapourising ementia affects about 3.7
million people in India, which
Low-lying cloud banks serve to is 1% of population aged
effectively cool the earth by reflecting Dabove 60. This number is set
sunlight away from the land below. to increase as the population ages.
However, a recent simulation portends ill There is a need to study Alzheimer’s
for such clouds from carbon dioxide disease more widely in the Indian
emissions. A new interaction between context. A team of scientists drawn
clouds and green house gases has been from NIMHANS, NCBS and InSTEM has
revealed, which would disperse the characterised two representative
clouds. This could occur in approximately human­induced pluripotent stem cell
a century, and without clouds, the earth lines (iPSC) from families with
could see up to 8 degrees C warming incidence of Alzheimer’s. The cell lines
over and above that caused by can now be used to further research which can be used as proxy readout to Neuropsychiatric Syndromes) study
greenhouse gases. The study has been into dementia and related disorders. understand disease mechanism in a which identifies and follows up many
published in Nature Geosciences. The study was published in Stem Cell dish,” says Dr. Odity Mukherjee of families who happen to have many
Research. Institute of Stem Biology and members diagnosed with one or the
Regenerative Medicine (InStem), other syndrome of psychiatric illness.
A Island of ignorance Bengaluru. The cohort from which the When the disease affects many
Scientists have “Neuro­psychiatric diseases represent human iPSCs are drawn are well members in a family, the genetic risk is
characterised a large ‘island of medical ignorance’. characterised: that is, the clinical higher, and may thus be easier to
Shining a light on this area of darkness
detect.
symptoms, MRI studies,
two human using all the tools available is neuropsychology and family history for “Identifying the shared genetics and
induced essential,” says Dr. Sanjeev Jain of these subjects have been well then trying to understand how the
documented. “So we are reasonably
National Institute for Mental Health
pluripotent Download Indian Library App genetic change translates itself into
stem cell lines and Neurological Sciences, Bengaluru sure about the nature of the mutation disease is the current work,” explains
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from families (NIMHANS), a member of this that we have detected,” says Dr. Jain. Dr Jain. “It’s a bit ambitious! But we are
collaboration. “The lines generated
hopeful that with our clinical data, and
Upright Neanderthals with known have been deeply characterised, and Genetic risk scientific skills, we should be able to
incidences of preliminary data confirm that they This work is now extended as a part of make some meaningful contribution,”
By reconstructing the spine and pelvis of Alzheimer’s. mimic disease­relevant attributes the DBNS (Discovery Biology of he adds.
a Neanderthal skeletal specimen found
at La Chapelle Aux Saints in France,
scientists came to the conclusion that
Neanderthals walked erect, very much Kirubakaran from the Department of
like modern Homo sapiens do. Targeting the H. Chemistry and corresponding author
Neanderthals are often depicted as of the work published in Scientific
having a hunched up, poor posture. So Reports. The team is working to make
this discovery comes with a change of high throughput library of small
perspective. This was underlined by the Pylori bacterium molecules. This library will be highly
wear marks on the hip joints of the useful to screen against various targets
skeleton which pointed to the upright that are important in several infectious
posture. The research was published in An indole­based compound could inhibit diseases.
PNAS. Dr. Kirubakaran explained that
bacterial enzyme selectively unlike the currently used
benzimidazole compounds that were
Effectiveness: metabolically unstable, indole­based
About 75% compound proved to be stable. By
inhibition of the making simple chemical changes to the
enzyme is brought commercially available indole, they
about by the new were able to create the compound that
compound,w says can inhibit the bacterial enzyme
Vijay selectively over human enzyme.
Thiruvenkatam The targeted H. pylori enzyme was
(right). expressed in E. coli and studied. “A
detailed enzyme kinetic analysis
High brew showed that about 75% inhibition of the
enzyme is brought about by the new
Brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces compound,” adds Vijay Thiruvenkatam
cerevisiae) which has been used in ASWATHI PACHA material that can do the job. from the department of Biological
brewing alcoholic drinks for centuries Engineering and one of the authors of
has now been genetically modified to he bacterium Helicobacter Key enzyme targeted the paper. “More studies on H. pylori­
produce cannabinoids – chemicals that pylori which has been The indole­based compound was found infected cell lines are needed to
have medicinal and even mind-altering recognised as a type 1 to target an important bacterial validate the results.”
properties and are found in cannabis – Tcarcinogen, is one of the major enzyme (Hp IMPDH) that is essential “This work is a starting point
according to an article in Nature. A infection­causing organisms. Scientists for microbial proliferation. “We towards targeted therapy for many
sugar, galactose, found in brewer’s yeast have been working to find new synthesised over a set of 25 molecules infections as the IMPDH enzyme is a
was turned into a psychoactive compounds that can specifically target and tested their activity. The indole­ potential target in many pathogens like
compound found in cannabis. The yeast the bacteria. Researchers from IIT based compound was able to bind to Mycobacterium, Streptococcus
could also produce cannabidiol, now Gandhinagar have now designed a the enzyme very potently and inhibit pneumoniae,” adds Kapil Juvale, first
being recognised for therapeutic compound using indole as a building its function,” explains Sivapriya author of the paper.
benefits.