Approaches for biological and biomimetic energy conversion

This article highlights areas of research at the interface of nanotechnology, the physical sciences, and biology that are related to energy conversion: specifically, those related to photovoltaic applications. Although much ongoing work is seeking to understand basic processes of photosynthesis and chemical conversion, such as light harvesting, electron transfer, and ion transport, application of this knowledge to the development of fully synthetic and/or hybrid devices is still in its infancy. To develop systems that produce energy in an efficient manner, it is important both to understand the biological mechanisms of energy flow for optimization of primary structure and to appreciate the roles of architecture and assembly. Whether devices are completely synthetic and mimic biological processes or devices use natural biomolecules, much of the research for future power systems will happen at the intersection of disciplines.     

再生医学前沿进展

再生医学(RM)是研究组织或器官受损后修复和再生的一门分支学科。由于组织工程学和干细胞研究的快速发展,把再生医学提升到一个新的高峰,由此成为国际生物学和医学中备受关注的研究领域。本文从组织工程、干细胞和细胞因子治疗等方面介绍了国内外再生医学研究的进展,特别对诱导性多能干细胞(iPS)、去分化(dedifferentiation)、亚全能干细胞(sub-pluripotent stem cell)及汗腺再生(sweatglands regeneration)等内容作了详细介绍,同时根据中国工程院"中国工程科技中长期发展战略"医药卫生领域2030年发展规划,介绍了我国再生医学研究发展战略目标。文章指出再生医学研究内容的重点不仅是促进组织器官再生,也要避免无效再生或过度再生,其最终是实现结构、形态和功能的完善修复。     

Circadian biology and sleep: missing links in obesity and metabolism?

This supplement highlights key talks presented at the Pennington Symposium. The collected papers provide a state of the art review of circadian biology at the basic and clinical levels in the context of nutrition, obesity and sleep medicine. Investigators from multiple disciplines attempted to translate new information concerning molecular mechanisms into practical clinical applications, as well as foster new research hypotheses and directions to this exciting field of science and medicine. Furthermore, we hope to spark the interest and attention of the next generation of scientists who will tackle the questions presented by the changing interface between technology, lifestyle and biological rhythms.     

On the shoulders of a giant: the legacy of Matilda White Riley for gerontology

The legacy of Matilda White Riley to the study of aging encompasses multiple disciplines and extends to multiple domains within these disciplines. Although her greatest intellectual legacy is in sociology, she presented a compelling vision of the need for other disciplines to consider the role of social forces in shaping both aging as an individual, lifelong process and age as a feature of culture and social systems. This article reviews Riley's theoretical contributions in four areas: (1) articulating age and social systems; (2) identifying fallacies in the interpretation of research on aging; (3) theorizing about social change and structural lag; and (4) presenting social possibilities related to age integration. We conclude by considering briefly the reach of her legacy beyond sociology-in collaborating across disciplinary boundaries, in encouraging the development of sound longitudinal data archives, and in developing an institutional infrastructure to support and sustain research on aging in the social and behavioral sciences. Although short of physical stature, Riley's contributions to gerontology are enormous. Gerontologists from many disciplinary backgrounds have been informed by and rely upon these insights and thus share the advantage of "standing on the shoulders of a giant."     

Gene technology in production of modern drugs]

In the last years gene technology has influenced dramatically medical and biological disciplines. With the help of molecular biology it is possible to produce a variety of proteins in alternative ways. Further, substances can be produced which exist in nature only in trace amounts, and therefore can not be produced with conventional methods. However, there is no other scientific discipline which is discussed so controversially in public like genetic engineering. The "new" biology comprises a multitude of disciplines which are difficult to understand for non experts. Unfortunately, gene technology has become the new symbol for "uncontrolled" technology development. In this review article the basic concepts of genetic engineering will be explained. Further, the production of some recombinant drugs, which are already used in practice, will be demonstrated. Finally, some safety aspects concerning about risk assessment are discussed.     

No old man ever forgot where he buried his treasure: concepts of cognitive impairment in old age circa 1700

Cognitive impairment in old age is one of the most important topics in modern geriatrics. This article discusses the historical dimensions of this phenomenon. To this end, a number of primary sources ranging from antiquity to the modern era are evaluated. Although a physiology and pathology of old age were conceptualized in Greco-Roman times, cognitive impairment in old age remained a marginal issue until the 17th century. Alternatively, after 1500, medicine boasted detailed theories on the physiology and pathology of old age. There are several possible explanations for this unusual situation. Underlying conflict between idealistic and materialistic views of man played a decisive role, for these concepts differed considerably regarding the intellectual and mental functioning of the soul as well as the effects of the passage of time. After Cartesianism and Iatromechanism had pushed these traditional boundaries back, the problem of cognitive impairment in old age was increasingly regarded as a physical illness and began to receive more attention. Just as its philosophical and theological context shaped early modern medicine, contemporary nonmedical disciplines such as genetics, (neuro-)biology, and the information sciences influence modern research.     

Skeletal tissue engineering: opportunities and challenges

Tissue engineering is a field of biomedicine that is growing rapidly and is critically driven by scientific advances in the areas of developmental and cell biology and biomaterial sciences. Regeneration of skeletal tissues is among the most promising areas of biological tissue repair and is providing a broad spectrum of potential clinical applications, including joint resurfacing. The availability of novel tools such as pluripotent stem cells, morphogens, smart biomaterials and gene transfer technologies, makes us dream of many exciting novel therapeutic approaches. Despite these opportunities in regenerative medicine, good clinical practice requires the clinician to question the consistency, reproducibility, validation and appropriate regulation of these new biological treatments.     

Biogerontology research in Spain

The article describes the features of biogerontology research in Spain and outlines the research in the biology of ageing, covering a wide spectrum of areas and topics. Research in biogerontology has expanded notably in quality and quantity in the last decades with the development of internationally recognized research groups actively working in the analysis of the complex process of ageing. In the last few years research in ageing has become a priority area in the National Program of Research which has substantially increased funds specifically allocated to biogerontology and biological research on senescence. Despite these improvements, special efforts have to be made not only to consolidate the existing groups but also to facilitate the initiation and development of new research groups in Universities, Hospitals and research institutions with capacity to incorporate trained researchers in this area. It would promote the continuous incorporation of technical and scientific advances in other disciplines to the understanding the biology of ageing and the molecular basis of cellular senescence, that will benefit actual and future ageing population.     

Significance of determining biologic aging for gerontology

Based upon historical findings in age research the authors state that new, actual hypotheses and models and the experimental examination of which incite re-thinking on the inter-disciplinary role or gerontology. The authors start from the fact that it seems to be possible today - GDR gerontology is capable to essentially support international research activities - to sufficiently precisely determine the biological age(ing) of human beings by the multi-factorial functional diagnostics. The degree of vitality is hereby applied as the criterion of biological age(ing) that considers the asynchronous bio-social dynamics of human ageing during the periods of development, maturity and regression. Gerontology is thereby now capable to define sex differently valid references values ("standard values") for vitality and biological age throughout all the ages. The authors elaborate the idea that the efforts of medical research activities are concentrating on the attempt to improve vitality which has been reduced by illness to an age-adequate level, while sport sciences are trying to increase vitality beyond this level during all the periods of life. From these aspects gerontology wins a new inter-disciplinary status as a scientific-theoretical and operational link between medicine and sport sciences. Both, gerontology and sports medicine in particular will have to make pioneers' works to spread these ideas.     

Biology and biomechanics

Increased participation by the general population in athletic activities leads to increased trauma to bones, joint surfaces, and soft tissues. Management and treatment of these injuries has significantly improved over the past few decades. The application of knowledge gained from basic science research in biology and biomechanics has continuously contributed to that. Biological advances have been made in the field of gene therapy, cell therapy, and tissue engineering. Certainly, the greatest focus is bone and cartilage research that will lead to improved fracture repair in the traumatic injured population, as well as prevention of early osteoarthritic changes in the injured athletic population. In biomechanical research, contributions have been made to further understand kinematic behavior of joints that will lead to improved ligament reconstruction techniques and rehabilitation regimens. Various fixation techniques and several different ligament reconstruction techniques have been studied and validated. In the future, improved understanding of ligament healing, graft incorporation, and revascularization will lead to improved outcome of surgical reconstruction techniques in orthopaedic sports medicine. Exciting research has been performed over the past years and will be reviewed in this article.     

The future of academic haematology

Recent advances in the basic medical sciences, particularly cell biology and genomics, have great promise for the future development of all aspects of haematological practice. They will also impinge on the hitherto neglected fields of haematology, including haematology involving the care of the rapidly increasing number of elderly patients and the complex problems of haematological practice in the developing countries. To obtain the maximum benefit from these new developments it will be necessary to review the patterns of training of haematologists of the future at every level. In short, it will be important to try to design and develop various career pathways for training haematologists including those who wish to work full time in basic research, combine research with clinical practice, or commit all their time to clinical work and teaching.     

History and conceptual developments in vascular biology and angiogenesis research: a personal view

Vascular biology is an important scientific domain that has gradually penetrated many medical and scientific fields. Scientists are most often focused on present problems in their daily scientific work and lack awareness regarding the evolution of their domain throughout history and of how philosophical issues are related to their research field. In this article, I provide a personal view with an attempt to conceptualize vascular development research that articulates lessons taken from history, philosophy, biology and medicine. I discuss selected aspects related to the history and the philosophy of sciences that can be extracted from the study of vascular development and how conceptual progress in this research field has been made. I will analyze paradigm shifts, cross-fertilization of different fields, technological advances and its impact on angiogenesis and discuss issues related to evolutionary biology, proximity of different molecular systems and scientific methodologies. Finally, I discuss briefly my views where the field is heading in the future.     

The molecular genetics of arrhythmias and sudden death

The current status of the research in genetics of cardiac diseases causing sudden death is reviewed. Few techniques will impact medicine as will those of molecular biology. The identification of the gene-causing diseases will allow the use of better preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic options. From genetic counseling at present to gene therapy in the future, the new challenge for the clinician will be to acquire the new information provided by molecular biology and apply it at the bedside to improve the quality of life for the patient.     

INAUGURAL ARTICLE by a Recently Elected Academy Member:Optical trapping and manipulation of neutral particles using lasers

The techniques of optical trapping and manipulation of neutral particles by lasers provide unique means to control the dynamics of small particles. These new experimental methods have played a revolutionary role in areas of the physical and biological sciences. This paper reviews the early developments in the field leading to the demonstration of cooling and trapping of neutral atoms in atomic physics and to the first use of optical tweezers traps in biology. Some further major achievements of these rapidly developing methods also are considered.     

Approaching the Asymptote: Obstacles and Opportunities for Nanomedicine in Cardiovascular Disease

Over the past decades, tremendous advances have been made in the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular disease. However, we now face new challenges, including an aging population and increases in metabolic risk factors, that threaten to slow and even reverse these gains. To overcome these new challenges, fundamental insights from the life sciences must be integrated with advances from the physical sciences to develop novel molecular tools to better diagnose, monitor, and treat this complex disease. Nanotechnology has emerged from the intersection of several disciplines and, if combined with our evolving molecular understanding of atherogenesis, has the potential to revolutionize our management of patients at risk for or with existing cardiovascular disease. However, to realize this potential, we must understand the principles governing the interactions between nanomaterials and biological systems. This review explores nanoparticle attributes and how they can be leveraged to develop novel molecular tools for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.     

Research agenda for frailty in older adults: toward a better understanding of physiology and etiology: summary from the American Geriatrics Society/National Institute on Aging Research Conference on Frailty in Older Adults

Evolving definitions of frailty, and improved understanding of molecular and physiological declines in multiple systems that may increase vulnerability in frail, older adults has encouraged investigators from many disciplines to contribute to this emerging field of research. This article reports on the results of the 2004 American Geriatrics Society/National Institute on Aging conference on a Research Agenda on Frailty in Older Adults, which brought together a diverse group of clinical and basic scientists to encourage further investigation in this area. This conference was primarily focused on physical and physiological aspects of frailty. Although social and psychological aspects of frailty are critically important and merit future research, these topics were largely beyond the scope of this meeting. Included in this article are sections on the evolving conceptualization and definitions of frailty; physiological underpinnings of frailty, including the potential contributions of inflammatory, endocrine, skeletal muscle, and neurologic system changes; potential molecular and genetic contributors; proposed animal models; and integrative, system biology approaches that may help to facilitate future frailty research. In addition, several specific recommendations as to future directions were developed from suggestions put forth by participants, including recommendations on definition and phenotype development, methodological development to perform clinical studies of individual-system and multiple-system vulnerability to stressors, development of animal and cellular models, application of population-based studies to frailty research, and the development of large collaborative networks in which populations and resources can be shared. This meeting and subsequent article were not meant to be a comprehensive review of frailty research; instead, they were and are meant to provide a more-targeted research agenda-setting process.     

What economics can contribute to the addiction sciences

Aims The addiction sciences are intrinsically multi‐disciplinary, and economics is among the disciplines that offer useful perspectives on the complex behaviors surrounding substance abuse. This paper summarizes contributions economics has made in the past and could make in the future towards understanding how illegal markets operate, how prices affect use, how use generates various consequences, and how policy shapes all three. Methods Review of literature, concentrating on illegal drugs as insights concerning markets are particularly salient, although we also mention relevant studies from the alcohol and tobacco fields. Findings and Conclusions Economics offers tools and topical expertise that usefully complement other disciplines associated traditionally with the addiction sciences. Its value goes far beyond the ability to monetize non‐monetary outcomes or to calculate a cost‐benefit ratio.     

Biotechnology research in Thailand and applications to the study of animal parasites and their vectors

Biotechnology research in Thailand owes its origins to the strength in biomedical and life sciences in the academia, and the importance of agriculture in the economy. With growing awareness of the impact of new biotechnology including genetic engineering, biotechnology R & D centres were set up in the universities, and the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and biotechnology was created in 1983. The National Center functions as the center for policy and planning in biotechnology, for support of important research, development and technology transfer projects in designated institutions, and serves to link these institutions with the private sector. The aim is to develop specific biotechnology areas from laboratory stages up to pilot-scale, with emphasis on transfer and utilization of genetic engineering and biotechnology in various fields including public health had on strengthening of basic infrastructure in relevant disciplines. The National Center has 4 affiliated laboratories, including pilot plants, and over 30 projects in 9 institutions in the network. Recently the Science and Technology for Development Program has also devoted a part of its substantial funding to support various biotechnology research projects. With regard to biotechnology research relevant to the study of animal parasites and their vectors, the work in Thailand has up to now concentrated more on the application of new techniques in clinical laboratory and field work than in industrial productions. Specific contributions from the Unit of Parasite Biochemistry, Mahidol University, were given as illustrative examples.     

The unique multidisciplinarity of diabetes-related foot disease

Few diseases globally require treatment from so many different disciplines as diabetes-related foot disease. At least 25 different professionals may be involved: casting technicians, dermatologists, diabetes (educator) nurses, diabetologists, dieticians, endocrinologists, general practitioners, human movement scientists, infectious diseases experts, microbiologists, nuclear medicine physicians, orthopaedic surgeons, orthotists, pedorthists, physical therapists, plastic surgeons, podiatric surgeons, podiatrists, prosthetists, psychologists, radiologists, social workers, tissue viability physicians, vascular surgeons, and wound care nurses. A shared vocabulary and shared treatment goals and recommendations are then essential. The International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) has produced guidelines and supporting documents to stimulate and support shared and multidisciplinary evidence-based treatment in diabetes-related foot disease. In this special virtual issue of Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews, all 21 documents of the 2023 update of the IWGDF Guidelines are bundled, added with a further 6 reviews from multidisciplinary experts to drive future research and clinical innovations, based on their contributions to the International Symposium on the Diabetic Foot. We hope the readers will enjoy this special virtual issue, and widely implement the knowledge shared here in their daily clinical practice and research endeavours with the goal to improve the care for people with diabetes-related foot disease.     

Role of Structural Bioinformatics in Drug Discovery by Computational SNP Analysis: Analyzing Variation at the Protein Level

With the completion of the human genome project at the beginning of the 21st century, the biological sciences entered an unprecedented age of data generation, and made its first steps toward an era of personalized medicine. This abundance of sequence data has led to the proliferation of numerous sequence-based techniques for associating variation with disease, such as genome-wide association studies and candidate gene association studies. However, these statistical methods do not provide an understanding of the functional effects of variation. Structure-based drug discovery and design is increasingly incorporating structural bioinformatics techniques to model and analyze protein targets, perform large scale virtual screening to identify hit to lead compounds, and simulate molecular interactions. These techniques are fast, cost-effective, and complement existing experimental techniques such as high throughput sequencing. In this paper, we discuss the contributions of structural bioinformatics to drug discovery, focusing particularly on the analysis of nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms. We conclude by suggesting a protocol for future analyses of the structural effects of nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms on proteins and protein complexes.