 “Advancement of civilization is estimated not on the growth of mills and factories to deteriorate the finer instincts of the human being, but on developing the potent spiritual instincts of human beings and giving them a chance to go back to Godhead.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.11.12 Purport)
It’s strange to think that the advancement we’re so desperately seeking will actually not do much for us. For instance, take the scenario of the first member of the family to attend college. Perhaps previous generations were relegated to life on a farm, where there wasn’t much of a chance for rapid economic development. You worked to eat, and you didn’t have to work that hard. Perhaps a few months out of the year to tend to the crops, and the rest of the time you had to yourself. At the same time, the drawback was that others who were involved in industry had more disposable income, which afforded them the ability to travel far and wide. But does such a lifestyle represent advancement? To find the answer, the key components of the competing worldviews need to be analyzed and assessed in relation to the effect they have on consciousness.
Yes, it is consciousness and not the amount of money in the bank that determines your wellbeing. The disposition of the mind, whether or not it is peacefully situated, trickles down into all other activities. A peaceful person will not fight with others and they will not be so easily distressed at the first sign of trouble. And who wouldn’t want to possess these attributes? Would we rather be miserable all the time, envious of our fellow man, and unable to tolerate the sudden rise in temperature or the inclement weather that appears on a particular day, at just the wrong time?
 In the famous Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna says that one must learn to tolerate the sudden shifts in fortune, for they come and go like the seasons. It would be silly to complain about the summer because it will arrive no matter what we do. Nothing can be done to change the temperature of the earth, though foolish philosophers who have no understanding of the forces of nature and how powerful they are will think otherwise. If nothing can be done to redress temporary ailments and prevent them from reappearing in the future, what is the use then in overly lamenting bad times?
By the same token, what goes up must fall down. If I am on top of a particular industry today, it should be remembered that previously I wasn’t holding the top post. As my upward mobility indicated a shift in possession of the leadership position, I should remain aware that the same shift can occur again in the future. This is already visibly identifiable with the process of death, but alas the ignorant human being mired in a cycle of acceptance and rejection tries to forget the eventual end of life as much as possible. You can defer the payments you owe on a specific loan if the entity lending the money allows you to do so, but eventually you’ll have to pay the money back. In the game of life, we may put off thinking about death, but nevertheless the forced exit from the body must occur.
If we are compelled to leave the form that we call home for so many years, why should there be any attachment to happiness and sadness that come with temporary success and failure? Only through illusion is a temporary ascendency towards a higher position taken to be the ultimate objective in life. Look at the world’s wealthiest individuals. Are they satisfied with just one million dollars or starting a single profitable venture? With each new success comes a desire to inch towards more advancement, leading the passionate individual to work harder and fear even more about future outcomes.
Throughout all the changes that occur around us consciousness remains our best friend. It can also be our worst enemy, but this only happens if there is an improper identification. Unfortunately, the flawed identification is the one we accept at the time of birth. Taking a collection of material elements that constantly change to be our identity, we assume that anything that provides satisfaction to that collection will lead to our personal satisfaction as well. The consciousness, however, is not solely hinged upon physical strength, dexterity, association with other living entities, or one’s personal net worth.
 Consciousness is shaped through experiences, and it reveals what the living being thinks of most. Consciousness also indicates the presence of life, for once consciousness dissipates the living being is no longer considered alive. The soul is the carrier of the consciousness, and it travels from form to form in the process known as reincarnation. These facts are nicely revealed in the Vedas, whose most famous work is the Bhagavad-gita. Through the lessons of the Gita, which are provided by Shri Krishna, the fountainhead of knowledge and the object of sacrifice, man can learn to purify consciousness.
If it is consciousness that remains with us, why shouldn’t we make its purification our top priority? But how would that work exactly? If I want to purify my consciousness, what do I need to do differently? What am I doing now that I should give up and what should I take on in the future? Though the explanation of the shift can be quite lengthy, using a simple example can help to illustrate the foundational principle. Revisiting the family farm example, in a simple life the mind has much less to worry about. Though the subsistence farmer is considered poor in the standard estimation, they actually get all of their necessities in life supplied without too much of a problem. Is it poor to not have to worry about food? Are you in poverty if you’re notconstantly worried about having a job in the future?
The competing lifestyle hinged on progress provides a nice contrast. In a world filled with mills and factories, the precious value of the human life is traded for hard work to earn a paltry living. The aggregate earnings are considered paltry because in menial work the result should be the ability to eat and sleep peacefully. Moreover, the work shouldn’t be that difficult and it shouldn’t last that long. In the end, we just need some basic food to consume and a sturdy shelter to put over our heads. I can use my God given abilities to plant crops, tend to them, harvest them, and live in a simple housing structure.
With a mill or factory the labor is quite intensive, and it repeats for long periods of time each week. The worker is so tired at the end of the day that they are happy if they can just sit on the couch at home and do nothing. Perhaps kick back and drink alcohol and forget about the fact that you have to go back out to the mill the next day. The person working in the office may have less intense labor to complete and better working conditions, but the cycle of action and rest is the same.
The biggest difference between the two lifestyles is the effect on consciousness. In the simple life, there is less competition and thus a lower occurrence of strife and envy. If I am a farmer and my neighbor is a farmer, both working to eat food, what need is there for competition? Rather, since we are in the same boat, we will likely help each other out. In the close-knit community the neighbors are like extended family members, who provide nice companionship and help to raise the children.
The properly situated consciousness has more time to contemplate the meaning of life and why birth and death occur. The sober truths of the Vedas are meant for uplifting the human spirit towards true enlightenment. Mired in an endless game that provides paltry rewards, the members of the so-called advanced civilization don’t have the time to see things properly. Should I really spend the majority of my time on this earth engaged in fruitive activity that leaves me so tired and disgusted that I don’t want to do anything else in my little free time?
“Okay, so the simple lifestyle of a farm community is more ideal, but what am I supposed to do today? What if I can’t just give up everything and buy land and go live on it? I still need to eat, and with the way civilization is structured today that requires getting a college education and working hard in an office. Do I thus have no opportunity for spiritual realization?“
 The modern conditions show the presence of the Kali Yuga, the dark age of quarrel and hypocrisy. Maya, or material nature, has a strong influence during this time period, illustrated by the fact that the majority of society considers the modern way of life to be superior. We have cell phones and the internet now, so why should we return to the primitive days of the farms? Maya makes sure that the past work applied to get paltry rewards is quickly forgotten. Only with forgetfulness will a person try the same activity repeatedly and hope to get a different outcome.
The holy name is the strongest weapon to curtail Kali Yuga’s power. The holy name represents the Supreme Lord, the savior of the fallen souls. The consciousness can be purified only when it learns to focus on that sweetheart, whose original form shows a beautiful youth with a blackish complexion holding a flute in His hands and wearing a peacock feather in His hair. If you are not keen on accepting this vision of the Supreme Lord, chant the holy names anyway. Through a positive activity not related to fruitive gain, personal sense enjoyment, or the elimination of temporary ailments, the consciousness can learn to focus on pure spirit.
If the consciousness is accustomed to hearing the sacred sound vibrations of, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, there is no question of worrying over the issue of advanced versus primitive. A properly situated consciousness can keep the individual peaceful and calm during both the most intense storm and the peaceful and soothing presence of the springtime sun. The source of this consciousness and its resulting strength is the person addressed through the holy name. The features of that person are revealed through the removal of the veil of ignorance. He is always present before us and also inside of us as the Supersoul, but He must be accessed through the consciousness. The principles of bhakti-yoga, the discipline to bring about true spiritual freedom, give the conditioned living being the tools to have their consciousness always fixed on God. Connection with Him is always beneficial, so in whatever situation we find ourselves, if a desire to associate with Him is present, favorable circumstances will automatically follow.
In Closing:
In mills and factories work hard with pain,
So that in the end to enjoy a paltry gain.
The subsequent day difficult cycle repeat,
Too tired at end of day, on couch take a seat.
This is not how precious human life to be spent,
To understand Supreme Lord our existence meant.
Know that connection with Him pleasure will bring,
That is why Vedas, Puranas, and saints His glories sing.
Primitive versus modern, debate to continue on and on,
In whatever condition, holy name of Krishna rely upon.
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Monday, April 9, 2012
Spiritual Instincts
New ‘genetic bar code’ technique establishes ability to derive DNA information from RNA
by Biomechanism
Discovery may create dialogue about DNA and RNA data bank privacy issues
Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have developed a method to derive enough DNA information from non-DNA sources—such as RNA—to clearly identify individuals whose biological data are stored in massive research repositories. The approach may raise questions regarding the ability to protect individual identity when high-dimensional data are collected for research purposes. A paper introducing the technique appears in the April 8 online edition of Nature Genetics.
DNA contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of every living cell. RNA acts as a messenger that relays genetic information in the cell so that the great majority of processes needed for tissue to function properly can be carried out.
To date, access to data bases with DNA information has been restricted and protected as it has long been considered the sole genetic fingerprint for every individual. However, vast amounts of RNA data have been made publicly available via a number of databases in the United States and Europe. These databases contain thousands of genomic studies from around the world.
In this study, lead authors Eric E. Schadt, PhD, and Ke Hao, PhD, developed a technique whereby a person’s DNA could be inferred from RNA data using gene-expression levels monitored in any of a number of tissues. In contrast, most studies involving DNA and RNA begin with DNA sequences and then seek to associate expression patterns with changes in DNA between individuals in a population. This is the first time going from RNA levels to DNA sequence has been described.
“By observing RNA levels in a given tissue, we can infer a genotypic barcode that uniquely tags an individual in ways that enables matching the individual to an independently derived DNA sample,” said Dr. Schadt, Director of the Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, the Jean C. and James W. Crystal Professor of Genomics, and Chair of the Department of Genetics and Genomics Sciences, Mount Sinai School of Medicine. “The potential uses for this information are significant. Not only can genotypic barcodes be deduced from RNA, but RNA levels in some tissue can inform not only individual characteristics like age and sex, but on diseases such as Alzheimer’s and cancer, as well as the risks of developing those diseases.”
Schadt adds, “The significance of our findings goes beyond medicine. For example, barcodes derived from individuals who participated in a research study, where RNA levels were monitored and deposited into publicly available databases, could be tested against DNA samples left at a crime scene as a way of identifying persons of interest.”
Deducing a person’s DNA sequence from gene expression patterns could have repercussions in health care and privacy. While specific laws and government regulations have been written to protect DNA-based information from misuse, it is unclear whether such laws apply to RNA—even though this study shows that RNA is informative at a deeper level compared to DNA regarding the current state of health of an individual.
“Rather than developing ways to further protect an individual’s privacy given the ability to collect mountains of information on him or her, we would be better served by a society that accepts the fact that new types of high-dimensional data reflect deeply on who we are,” Dr. Schadt said. “We need to accept the reality that it is difficult—if not impossible—to shield personal information from others. It is akin to trying to protect privacy regarding appearances, for example, in a public place.”
Dr. Schadt said he hopes the research will catalyze a discussion that might ultimately help resolve privacy debates, and encourage patients to provide data that will help their doctors better diagnose and treat their conditions. Increased access to, and greater quantities of, DNA and other biological information would also contribute to the greater good of medical science.
In the Nature Genetics study, Drs. Schadt and Hao, Associate Professor of Genetics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, together with Sangsoon Woo, PhD, from the Department of Biostatistics at the University of Washington, analyzed RNA and DNA from 378 livers donated by European-Americans for transplant, as well as liver and adipose tissues from 580 people from the same population group undergoing gastric bypass surgery. The authors found that levels of RNA across many genes correlate with age, sex, body weight, and other risk factors for diseases like diabetes and heart disease, but then they also correlate in many cases with changes in DNA that are unique to a given individual.
The investigators used an algorithm that matches patterns of gene expression to variations at 1,000 single-DNA-base sites in the genome. It is an application of integrative biology that examines multiple dimensions of data (DNA and RNA) to better inform a given dimension (RNA).
“The relationship of DNA to RNA is like that of an orchestra and the symphony it plays,” said Schadt describing the new technique. “The DNA (orchestra) remains the same, while the RNA pattern (quality of the music) changes in response to outside factors. The new technique is like hearing a symphony and deducing which instruments are in the orchestra, essentially unwinding the developmental process to trace tissue samples back to RNA and the gene that instructed it.”
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Courtesy Mount Sinai Medical Center
Sugar production switch in liver may offer target for new diabetes therapies
by Biomechanism
Salk researchers find molecular switch that controls liver glucose production and may represent a new avenue for treating insulin-resistant type II diabetes
This is Marc R. Montminy, professor, Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology and Yiguo Wang, a research associate. Image: Salk Institute
In their extraordinary quest to decode human metabolism, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have discovered a pair of molecules that regulates the liver’s production of glucose—- the simple sugar that is the source of energy in human cells and the central player in diabetes.
In a paper published April 8 in Nature, the scientists say that controlling the activity of these two molecules—- which work together to allow more or less glucose production—- could potentially offer a new way to lower blood sugar to treat insulin-resistant type II diabetes. They showed, through an experimental technique, that this was possible in diabetic mice.
“If you control these switches, you can control the production of glucose, which is really at the heart of the problem of type 2 diabetes,” says Professor Marc Montminy, head of Salk’s Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology.
The need for new drugs is accelerating, says Montminy, as almost 26 million Americans have type II diabetes, and an estimated 79 million people are at risk of developing the condition. Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and treatment costs are estimated at $116 billion annually.
In order to develop new and effective treatments for diabetes, researchers need to understand the complex and delicate biology behind human metabolism as well as the disorders that develop when this finely tuned system is out of balance, Montminy says.
During the day, humans burn glucose, derived from the food we eat. This is the fuel that supplies the muscles and other parts of the body expending energy. At night, when we sleep, we revert to stored fat as a source of very dependable but slowly released energy. But certain parts of the body, most notably the brain, require glucose as a source of energy, even when we fast.
Pancreatic islet cells control both sides of this energy equation. Located in the pancreas, they produce glucagon, a hormone released during fasting, to tell the liver to make glucose for use by the brain. This process is reversed when we feed, and when the pancreatic islets release insulin, which tells the liver to stop making glucose.
Thus glucagon and insulin are part of a feedback system designed to keep blood glucose at a stable level.
Montminy’s lab has for years focused on the central switches that control glucose production in the liver and others that control glucose sensing and insulin production in the pancreas. Among his key findings is that glucagon—- the fasting hormone—- turns on a genetic switch (CRTC2) that ramps up production of glucose in the blood. In turn, when insulin is increased in the blood, activity of CRTC2 is inhibited, and the liver produces less glucose.
“But in insulin-resistant type II diabetic individuals, the CRTC2 switch is turned on too strongly because the insulin signal is not getting through,” Montminy says. “As a result, the liver produces too much glucose and the level of glucose in the blood stream is too high. Over a period of 10 to 20 years, the abnormal elevation of glucose leads to chronic complications including heart disease, blindness and kidney failure.”
The new findings in the Nature study identify a relay system that explains how glucagon activates the CRTC2 switch during fasting, and how that system is compromised during diabetes.
The scientists say this relay system involves a molecular receptor (IP3) on the outside of liver cells that they call a “molecular spigot.” Glucagon opens the IP3 spigot during fasting, allowing an increase in calcium, a common signaling molecule in the cell. This stimulates a molecular gas pedal, of sorts, known as calcineurin, which revs up CRTC2, activating genes that allow the liver to drive the metabolic engine by producing more glucose.
This is important, Montminy says, because the team also discovered that activity of the IP3 receptor and calcineurin in the liver are increased in diabetic insulin resistance, resulting in more blood sugar.
The findings therefore suggest that agents that can selectively damp down activity of the IP3 spigot and the calcineurin accelerator might help to shut down the CRTC2 switch and to lower blood sugar in type II diabetic patients, he says. That is precisely what happened when the researchers used these compounds on liver cells.
“We obviously have a lot of work to do to find out whether such a strategy might work in humans,” he says.
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The research team includes investigators from Salk Institute, Columbia University, University of California San Diego and University of Ottawa. In addition to Montminy, the coauthors on the paper are Yiguo Wang, Gang Li, Jason Goode, Jose Paz, Kunfu Ouyang, Robert Screaton, Wolfgang Fischer, Ju Chen and Ira Tabas.
The study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Kieckhefer Foundation, the Clayton Foundation for Medical Research and the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.
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Life in color : Blue
LiFe In CoLoR : Blue by National Geographic
Many of us love blue color, color of the sky, ocean, sleep, twilight. A pure blue is the color of inspiration, sincerity and spirituality. Dark blue is the color of truth and moderation.do you know a blue iris means your friendship is very important to me. Artists use it to show perspective, So put some blue in your life and give yourself calm and relaxation.
Gravity changes along the Moon
| CURTIN UNIVERSITY |
"Our new lunar gravity map now shows, for the first time, how the pull of gravity changes from location to location over the rugged surface of the Moon."
Image: DWPhoto/iStockphoto
Using detailed topographic information from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission, Curtin’s Western Australian School of Mines (WASM) spatial scientists, Dr Christian Hirt and Professor Will Featherstone, were able to reveal the fine structure of the Moon’s gravity field in brand new detail.
Dr Hirt, who calculated the new gravity maps, said that the findings showed existing gravity models neglected approximately 50 per cent of the lunar gravity signal.
“The Moon’s gravitational pull is about one-sixth of the Earth’s. Our new lunar gravity map now shows, for the first time, how the pull of gravity changes from location to location over the rugged surface of the Moon,” Dr Hirt said.
“This reveals features of the lunar gravity field, including pockmark signatures, showing gravity accelerations are higher at the bottom of impact craters than the elevated crater rim, and revealing the strength and variation of gravity acceleration over the entire surface of the Moon.”
Dr Hirt said the research to improve gravity field maps for the Moon came from an approach that was successfully tested on Earth and could also be used for other solid planetary bodies.
Dr Hirt and Professor Featherstone’s research findings were recently published in the prestigious journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters (Issue 1. May 2012, Vol. 329-330, pages 22-30).
This work has been funded by the Australian Research Council.
Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.
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Stomach cancer genes identified
| DUKE-NUS GRADUATE MEDICAL SCHOOL |
Stomach cancer is the second most deadly form of cancer in the world, causing more than 700,000 deaths each year. This discovery of genes linked to the disease could pave the way for improved treatments.
Image: spanteldotru/iStockphoto
An international team of scientists, led by researchers from Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School (Duke-NUS) in Singapore and the National Cancer Center Singapore (NCCS), has identified hundreds of novel genes that are mutated in stomach cancer, the second-most lethal cancer worldwide.
The study, which appears online on April 8, 2012 in Nature Genetics, paves the way for treatments tailored to the genetic make-up of individual stomach tumors. Stomach cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death globally with more than 700,000 deaths each year, and is particularly common in East Asia. Treatment of this deadly disease is often difficult and unsuccessful because of late detection of tumors and a poor understanding of the causes of stomach cancer. In the United States, less than quarter of patients survive more than five years after diagnosis, even after treatment. “Until now, the genetic abnormalities that cause stomach cancers are still largely unknown, which partially explain the overall poor treatment outcome,” said Assoc. Prof. Patrick Tan, M.D., Ph.D., senior author of the study from the Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program at Duke-NUS. Assoc. Prof. Tan also leads the Genomic Oncology Program at the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore and is a group leader at the Genome Institute of Singapore. Using state-of-the-art DNA sequencing technology, the research team analysed tumor and normal tissue from stomach cancer patients, which led to the discovery of the novel gene mutations. “This technology allows us to read the DNA sequence of the genes in each cancer genome for less than US$2,000 (SGD$2,500), an incredibly low price,” said senior co-author Assoc. Prof. Steven G. Rozen, Ph.D., who heads the Computational Systems Biology and Human Genetics Laboratory in Duke-NUS. “This is also a major team effort involving both basic scientists and clinicians.” The team included scientists and clinicians from three research groups affiliated with Duke-NUS, including one headed by senior co-author Prof. Teh Bin Tean, M.D., Ph.D., director of the NCCS-VARI Translational Research Laboratory at the National Cancer Center Singapore. “Our study is one of the first gastric cancer studies to investigate the vast majority of human genes at the single nucleotide level,” said Prof. Teh. “We screened 18,000 human genes and identified over 600 genes that were previously unknown to be mutated in stomach cancer.” Two of the 600 stomach cancer-associated genes identified, FAT4 and ARID1A, proved to be particularly interesting. A further analysis of about 100 stomach tumors found these genes to be mutated in 5% and 8% of stomach cancers, respectively. In some patients, portions of the chromosome containing the two genes were found to be missing, further evidence that genetic defects affecting these genes occur frequently in stomach cancer. Experiments in the lab demonstrated the importance of these two genes in driving stomach cancer, as manipulation of FAT4 and ARID1A function altered the growth of stomach cancer cells. “More research is required to realize the clinical implications of these findings. ARID1A and FAT4 are likely also involved in many other cancer types, not just stomach cancer,” noted Assoc. Prof. Tan, whose research team is actively working on translating the results of this study into clinical applications. With more than 100,000 new cases of stomach cancer each year likely to be caused by mutations in FAT4 or ARID1A, drugs against these targets may someday lead to more effective treatment of stomach tumors and other cancers. In addition to Duke-NUS and the National Cancer Center Singapore, the study also involved collaborators from the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore; Genome Institute of Singapore; National University of Singapore; Singapore General Hospital; Van Andel Research Institute, Michigan, USA; Northwestern University, Chicago, USA; Yonsei Cancer Center, Seoul, South Korea; Queen’s University, Belfast, UK; and Welcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK. Support for this study was provided by the National Medical Research Council (Ministry of Health, Singapore), as part of the Singapore Gastric Cancer Consortium. Funding was also received from the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Genome Institute of Singapore (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), and the Lee Foundation.
Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.
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Discovery could improve vaccines
| WALTER AND ELIZA HALL INSTITUTE |
Researchers have discovered how a vital immune cell recognises dead and damaged body cells, a find that could help them create 'next-generation' vaccines.
Image: plrang/iStockphoto
The discovery of how a vital immune cell recognises dead and damaged body cells could modernise vaccine technology by ‘tricking’ cells into launching an immune response, leading to next-generation vaccines that are more specific, more effective and have fewer side-effects.
Scientists from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have identified, for the first time, how a protein found on the surface of immune cells called dendritic cells recognises dangerous damage and trauma that could signify infection. Dendritic cells are critical for raising the alarm about the presence of foreign invaders in the body such as viruses, bacteria and parasites as well as tumour cells and other dead or damaged cells. Also known as antigen-presenting cells, they digest and present molecules from damaged cells to other immune cells that recognise foreign invaders and launch an immune response. The research was a collaborative effort that involved a team of immunologists, protein chemists and structural biologists. The research team was led by Dr Mireille Lahoud (formerly from the Immunology division), Dr Jian-Guo Zhang (Cancer and Haematology division), Dr Peter Czabotar (Structural Biology division) and Professor Ken Shortman (Immunology division). Dr Lahoud said the study, published today in the journal Immunity, demonstrated that the immune system has evolved a very clever way of detecting damaged and dead cells to help promote an immune response. “Dr Irina Caminschi and I previously identified a protein called Clec9A (C-type lectin domain family 9A) that sits on the surface of specialised types of dendritic cells and responds to damaged and dying cells,” Dr Lahoud said. “In this study we discovered that Clec9A recognises and binds to fibres of actin, internal cell proteins that are found in all cells of the body. Actin is only exposed when the cell membrane is damaged or destroyed, so it is an excellent way of finding cells that could harbour potentially dangerous infections and exposing them to the immune system.” Professor Shortman said that exploiting Clec9A could be used to generate a new, more modern class of vaccines that are more effective and have fewer side-effects. “The Clec9A protein is one of the best targets currently known for improving immune responses,” he said. “By creating vaccines that bind to Clec9A, we can trick dendritic cells to think they have encountered a damaged cell and help to launch an immune response to the infectious agent of our choice.” Professor Shortman said targeting Clec9A could decrease the amount of vaccine needed by 100 to 1000 times. “Traditional vaccine technology for generating immunity, such as using inactivated whole viruses or parasites for immune recognition, requires large amounts of vaccine in the hopes it will encounter the correct immune cells, and incorporates other substances (adjuvants) that are needed to signal to the immune system that something foreign is happening. We are proposing a new type of vaccine that we know will head directly to the right cell to help stimulate an immune response, and doesn’t cause the same side-effects because it is more specific,” Professor Shortman said. Dr Lahoud said that the finding could develop or increase the efficacy of vaccines for diseases that do not currently have good preventive options, such as malaria, or HIV. “There is also the possibility that the system could be used to develop therapeutic vaccines for treating diseases, such as some forms of cancer, as well as for preventing them,” she said. Since completing this research, Dr Lahoud and Dr Caminschi have accepted positions at the Burnet Institute. This work was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, the Australian Research Council and the Victorian Government.
Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.
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