How the skin protects itself against pressure ulcers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When pressure is applied to the skin, its harmful effect is eliminated by the vasodilation of the micro-blood vessels that run through it. By showing that this regulation is performed by ASIC3 ion channels, which are present in skin nerve endings, a research team has highlighted a key factor in the protection of skin against the formation of pressure ulcers. This finding was achieved by comparing cutaneous pressure mechanisms in control mice with the same mechanisms in transgenic mice whose gene coding for the ASIC3 channel had been truncated. The scientitsts observed that, in the transgenic mice, the application of low pressure did not cause vasodilation of the skin’s micro-blood vessels, unlike in the control mice. In addition, the incidence and severity of pressure ulcers caused by heavy pressure on the skin for several hours turned out to be greater in transgenic mice than in the control mice. The results open up new therapeutic avenues for the treatment of this serious medical problem. Optimizing contacts between fluids to improve medicines By studying a mixture of two immiscible liquids placed in a system made up of two rotating concentric cylinders, physicists have shown that it is possible to control the underlying currents in a liquid and thus optimize its exposure to the other liquid. These results could be adapted to the production of certain medicines from a combination of suspension cells and a nutrient-rich oil, thereby improving their efficacy. 21 Discovery of a new mechanism that exacerbates inflammation Interleukin-33 (IL-33), a mediator of the inflammatory response, can become more active by splitting into smaller molecules. The researchers who made the discovery have shown that, once released into the blood, IL-33 is truncated by enzymes secreted by white blood cells. It turns out that the fragments produced by this cleavage are ten times more active than the original protein structure. These new forms of IL-33 could therefore become choice targets in the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 2012 online The European Physical Journal E March 2012 online A novel device to detect biomolecules A novel type of miniaturized sensor, dubbed ElecFET, combines an enzyme reaction with an electrochemical reaction in order to detect a biomolecule through a change in pH. The researchers who developed the process achieved the feat of bringing these different bio-electro-chemical reactions together at the micrometer scale on an electronic silicon chip. The device, which makes it possible to measure low concentrations of a wide range of biomolecules, could in particular help to improve certain medical diagnoses. Biosensors & Bioelectronics September 2012 online Nature Medicine July 2012 online Examples of encapsulation in various types of compartments. Mimicking cell organization to provide better care Using an innovative and highly effective emulsion/centrifugation method, a team of chemists has managed to encapsulate nanovesicles within slightly larger vesicles. Mimicking the organization of cells into compartments, these structures made up of several nested polymer vesicles open up new possibilities in terms of multiple encapsulation of drugs in a single vector. Angewandte Chemie International Edition January 2012 2012 A year at CNRS
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