Gene Therapy Cures Diabetic Dogs

Gene therapy cures diabetic dogs - health - 12 February 2013 - New Scientist

Another step closer to curing type 1 diabetes in humans!  A study on 5 diabetic  dogs showed that after been given 2 extra genes, they no longer needed insulin injections.  Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which insulin secreting cells are destroyed.  The way that the gene therapy works is that two genes are injected into the dogs muscle by a harmless virus to replace the damaged pancreatic beta cells.  One of the genes produces the insulin and the other determines how much glucose should be absorbed into the muscles.  Dogs that only received one of the genes remained diabetic so both are needed for the treatment to work.  More evidence is needed to be tested in humans.

Bug Turns Environment to Gold

Bug protects itself by turning its environment to gold - life - 03 February 2013 - New Scientist

It looks like a King Midas is real after all, but in the form of bacteria. Research from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario have found a bacteria called Delftia acidovorans and it secretes a chemical that protects itself against toxic gold ions. The chemical called delftibactin A detoxifies and changes gold ions into unreactive gold nanoparticles outside the bacteria cell. This discovery can lead to identifying gold-rich environments and ultimately gold extraction.