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The Spanish National University of Distance Education presents
Eggs to order/Agricultural Biotechnology/ Benefits of Cannabinoids
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A group of Japanese scientists have produced viable eggs
from pluripotent stem cells.
More precisely, in 'Nature', they say
currently, mice cells [Producing eggs to order]
come from embryos and from the tip of the rodent's tail.
The multidisciplinary team has been led by the University of Kyushu.
The eggs generated by this method were cultivated
and then fertilised in-vitro
before being inserted into females for embryonic development.
This resulted in normal fertile mice
although the effectiveness of the method is still limited.
The potential of this method
for future generations of women with infertility,
is clear, once problems of efficiency and legislation have been solved.
However, the inventors are cautious
and say it won't be available in the near future.
For now, they will be chiefly focusing on how we can change almost at will
the fate of any mammal cell, including those of human beings.
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An international NGO has just published
a report on the use of biotechnology for agriculture and global food.
Humboldt forum [Positive data in agricultural biotech]
an international community of multidisciplinary experts
from politics, academia industry or civil society
is trying to develop sustainable strategies
to face the challenge of feeding an overcrowded world.
There are some significant points in their report
The EU would have needed 19 millions more hectares of agricultural land
to produce the same amount of food
without improved techniques for growing vegetables.
The advances have led to a 74 per cent rise
in European agricultural productivity in the last 15 years.
Also, genetic improvement of crops
has strengthened the EU economy
adding more than 14 billion euros to its GDP
and creating almost 70 thousand jobs.
Preventing as a result
the emission of 3.4 million tons of carbon dioxide
involved in the greenhouse effect.
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The latest Nobel Prize in Medicine is for the discovery
of the fact that autophagy can provoke cell death
[The possible benefits of cannabinoids] A recent study led by
the Complutense University
has found therapeutic potential
via the targeted activation of autophagy
through the main active constituent of cannabis
THC, also known as delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol.
The authors of the study published in the journal Autophagy
have identified a factor in the activation of autophagy
that leads to the death of cancerous cells.
In order to do so they used a cell culture from a glioma
a very aggressive brain tumour
which underwent two different treatments
absence of nutrients and supply of THC.
Only the treatment with the cannabinoid derivative
increased the death of the cell.
This research and future studies will contribute to the basis
for development of new anti-tumour therapies
based on the activation of death through autophagy.
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We look forward therefore to new research.
For Madri+d. UNED TV, José Antonio López Guerrero.
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"Production: Tania Gálvez"
"madri+d foundation for the knowledge www.madrimasd.org"
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