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Cancer cells retrained to be normal again in new study
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In a major breakthrough in the battle against cancer, researchers believe theyve found a way to retrain cancerous cells to die in the same way healthy cells do. - photo by Jessica Ivins
ROCHESTER, Minn. In a major breakthrough in the battle against cancer, researchers believe theyve found a way to retrain cancerous cells to die in the same way healthy cells do.

A new study out of the Mayo Clinic, published in the journal Nature Cell Biology, reveals the discovery of a potential off switch for cancerous cells. The key: biological processors called microRNAs.

When healthy cells grow old, microRNAs act as end-of-life caregivers of sorts, feeding the cells a special protein that stops division thus allowing the cell to die. The problem with cancerous cells, however, is that they dont receive enough of that protein to stop division allowing the cells to divide out of control and form tumors, according to researchers.

So the team decided to see what would happen if they injected microRNAs directly into cancerous cells. Surprisingly, by adding a complete dose of microRNAs to the mix, the protein levels returned to normal and the cancerous cells stopped dividing.

In short, they began to act as normal cells again.

We should be able to re-establish the brakes and restore normal cell function, Mayo Clinic professor Panos Anastasiadis told the Telegraph. It represents an unexpected new biology that provides the code, the software, for turning off cancer.

Even more promising: when scientists tested the method on particularly aggressive forms of cancer in the lab, it appeared to be very effective.

Theres a long way to go before we know whether these findings, in cells grown in a laboratory, will help treat people with cancer, Henry Scowcroft with the Cancer Research UK told the Telegraph. But its a significant step forward in understanding how certain cells in our body know when to grow and when to stop.

The hope is that eventually the off switch method could target and stop tumors from growing, eliminating the need for chemotherapy which kills healthy cells as well as cancerous cells, researchers said.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.