Diabetes-Reversing Drug

Daily Upsider on July 23, 2024

In a new study published in Science Translational Medicine, A new drug tested in mice increased the number of beta cells in the pancreas sevenfold, effectively reversing diabetes symptoms.

This achievement, described as a “functional diabetes cure,” is unprecedented in drug development.

In just three months, the mice’s cells began producing insulin again through a combination of two drugs: harmine, which inhibits the enzyme DYRK1A, and a GLP1 receptor agonist, found in the diabetes drug Ozempic.

Researchers from Mount Sinai and City of Hope tested their drug by injecting human beta cells into mice and then administering the treatment. The beta cells increased sevenfold in three months, with diabetes symptoms disappearing within a month after treatment stopped.

Previous attempts at this concept involved converting stem cells into human pancreas beta cells in vitro and transplanting them into diabetes patients, a costly and time-consuming procedure.

“This is the first time scientists have developed a drug treatment that increases adult human beta cell numbers in vivo,” said Dr. Adolfo Garcia-Ocaña, corresponding author of the study. “This research brings hope for future regenerative therapies to treat the hundreds of millions of people with diabetes.” Harmine alone has undergone a phase 1 clinical trial in humans for safety and tolerability, but DYRK1A inhibitors have not.

World’s First ‘Zero Waste’ Restaurant

Daily Upsider on July 18, 2024

Every year, one-third of the food produced for human consumption across the world is wasted.

But a restaurant in London, UK, is trying to tackle the issue by aiming to produce no waste for the landfill. As part of its zero waste mission, Silo uses a nose to tail and root to tip approach to cooking out of respect for nature.

Rare Genetic Mutation in Frogs

Daily Upsider on July 17, 2024

Scientists in Western Australia have discovered a blue tree frog, a deviation from the usual green caused by a rare genetic mutation.

The blue magnificent tree frog was found in the Charnley River-Artesian Range Wildlife Sanctuary in the Kimberley region, as per the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC).

This marks the first recorded instance of a blue mutation in the magnificent tree frog, according to AWC. “We found it after dark, perched on a bench near our research center,” said AWC field ecologist Jake Barker.

“It was exciting. Magnificent tree frogs are already impressive, but seeing a blue one is a rare opportunity.”

This mutation is extremely rare, noted Jodi Rowley, curator of Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Biology at the Australian Museum. “Occasionally, a green frog lacks yellow pigment, resulting in a blue frog,” she said. “I’ve seen thousands of frogs over the years, and only one blue frog before, which wasn’t as striking as this one.”

The magnificent tree frog, or Litoria splendida, is native to northern Kimberley and parts of the Northern Territory. It grows to about 12 centimeters (4.7 inches), making it one of Australia’s largest amphibians.

I think it is hilarious that they found right outside of their research center. They didn’t even have to go out looking for it.

Buoy to Protect Ocean-Life

Daily Upsider on July 11, 2024

During a routine clean-up by the non-profit Tangaroa Blue, GPS-tracking buoys were found washed up on Australian beaches. These buoys, manufactured in Spain by Satlink, were discovered in large numbers on the Cape York coast near Australia’s northeastern tip.

Instead of discarding them as e-waste, Tangaroa Blue founder Heidi Tait secured permission from Satlink to repurpose the buoys for tracking ‘ghost nets’—abandoned fishing nets that drift through the ocean, trapping sea life. These nets, often left behind after snagging on reefs or being displaced by weather, pose a significant threat to marine life and require specialized equipment to remove.

Tait organized a coalition of Australian mariners, including national park staff, Indigenous rangers, commercial fishermen, and charter boats, to use the buoys for tracking these ghost nets. By attaching a buoy to a found net, they can be precisely located and retrieved.

Project ReCon, a collaboration between Satlink, Tangaroa Blue, and around 100 commercial fishing vessels, aims to address this issue. Supported by The Nature Conservancy and The Pacific Community, the project has expanded to eight countries. As a result, Tait and her coalition have already removed three ghost nets, including one over 3 metric tons, and a 150-foot-long mooring rope.

The World’s Largest Mammal Migration

Daily Upsider on July 5, 2024

The world’s largest migration of land mammals takes place in South Sudan, and the government, with the help of African Parks, is working to protect it.

Ecologists have known about this migration through South Sudan’s “No Man’s Land” but didn’t fully understand its scope. Unlike the caribou migrations in Canada or the wildebeest migrations in Kenya, No Man’s Land hosts various migrating species, including Mongalla gazelle, bohor reedbuck, white-eared kob, and tiang.

Believing that protecting these migration routes and the 6 million animals they host is a significant conservation opportunity, African Parks and South Sudan’s government signed a 10-year agreement to manage No Man’s Land within Boma and Bandingilo National Parks, covering 12,700 square miles, four times the size of Yellowstone.

The 20-year civil war between Sudan and South Sudan largely spared this massive area. To start management and modern protections, African Parks, which manages national parks across Africa, began the largest GPS collaring survey of large animals, tracking 12 species with 126 GPS trackers.

Along with aerial surveys and help from 17 local ethnic groups, African Parks began to understand this massive animal movement. The antelope moved in a wide circle, changing course to follow rainfall.

“We flew for the first 30 to 40 minutes, and we didn’t see anything. I was like, ‘Oh, no, maybe it’s over. Maybe the wildlife has already disappeared,’” David Simpson, park manager for African Parks, told ABC News. “Then we start hitting hundreds, then thousands, then tens of thousands, and then hundreds of thousands.”

For the indigenous peoples, the migration symbolizes abundance and balance. They rely on these animals for food, clothing, medicine, and shelter. To help preserve their traditional life, African Parks has involved local people in conserving the ecosystem.