National Institute of Health Sciences

A revolutionary nanomaterial with huge potential to tackle multiple global challenges could be developed further without acute risk to human health, research suggests. A revolutionary nanomaterial with huge potential to tackle multiple global challenges could be developed further without acute risk to human health, research suggests. Carefully controlled inhalation of a specific type of graphene -- the world's thinnest, super strong and super flexible material -- has no short-term adverse effects on lung or cardiovascular function, the study shows. The first controlled exposure clinical trial in people was carried out using thin, ultra-pure graphene oxide -- a water-compatible form of the material. Researchers say further work is needed to find out whether higher doses of this graphene oxide material or other forms of graphene would have a different effect. The team is also keen to establish whether longer exposure to the material, which is thousands of times thinner than a human hair, would carry additional health risks. There has been a surge of interest in developing graphene -- a material first isolated by scientists in 2004 and which has been hailed as a 'wonder' material. Possible applications include electronics, phone screens, clothing, paints and water purification. Graphene is actively being explored around the world to assist with targeted therapeutics against cancer and other health conditions, and also in the form of implantable devices and sensors. Before medical use, however, all nanomaterials need to be tested for any potential adverse effects. Researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh and Manchester recruited 14 volunteers to take part in the study under carefully controlled exposure and clinical monitoring conditions. The volunteers breathed the material through a face mask for two hours while cycling in a purpose-designed mobile exposure chamber brought to Edinburgh from the National Public Health Institute in the Netherlands. Effects on lung function, blood pressure, blood clotting and inflammation in the blood were measured -- before the exposure and at two-hour intervals. A few weeks later, the volunteers were asked to return to the clinic for repeated controlled exposures to a different size of graphene oxide, or clean air for comparison. There were no adverse effects on lung function, blood pressure or the majority of other biological parameters looked at. Researchers noticed a slight suggestion that inhalation of the material may influence the way the blood clots, but they stress this effect was very small. Dr Mark Miller, of the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Cardiovascular Science, said: "Nanomaterials such as graphene hold such great promise, but we must ensure they are manufactured in a way that is safe before they can be used more widely in our lives. "Being able to explore the safety of this unique material in human volunteers is a huge step forward in our understanding of how graphene could affect the body. With careful design we can safely make the most of nanotechnology." Professor Kostas Kostarelos, of the University of Manchester and the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) in Barcelona, said: "This is the first-ever controlled study involving healthy people to demonstrate that very pure forms of graphene oxide -- of a specific size distribution and surface character -- can be further developed in a way that would minimise the risk to human health. "It has taken us more than 10 years to develop the knowledge to carry out this research, from a materials and biological science point of view, but also from the clinical capacity to carry out such controlled studies safely by assembling some of the world's leading experts in this field." Professor Bryan Williams, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the British Heart Foundation, said: "The discovery that this type of graphene can be developed safely, with minimal short term side effects, could open the door to the development of new devices, treatment innovations and monitoring techniques. "We look forward to seeing larger studies over a longer timeframe to better understand how we can safely use nanomaterials like graphene to make leaps in delivering lifesaving drugs to patients."

FAIRFIELD, Conn.--( BUSINESS WIRE )-- Gold Rabbit Sports , a boutique sports advisory group, and Prothegen , a biotech company developing new treatments for ferroptosis, a specific type of cell death, have announced a strategic partnership designed to aggressively address concussions and other traumatic injuries in sports. “We want to leverage our collective networks to inspire the sports world to think differently about athlete safety,” said André Schunk , Gold Rabbit CEO and founder. “By investing in transformational medical innovations that measurably improve human health, sports leagues, governing bodies, and teams can position themselves as visionary incubators for a compelling alternative to ‘thoughts and prayers.’” According to the National Institute of Health , there are 1.7 million documented and 3.8 million estimated Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) in the U.S. annually. About 173,000 are sports-and-recreation-related TBIs among children and adolescents, and roughly 5.3 million men, women, and children are living with a permanent TBI-related disability in the United States. Prothegen co-founders Davide Zanchi (PhD & MBA, Stanford University), Prof. Scott Dixon (PhD, Stanford University) and Prof. Derek Pratt (PhD, Ottawa University) believe tackling the situation is more attainable than ever. “When a traumatic injury – like a concussion – occurs, a type of cell death called ferroptosis, takes place. Our scientifically proven, peer-reviewed treatment arrests ferroptosis, keeps cells functioning, and significantly diminishes the damage created by the trauma. Essentially, we’ve developed a potentially transformational treatment for concussions, strokes, Parkinson’s, and even Alzheimer’s disease,” said Zanchi. Michael Chad Hoeppner , Gold Rabbit’s Head of Strategy added, “The reality is that concussions and other traumatic injuries pose a genuine threat to the viability, watchability, and long-term commercial legitimacy of our favorite games.” Hoeppner concluded, “We believe the major purveyors of the sports world are inherently incentivized to seek out and support medical innovations like this and to catalyze the research and development of treatments that could literally prove game-changing for sports and society at large.” About Gold Rabbit Sports and Entertainment Founded in 2020 by sports industry veteran André Schunk, Gold Rabbit Sports specializes in imagining and developing unique and unexpected collaborations within the sports ecosystem. About Prothegen Prothegen is an early-stage biotech company delivering revolutionary therapies to regulate cell death with exquisite precision. Founded by academics in world leading institutions and pharma veterans, Prothegen develops new therapeutics in the realm of neuroscience and oncology.

Despite birth control existing for decades, almost none of the options specifically target sperm cells. Researchers are now developing approaches that target testosterone or otherwise interrupt the sperm's ability to fertilize an egg, yet these may not work for everyone. But now, researchers have identified a new candidate molecule that could become an effective non-hormonal contraceptive for many people who produce sperm. Despite birth control existing for decades, almost none of the options specifically target sperm cells. Researchers are now developing approaches that target testosterone or otherwise interrupt the sperm's ability to fertilize an egg, yet these may not work for everyone. But now, researchers publishing in ACS' Journal of Medicinal Chemistry have identified a new candidate molecule that could become an effective non-hormonal contraceptive for many people who produce sperm. Previously, Gunda I. Georg and colleagues investigated non-hormonal contraceptive options, as approaches targeting testosterone produced unwanted side effects. They developed a drug targeted at a specific vitamin A receptor and found that it worked as a highly effective contraceptive with no side effects. But numerous proteins are involved in forming sperm, and exploring multiple options would help increase the likelihood of one making it to human clinical trials and eventually onto the market. Another set of proteins involved in the cell cycle are the cyclin-dependent kinases, or CDKs, which play a role in sperm cell production and tumor development. Mice without the CDK2 receptor are sterile, so a drug that targets this protein could serve as an effective contraceptive. It also has potential as a cancer therapeutic because inhibiting the enzyme slowed tumor growth in previous studies. However, CDK2 has a very similar shape to other enzymes in its family, and currently available inhibitors tend to produce undesirable off-target effects by accidentally binding the others as well. So, Georg and her team wanted to develop a drug that could selectively inhibit CDK2 to serve as another contraceptive option. The team previously discovered an unknown binding site in CDK2 and a commercially available dye molecule that successfully bound to it. Using the dye as a starting point, the researched screened tens of thousands of different compounds in their current work to find ones that also bound the pocket well. They narrowed the list down to just three, picking one to further optimize. The best version, named EF-4-177, demonstrated a long half-life and good diffusion into the testes of mice. After a 28-day exposure, the animals' sperm counts decreased by about 45%. Additionally, EF-4-117 bound much more strongly to the CDK2 pocket than the dye, making it the highest affinity inhibitor for this site reported to date. The researchers say that this work proves the potential of this inhibitor for future therapeutic applications. The authors acknowledge funding from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National institute of Health, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the National Cancer Institute.