The Nucleate Artery: Robots with quick reflexes, and how the cellular environment can reverse egg aging and fight cancer

Nucleate Singapore

Senuri De Silva

Chua Damien

, and 2 others

Nov 15, 2024

We are The Nucleate Artery, a monthly newsletter focused on the latest Singaporean biotech research and events. Chat with us via our Slack community: @Senuri De Silva @Chua Damien @Devika Menon @Liang Jiaqi.

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High potential SG research, hot off the press

BIOMIMETIC ELECTRONICS: New Sensor Tech Helps Robots Get a Grip

@Senuri De Silva

Ever wonder how robots in healthcare can manipulate tools precisely without dropping them? Turns out, achieving this level of delicate control is a bit trickier than you’d think. Robotic grippers—like those used in surgeries or prosthetic hands—have to apply just the right amount of pressure. If they grip too hard, they might damage what they’re holding. Too loose, and things can slip away—a dangerous situation during surgery. To tackle this challenge, researchers at NTU have developed an innovative sensor that gives robots a better ‘sense’ of touch. This smart technology allows robots to detect even the tiniest slips and automatically adjust their grip, ensuring they hold on securely without causing damage.

The novel sensor design incorporates a special pressure-sensitive material combined with artificial intelligence to recognize when something is about to slip. This setup allows the robot to learn complex tactile patterns and react quickly, almost like our reflexes, adjusting its grip in real time to prevent any mishaps. The researchers have tested this technology by integrating it into robotic fingers and grippers, showing successful human-like gripping and a reduced response time compared to current state-of-the-art solutions. This breakthrough could revolutionize healthcare by enabling robots to perform delicate tasks with greater precision and reliability, whether in surgery or assisting patients with daily activities.

More than 50 robots are currently working at Singapore’s high-tech hospital: from performing surgery to carrying out administrative work
Arm rehabilitation robot ‘H-Man’ bags National Healthcare Group Research and Innovation Award

CANCER: New therapeutic intervention for therapy-resistant Asian Leukemia population

@Senuri De Silva

Leukemia is the most common type of childhood cancer in Singapore, making up 44% of all cancer cases, and unfortunately, many patients show resistance to treatment. One of the culprits behind this resistance is the BIM deletion polymorphism (BDP), a genetic variation involving a deletion in the BCL2L11 gene, which is often found in East Asian populations. This genetic change makes the cancer resistant to first-line treatments like imatinib, inhibiting the drug’s ability to induce cell death in leukemia stem and progenitor cells.

Duke-NUS researchers studying BDP’s role in leukemia have found that it significantly contributes to the disease’s rapid progression and leads to almost complete resistance to imatinib in humanised mouse models. However, they also found a potential solution - drugs which block a protein called MCL-1 could effectively kill off the BDP-positive leukemia cells. MCL-1 normally helps cancer cells survive by blocking apoptotic pathways, so blocking MCL-1 removes this protection and allows the leukemia cells to die off.

While MCL-1 antagonists are still in early clinical testing for other types of cancer, this new research suggests they could be a promising approach for treating leukemia patients, especially those with the BDP genetic change. This research shines a light of hope for leukemia patients, suggesting a potential path for personalized treatments and companion diagnostics.

Singapore doctors developed new cell therapy that saved patients from treatment-resistant leukemia
Singapore becomes the first market in Southeast Asia to launch BESREMi®️, a new treatment for a rare blood cancer

Exciting breakthroughs in cancer research are happening worldwide, and behind these discoveries are the cutting-edge tools that make them possible. In a groundbreaking study published in Cell this year, researchers made remarkable advances in cancer immunotherapy using Vazyme’s state-of-the-art NGS Library Preparation Reagents.

Leading scientists like Dr. Dingjiacheng trust Vazyme to deliver reliable, high-quality solutions for their most important discoveries. What’s more, save 30% and up to an extra SGD 2000 off on all Vazyme products from now till 31 Dec 2024! Ready to accelerate your research? Explore Vazyme's comprehensive suite of molecular biology reagents now!

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH: Reverse aging in oocytes using a young follicle

@Devika Menon

Female reproductive aging leads to a decline in both egg quality and quantity, increasing the risks of miscarriage and other pregnancy complications in women over the age of 35. Current assisted reproductive technologies only address declines in egg quantity, and the chances of successful fertilization through techniques like IVF remain low due to deteriorating egg quality.

NUS scientists might have found a way to reverse aging and improve the quality of oocytes. Typically, the oocyte is surrounded by granulosa cells inside an ovarian follicle (small fluid-filled sacs inside the ovary) and these cells provide essential nutrients via transzonal projections (TZPs – cytoplasmic filaments from granulosa cells) for keeping the oocyte healthy.

Using mouse models, the authors demonstrated that transplanting an aging oocyte into a young follicle reversed oocyte aging. The transplanted oocyte displayed characteristics of a young and healthy oocyte - such as TZP reformation, reversal of aging related gene expression changes, and improved mitochondrial function. The increase in overall competence and metabolic function led to a significant three-fold increase in IVF success. Although further validation in human systems is required, this finding holds promise as a groundbreaking innovation for female reproductive health and family planning.

Learn more about:

Immunosuppressant drug rapamycin that has the potential to slow ovary aging and extend fertility
A pilot program by the Ministry of Health has found that genetic screening prior to IVF implantation results in a higher success rate

CANCER: Targeting gastric cancer by disrupting its support systems

@Chua Damien

Gastric cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with pharmacological treatments continuing to be limited despite advances in understanding its biology. This limitation arises from the tumor's complex cellular environment, where various stromal cells support tumor proliferation and growth, creating a high degree of intratumoral heterogeneity. While many drugs can eliminate the cancer cells in the lab, they often fail to disrupt the crucial interactions between the tumor and stromal cells in the human body. This leads to reduced treatment efficacy and a high likelihood of cancer recurrence.

Researchers at the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore have identified a promising new marker, IQGAP3, that plays a critical role not only in driving tumor formation but also in fostering a pro-tumor microenvironment. Their study highlights how IQGAP3 shapes both the intrinsic properties of cancer cells and their interactions within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Specifically, the depletion of IQGAP3 disrupted both extracellular and intracellular signaling pathways which are essential for cancer cell communication, survival and proliferation. In mouse models, reducing IQGAP3 expression in the stomach led to a significant decrease in precancerous cell conversions, uncontrolled cell proliferation and cancer-supportive fibroblasts in the tumor microenvironment. These findings demonstrate IQGAP3's role as a pivotal factor throughout multiple stages of gastric cancer, making it a potential target for more effective, multi-faceted cancer therapies that target both cancer cells and their supportive environment.

Stomach these advancements in gastric cancer:

NUHS researchers developed GASTROClear - the first molecular blood-based test for early detection of gastric cancer
Did you miss our Digestible on gastric cancer in September? Check it out now!

🗞️ Industry Spotlight

News from the Singapore life sciences industry

The Nucleic Acid Therapeutics Initiative launches Asia’s first non-GMP mRNA BioFoundry to advance mRNA manufacturing capabilities.
Scientists at NTU’s School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering have developed grain-sized soft robots for targeted drug delivery.
NTU LKCMedicine establishes Singapore's first academic health system with the National Healthcare Group.
Synapxe and the GDHP Cyber Security Workstream to bolster global medical device cybersecurity.
NTU and leading global VC firm Walden International are launching the Nanyang Frontier Fund, dedicating S$50 million to support deep tech spin-offs from the university.
NRF, NUS, and NTU jointly launched the National Graduate Research Innovation Programme to nurture deep tech startups.
MoH is injecting about $200 million over five years into the Health Innovation Fund, to support ground-up development and test-bedding of innovations in public healthcare institutions, including innovations in AI.
NUS YLL Medicine trial a novel gene therapy for epilepsy patients.

📆 Events happening this month

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A guest post by

Senuri De Silva

PhD Candidate at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore + Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR

A guest post by

Chua Damien

eavesdropping into inter-organ gossips that turn into full-blown metabolic and immunological rebellion. @LKCMedicine PhD Candidate | Director (Programmes & Education) @NucleateSG