Nano-Dissection in Kidney Disease

     ScienceDaily  has recently issued an article expressing a new method called "in silico nano-dissection." Researchers at University of Michigan and Princeton University developed this method, which uses computers to separate and identify genes from specific cell types. This new method of study enables for the systematic study of genes in diseases. Isolating individual cell types for study is nearly impossible for most human tissues, however, these researchers successfully identified genes expressed in cells known as podocytes (work horses of the kidney), that malfunction in kidney disease. Certain patterns of activity of the genes were expressed to be correlated with severity of kidney impairment in patients. The computer approach was extremely accurate compared to existing methods. Because of this nano-dissection technique, researchers now have the ability to examine the genes from a section of whole tissue, for specific characteristics associated with certain cell types. The computer can use machine learning techniques to express which types of cells are present, which in turn helps to identify the genes being expressed. This is critical in defining disease bio markers (presence indicative of a disease) and selecting potential new drugs.
 

      For this study, researchers identified 136 genes in podocytes, two of which showed to cause kidney disease. It was demonstrated that this technique can also be used for cells in a range of diseases, not just kidney disease. The general way to look at cells is isolating cells in mice, but compared to the 65 percent accuracy of nano-dissection, that technique is only 23 percent accurate and can be very time consuming. Overall, nano-dissection is much more efficient and a quicker, more detailed process.

I chose this article because I have known someone suffering from kidney disease. This nano-dissection technique seems like it could be extremely beneficial to the world of medicine in the future, not only for kidney disease but for many other diseases as well. It is an efficient and much quicker way to study the specific cells of specific genes.

Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131004154808.htm

Second Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXVISlfJYxQ