Indian researchers reveal key to enhancing immunity against cancer (GS Paper 2, Health)
Why in news?
- Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have made a groundbreaking discovery that could significantly improve the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy, a treatment that harnesses the body's immune system to combat cancer cells.
- The study delves into the intricate role of Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), a cytokine critical for immune response, and its interaction with various cancer cells.
Why it matters?
- Cancer immunotherapy has been a beacon of hope for patients, offering a more targeted approach than traditional treatments like chemotherapy or radiation, which often harm healthy cells. However, the cost and varying efficiency of these therapies have posed challenges.
- The IISc team's research aimed to address these issues by investigating how different cancer cells respond to IFN-γ activation.
Apoptosis:
- Apoptosis, often referred to as programmed cell death, is a highly regulated and controlled process that occurs in multicellular organisms.
- The researchers observed that upon treating cancer cells with IFN-γ, the cell growth medium turned yellow, indicating an acidic environment due to the release of lactic acid. This observation led them to explore the metabolic processes behind this phenomenon.
- They discovered that liver and kidney cancer cell lines ramped up their production of nitric oxide (NO) and lactic acid when activated by IFN-γ, resulting in toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can lead to cell death.
- Conversely, colon and skin cancer cell lines did not exhibit the same response, suggesting a potential resistance to immunotherapy.
Observations made:
- To tackle this, the team experimented with various methods to induce lactic acid and NO production in these stubborn cells.
- The addition of potassium lactate proved to be a game-changer, significantly reducing the growth of even the non-responsive cancer cells.
Way Forward:
- This finding was unexpected, as lactic acid is typically considered a metabolic waste product.
- They emphasised the need for further research in animal models to determine whether targeting metabolic pathways can enhance the anti-tumor effects of IFN-γ during immunotherapy, particularly for cancers that are difficult to treat.
New marine amphipod species found in Chillika Lake, Odisha
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
Why in news?
- Researchers at Berhampur University, Odisha have discovered a new species of marine amphipod, a shrimp-like crustacea of genus Demaorchestia in the state’s Chilika lake on the east coast of India.
- The new species was named Demaorchestia alanensis after global expert professor Alan Myers of University College Cork, Ireland, who has made a significant contribution to global marine amphipod studies.
- The present contribution has added one more species to the genus Demaorchestia, raising the global species number in the group to six.
Characteristic features:
- The new species of amphipod of the genus Demaorchestia (Senticaudata, Talitridae) is white in colour and less than 15 millimetres in length. It has 13 pairs of legs.
- While three pairs are used for swimming in the water, eight pairs are used for walking on land. The other two pairs are used for capturing prey and feeding.
- The species can be distinguished from the other members of the genus by two to three strong, hair-like structures or setae on the anterior margin of the propodus of the gnathopod. It belongs to the subfamily Platorchestiinae found along the Indian coast.
Role of Amphipods:
- Amphipods are a significant group in the marine ecosystem and play a vital role in the marine food chain.
- They also serve as indicators for studying the impact of climate change and health of coastal ecosystems.
- Further research will delve deeper into understanding the specific ecological roles of amphipods in coastal and marine environments.
Family Talitridae:
- The family Talitridae was considered one of the oldest groups of amphipods and it was believed to have been on the planet since the Jurassic age. It is divided into four subfamilies: Talitrinae, Floresorchestiinae, Pseudorchestoideinae and Platorchestiinae.
- In the Indian context, the family Talitridae is represented by only Talitrinae and Floresorchestiinae.
Background:
- Earlier, they discovered another two marine amphipods Quadrivisio Chilikensis from the seaweeds near Nalaban, the bird sanctuary area of the lagoon and Talorchestia buensis from the West Bengal coastal area.
NMCG Launches Global River Cities Alliance
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
Why in news?
- The Global River Cities Alliance (GRCA), led by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, was launched at COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
River Cities Alliance (RCA):
- The countries namely India, Egypt, Netherlands, Denmark, Ghana, Australia, Bhutan, Cambodia, Japan and river-cities of The Hague (Den Haag) from the Netherlands, Adelaide from Australia, and Szolnok of Hungary and International funding agencies the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and knowledge management institution like KPMG entered into a partnership, widely expanding the reach of the existing River Cities Alliance (RCA), formed by NMCG in association with National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) in 2021.
- The River Cities Alliance currently has 142 river cities in India and serves as a dedicated platform for members to discuss aspects related to enhancing the state of urban rivers within their administrative boundaries.
- On December 6, the RCA had signed a Memorandum of Common Purpose (MoCP) with 124 member Mississippi River Towns and Cities Initiative of the US.
GRCA:
- GRCA is a unique alliance covering 275+ global river-cities in 11 countries, international funding agencies and knowledge management partners and is first of its kind in the world.
- The National Mission for Clean Ganga, under the Jal Shakti ministry and Housing and Urban Affairs ministry’s National Institute for Urban Affairs (NIUA), will take on the role of the Secretariat of the GRCA to generate the initial momentum of the alliance activities which will include knowledge exchange, capacity development, high-level advocacy, and bi-lateral interactions among member cities.
Way Forward:
- The launch of GRCA signifies a momentous step in global efforts towards river conservation and sustainable water management.
- Following this, partner countries are poised to coordinate post-COP activities, shaping the architecture of GRCA for effective implementation.
