What's Left of Moral Bioenhancement? Reviewing a 15-Year Debate.

Should we implement biomedical interventions like psychopharmaceuticals or brain stimulation that aim to improve morality in society? Since 2008, moral bioenhancement (MBE) has received considerable attention in bioethics, generating wide scholarly disagreement. However, reviews on the subject are few and either outdated or not structured in method. This paper addresses this gap by providing a scoping review of the last 15 years of debate on MBE (from 2008 to 2022).

Altering Active-Site Loop Dynamics Enhances Standalone Activity of the Tryptophan Synthase Alpha Subunit.

The α-subunit (TrpA) of the allosterically regulated bifunctional tryptophan synthase αββα enzyme catalyzes the retro-aldol cleavage of indole-glycerol phosphate (IGP) to d-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (G3P) and indole. The activity of the enzyme is highly dependent on the β-subunit (TrpB), which allosterically regulates and activates TrpA for enhanced function. This contrasts with the homologous BX1 enzyme from that can catalyze the same reaction as TrpA without requiring the presence of any additional binding partner.

A three-step method for preparing cryopreserved samples of apheresis products for post-thaw analysis yields a high recovery of viable cells.

Background: Flow cytometry protocols for counting fresh CD34+ cell samples are not ideal for cryopreserved products due to cryoprotectant cytotoxicity. For cryopreserved samples, often large volumes of hypotonic solutions, which can cause cell death, are used to remove the cryoprotectant with a post-thaw wash. We recently developed a novel multistep dilution method with subsequent flow cytometry analysis to allow for accurate and reproducible results.

EGFRVIII and EGFR targeted chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy in glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is the most common primary brain tumor. Although there have been significant advances in surgical techniques, chemo and immunotherapies, and radiation therapy, outcomes continue to be devastating for these patients with minimal improvements in survival. Chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy is a revolutionary approach that is a new pillar in the treatment of cancer.