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https://vava.org.vn/notification-328.html
INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC SEMINAR ON "DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH AGENT ORANGE/DIOXIN EXPOSURE IN VIETNAM - CURRENT SITUATION AND SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE EFFECTIVENESS OF PREVENTION AND TREATMENT"
Monday, 20 December 2021
Identification of biomarkers for dioxin exposure and dioxin-associated cancer susceptibility
Thi My Anh NEILDEZ-NGUYEN1,2, Xuan Nguyen BUI3
1 Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine, INSERM UMRS 938, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
2 EPHE, PSL University, Paris, France.
3 South-East Asian Biotechnology Center, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Sao la cloning
https://www.nature.com/news/2006/060626/full/news060626-1.htm
Science on the solstice 00:00-03:59
Return to Science on the solstice special feature
Return to Science on the solstice special feature
28 June 2006, 01:30 UT, Hanoi, VietnamNguyen Van Hanh, a PhD student, shows Bui Xuan Nguyen some egg cells that have been matured in vitro for 22 hours. Nguyen needs the cells for his attempt to clone the saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), a species of ox that lives only on the Laos-Vietnam border and one of the rarest mammals in the world. The bovine oocytes do not look suitable, but there are some nice swamp-buffalo oocytes with clear polar bodies. Nguyen starts to remove the nuclei from the buffalo egg cells while a colleague prepares some saola cells, readying them for fusion around noon.
21°01' N 105°30' E; 08:30 local time
Induction of Corneal Epithelial-like Cells Derived from Human Wharton's Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Mar 12;23(6):3078.
The combination of RA, SB505124, BMP4, and EGF for the first 3 days of differentiation followed by supplementing hormonal epidermal medium for an additional 6 days could generate corneal epithelial-like cells that expressed a CEC specific marker CK12. This study reveals that WJ-MSCs have the potential to transdifferentiate into CECs which would be beneficial for further applications in LSCD treatment therapy.
Stem cells diferentiation
Abstract
Dioxins are environmental pollutants that can accumulate in human tissue through the food chain. Exposure to 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin (TCDD), the most toxic dioxin, as a contaminant in the defoliant Agent Orange, dumped during the Viet
The fight against Saola extinction: there's still time if we act now
The IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) has today released a position statement that shows we must act now unless we want to lose Saola forever. It is a call to action for one of the most imperiled mammals on the planet.
The beautiful species lives in the Annamite Mountains of Vietnam and Lao PDR. Much of what is known about the elusive creature comes from local people, a handful of camera trap photos and the few individuals ever held in captivity (all only briefly). Because of the difficulty in detecting the animal, scientists have not been able to make a precise population estimate. Listed as Critically Endangered, the fact that Saola has not had a proven detection since 2013 suggests that it is now very rare.
Saola, Pseudoryx nghetinhensis, a 200 pound (90 kilogram) mammal, was unknown to science until 1992. A team of scientists discovered a skull with unusual horns in the home of a hunter in a remote village in Vietnam. It was the first new large mammal to science in more than 50 years, and an incredibly important discovery. To date, Saola has never been seen in the wild by a biologist.
Now, the SSC has made it clear they believe Saola continues to exist in the wild and more must be done to save it from extinction. The position statement brings to light the scale of potential Saola habitat that is yet to be properly searched for the species. It calls for a joint effort to find and conserve any remaining Saola before it is too late.
“We urgently need to coordinate unprecedented levels of detection efforts, foster an open collaboration and bridge the gap between science and conservation if we are to save Saola from extinction,” says Carolina Soto-Navarro, Viet Nam National Coordinator for the IUCN SSC Saola Working Group, an active network of members and implementing partners committed to saving Saola.
The biggest threat to the species is from illegal hunting. Saola can become caught in snares that have been set in the forest, even in the most remote areas, to target other, more sought-after animals like Sambar or civets. But snares are indiscriminate, injuring and killing any medium and large mammals that are unlucky enough to step on them.
© Bill Robichaud
The iconic Annamites species is the focus of a number of conservation projects.
WWF Vietnam has adopted a holistic approach that consists of identifying levers of change critical to save Saola from the brink of extinction. These range from protected area law enforcement, prioritisation of detection efforts using both local indigenous knowledge and state-of-the-art modern science such as eDNA, to nation-wide awareness campaigns, and corporate engagement. They also champion rewilding efforts in the country with national and international partners through the development of the first in-situ breeding centre for Saola and other endemic and highly endangered Annamite species.
“We are proud to be the leading organisation in Viet Nam driving and prioritising Saola conservation efforts in the country through our collaboration with the IUCN Saola Working Group,” says Thinh Van Ngoc, CEO WWF-Vietnam. “Our main efforts focus on enhancing collaboration and strengthening the in-country network of national stakeholders involved in Saola conservation. We do this through open communication and co-development approaches, leveraging and securing funding for conservation activities across the Saola range, and ensuring a strong and sound scientific-base to our practice.”
There is also active conservation work happening in Lao PDR. The Wildlife Conservation Society – Lao PDR Program supports Saola efforts as part of their vision for thriving and valued ecosystems. They work to improve protection and management of biodiversity by building the capacity of government and local stakeholders, community engagement and combating illegal wildlife trade.
“WCS has long been involved in Saola conservation through collaborations with the Saola Working Group and currently with the Saola Foundation. We see the importance of immediate and intensive searches for this iconic species of the Annamites as a fundamental step in our efforts to conserving Saola,” says Akchousanh Rasphone, PhD, Conservation and Science Director for Wildlife Conservation Society – Lao PDR Program.
