10 research outputs found
Exoplanet Diversity in the Era of Space-based Direct Imaging Missions
This whitepaper discusses the diversity of exoplanets that could be detected
by future observations, so that comparative exoplanetology can be performed in
the upcoming era of large space-based flagship missions. The primary focus will
be on characterizing Earth-like worlds around Sun-like stars. However, we will
also be able to characterize companion planets in the system simultaneously.
This will not only provide a contextual picture with regards to our Solar
system, but also presents a unique opportunity to observe size dependent
planetary atmospheres at different orbital distances. We propose a preliminary
scheme based on chemical behavior of gases and condensates in a planet's
atmosphere that classifies them with respect to planetary radius and incident
stellar flux.Comment: A white paper submitted to the National Academy of Sciences Exoplanet
Science Strateg
The Need for Laboratory Measurements and Ab Initio Studies to Aid Understanding of Exoplanetary Atmospheres
We are now on a clear trajectory for improvements in exoplanet observations
that will revolutionize our ability to characterize their atmospheric
structure, composition, and circulation, from gas giants to rocky planets.
However, exoplanet atmospheric models capable of interpreting the upcoming
observations are often limited by insufficiencies in the laboratory and
theoretical data that serve as critical inputs to atmospheric physical and
chemical tools. Here we provide an up-to-date and condensed description of
areas where laboratory and/or ab initio investigations could fill critical gaps
in our ability to model exoplanet atmospheric opacities, clouds, and chemistry,
building off a larger 2016 white paper, and endorsed by the NAS Exoplanet
Science Strategy report. Now is the ideal time for progress in these areas, but
this progress requires better access to, understanding of, and training in the
production of spectroscopic data as well as a better insight into chemical
reaction kinetics both thermal and radiation-induced at a broad range of
temperatures. Given that most published efforts have emphasized relatively
Earth-like conditions, we can expect significant and enlightening discoveries
as emphasis moves to the exotic atmospheres of exoplanets.Comment: Submitted as an Astro2020 Science White Pape
Life Beyond the Solar System: Remotely Detectable Biosignatures
For the first time in human history, we will soon be able to apply to the scientific method to the question "Are We Alone?" The rapid advance of exoplanet discovery, planetary systems science, and telescope technology will soon allow scientists to search for life beyond our Solar System through direct observation of extrasolar planets. This endeavor will occur alongside searches for habitable environments and signs of life within our Solar System. While these searches are thematically related and will inform each other, they will require separate observational techniques. The search for life on exoplanets holds potential through the great diversity of worlds to be explored beyond our Solar System. However, there are also unique challenges related to the relatively limited data this search will obtain on any individual world
The Polycomb BMI1 Protein Is Co-expressed With CD26+ in Leukemic Stem Cells of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
The Polycomb gene BMI1 expression exerts a negative predictive impact on several hematological malignancies, such as acute and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), myelofibrosis, and follicular lymphoma. As already demonstrated in CML, BMI1 is responsible for the resistance to the tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in a BCR-ABL1-independent way. Even if, it is unknown where BMI1 in CML is expressed (in progenitors or more mature cells). We decided, therefore, to evaluate if and where the BMI1 protein is located, focusing mainly on the CD34+/CD38-/CD26+ CML progenitors. To begin we measured, by flow cytometry, the proportion of CD34+/CD26+ cells in 31 bone marrow samples from 20 CML patients, at diagnosis and during treatment with imatinib. After that the bone marrow blood smears were stained with antibodies anti-CD26, BCR-ABL1, and BMI1. These smears were observed by a confocal laser microscope and a 3D reconstruction was then performed. At diagnosis, CD34+/CD26+ cells median value/ÎĽL was 0.48; this number increased from diagnosis to the third month of therapy and then reduced during treatment with imatinib. The number and behavior of the CD26+ progenitors were independent from the BCR-ABL1 expression, but they summed up what previously observed about the BMI1 expression modulation. In this work we demonstrate for the first time that in CML the BMI1 protein is co-expressed with BCR-ABL1 only in the cytoplasm of the CD26+ precursors; on the contrary, in other hematological malignancies where BMI1 is commonly expressed (follicular lymphoma, essential thrombocytemia, acute myeloid leukemia), it was not co-localized with CD26 or, obviously, with BCR-ABL1. Once translated into the clinical context, if BMI1 is a marker of stemness, our results would suggest the combination of the BMI1 inhibitors with TKIs as an interesting object of research, and, probably, as a promising way to overcome resistance in CML patients
Highly Volcanic Exoplanets, Lava Worlds, and Magma Ocean Worlds:An Emerging Class of Dynamic Exoplanets of Significant Scientific Priority
Highly volcanic exoplanets, which can be variously characterized as 'lava
worlds', 'magma ocean worlds', or 'super-Ios' are high priority targets for
investigation. The term 'lava world' may refer to any planet with extensive
surface lava lakes, while the term 'magma ocean world' refers to planets with
global or hemispherical magma oceans at their surface. 'Highly volcanic
planets', including super-Ios, may simply have large, or large numbers of,
active explosive or extrusive volcanoes of any form. They are plausibly highly
diverse, with magmatic processes across a wide range of compositions,
temperatures, activity rates, volcanic eruption styles, and background
gravitational force magnitudes. Worlds in all these classes are likely to be
the most characterizable rocky exoplanets in the near future due to
observational advantages that stem from their preferential occurrence in short
orbital periods and their bright day-side flux in the infrared. Transit
techniques should enable a level of characterization of these worlds analogous
to hot Jupiters. Understanding processes on highly volcanic worlds is critical
to interpret imminent observations. The physical states of these worlds are
likely to inform not just geodynamic processes, but also planet formation, and
phenomena crucial to habitability. Volcanic and magmatic activity uniquely
allows chemical investigation of otherwise spectroscopically inaccessible
interior compositions. These worlds will be vital to assess the degree to which
planetary interior element abundances compare to their stellar hosts, and may
also offer pathways to study both the very young Earth, and the very early form
of many silicate planets where magma oceans and surface lava lakes are expected
to be more prevalent. We suggest that highly volcanic worlds may become second
only to habitable worlds in terms of both scientific and public long-term
interest.Comment: A white paper submitted in response to the National Academy of
Sciences 2018 Exoplanet Science Strategy solicitation, from the NASA Sellers
Exoplanet Environments Collaboration (SEEC) of the Goddard Space Flight
Center. 6 pages, 0 figure
I geni Polycomb come meccanismo di resistenza BCR-ABL1-indipendente nella Leucemia Mieloide Cronica
La leucemia mieloide cronica (Chronic myeloid leukemia, CML) è un disordine mieloproliferativo
derivante dalla trasformazione neoplastica della cellula staminale ematopoietica pluripotente
CD34+/CD26+/CD38-/CD90+. Tale trasformazione è dovuta alla traslocazione bilanciata t(9;22) da
cui si genera l’oncoproteina BCR-ABL1, driver dell’evoluzione neoplastica. Oggi, grazie agli inibitori
tirosin-chinasici (TKIs), i pazienti con CML hanno una sopravvivenza superiore al 90%, paragonabile
ai soggetti sani; tuttavia, esistono ancora alcune problematiche aperte legate alla generazione di
meccanismi di resistenza anche non dipendenti da BCR-ABL1.
Il nostro studio è stato condotto su 9 pazienti affetti da CML in prima linea di trattamento giunti
all’osservazione presso il reparto di Ematologia dell’Ospedale di Pisa dal gennaio 2016 al luglio 2017.
Da questi pazienti sono stati raccolti sangue periferico e midollare alla diagnosi, dopo 6 mesi e dopo
12 mesi di trattamento con TKIs. Lo scopo principale del nostro lavoro è stato quello di valutare ed
indentificare marker alternativi al BCR-ABL1 che meglio possono identificare i soggetti sensibili o
resistenti al trattamento e che possono aiutare il clinico ad effettuare una corretta “target terapy”.
In particolare, tale lavoro si è proposto di: 1) analizzare l’espressione dei geni Polycomb; 2) valutare
la localizzazione cellulare di BMI1. Dai risultati ottenuti dal nostro lavoro, piĂą geni appartenenti alla
famiglia Polycomb, risultano differentemente espressi a 6 mesi di terapia rispetto ai loro valori alla
diagnosi, suggerendo come l’utilizzo di TKIs vada ad agire su pathways intracellulari diversi da BCRABL1.
Nonostante la casistica limitata, tali de-regolazioni si sono verificate per tutte le tipologie di
TKIs utilizzate. Questi risultati, seppur preliminari e ancora da ampliare, confermano l’importanza
dell’espressione dei geni Polycomb, che varia a seconda dei pazienti e della risposta al trattamento.
Inoltre, la scoperta di una co-espressione di BMI1 con BCR-ABL1 all’interno della cellula immatura
(CD26+) apre una nuova prospettiva interessante: nella CML, BMI1 può essere considerato un
ulteriore marker dell'LSC e potrebbe far parte di quel network di geni che sono coinvolti nella
resistenza ai TKIs indipendente da ABL1. Quindi, abbiamo ipotizzato che BMI1 potrebbe
rappresentare un nuovo target per una terapia alternativa ai TKIs nei pazienti che risultano
resistenti. I dati raccolti in questo studio, insieme a quelli giĂ presentati in letteratura, sul ruolo dei
geni Polycomb e sulla variazione di espressione genica di BMI1, potrebbero risultare utili nella
stratificazione della risposta dei pazienti al trattamento farmacologico ed essere considerati dei veri
e propri fattori prognostici nella clinica della CML
Recommended from our members
Life Beyond the Solar System: Remotely Detectable Biosignatures
For the first time in human history, we will soon be able to apply the
scientific method to the question "Are We Alone?" The rapid advance of
exoplanet discovery, planetary systems science, and telescope technology will
soon allow scientists to search for life beyond our Solar System through direct
observation of extrasolar planets. This endeavor will occur alongside searches
for habitable environments and signs of life within our Solar System. While the
searches are thematically related and will inform each other, they will require
separate observational techniques. The search for life on exoplanets holds
potential through the great diversity of worlds to be explored beyond our Solar
System. However, there are also unique challenges related to the relatively
limited data this search will obtain on any individual world. This white paper
reviews the scientific community's ability to use data from future telescopes
to search for life on exoplanets. This material summarizes products from the
Exoplanet Biosignatures Workshop Without Walls (EBWWW). The EBWWW was
constituted by a series of online and in person activities, with participation
from the international exoplanet and astrobiology communities, to assess state
of the science and future research needs for the remote detection of life on
planets outside our Solar System
Recommended from our members
Exoplanet Diversity in the Era of Space-based Direct Imaging Missions
This whitepaper discusses the diversity of exoplanets that could be detected
by future observations, so that comparative exoplanetology can be performed in
the upcoming era of large space-based flagship missions. The primary focus will
be on characterizing Earth-like worlds around Sun-like stars. However, we will
also be able to characterize companion planets in the system simultaneously.
This will not only provide a contextual picture with regards to our Solar
system, but also presents a unique opportunity to observe size dependent
planetary atmospheres at different orbital distances. We propose a preliminary
scheme based on chemical behavior of gases and condensates in a planet's
atmosphere that classifies them with respect to planetary radius and incident
stellar flux
Astro2020 Science White Paper The Need for Laboratory Measurements and Ab Initio Studies to Aid Understanding of Exoplanetary Atmospheres
Astro2020 Science White Pape
Recommended from our members
The Need for Laboratory Measurements and Ab Initio Studies to Aid Understanding of Exoplanetary Atmospheres
We are now on a clear trajectory for improvements in exoplanet observations
that will revolutionize our ability to characterize their atmospheric
structure, composition, and circulation, from gas giants to rocky planets.
However, exoplanet atmospheric models capable of interpreting the upcoming
observations are often limited by insufficiencies in the laboratory and
theoretical data that serve as critical inputs to atmospheric physical and
chemical tools. Here we provide an up-to-date and condensed description of
areas where laboratory and/or ab initio investigations could fill critical gaps
in our ability to model exoplanet atmospheric opacities, clouds, and chemistry,
building off a larger 2016 white paper, and endorsed by the NAS Exoplanet
Science Strategy report. Now is the ideal time for progress in these areas, but
this progress requires better access to, understanding of, and training in the
production of spectroscopic data as well as a better insight into chemical
reaction kinetics both thermal and radiation-induced at a broad range of
temperatures. Given that most published efforts have emphasized relatively
Earth-like conditions, we can expect significant and enlightening discoveries
as emphasis moves to the exotic atmospheres of exoplanets