Crops that feed the world: Production and improvement of cassava for food, feed, and industrial uses

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is one of the oldest root and tuber crops, used by humans to produce food, feed and beverages. Currently, cassava is produced in more than 100 countries and fulfils the daily caloric demands of millions of people living in tropical America, Africa, and Asia. Its impor-tance as a food security crop is high in Western, Central and Eastern Africa due to its ability to produce reasonable yields (\~10 t/ha) in poor soils and with minimal inputs. Traditionally a famine reserve and a subsistence crop, the status of cassava is now evolving fast as a cash crop and as raw material in the production of starch (and starch based products), energy (bio-ethanol) and livestock feed in the major producing countries. Cassava leaves, which are rich in protein and beta-carotenoids, are also used as a vegetable and forage (fresh or dehydrated meal) in various parts of the world. In recent years, some of the prob-lems in the production of cassava have been increasing infection with cassava mosaic disease (CMD), cassava brown streak dis-ease (CBSD) and cassava bacterial blight (CBB). Inherent post-harvest physiological disorder (PPD) and cyanogenic glycosides (CG) are some of the most prominent challenges for scientists, producers and consumers in the post-production systems. Collaborative research in participatory plant breeding is ongoing at leading international research institutes such as IITA and CIAT to improve crop resistance to virus diseases, reduce PPD and CG, and improve the overall nutritional characteristics. Further re-search should also focus on post-production systems by developing enhanced storage and transportation techniques, mechanisation (peeling, size reduction, drying and dewatering) and improved packaging. Moreover, a robust national policy, market development, and dissemination and extension program are required to realise the full potential of innovations and technologies in cassava production and processing

Neural precursor cells induce cell death of high-grade astrocytomas through stimulation of TRPV1

Primary astrocytomas of grade 3 or 4 according to the classification system of the World Health Organization (high-grade astrocytomas or HGAs) are preponderant among adults and are almost invariably fatal despite the use of multimodal therapy. Here we show that the juvenile brain has an endogenous defense mechanism against HGAs. Neural precursor cells (NPCs) migrate to HGAs, reduce glioma expansion and prolong survival time by releasing endovanilloids that activate the vanilloid receptor (transient receptor potential vanilloid subfamily member-1 or TRPV1) on HGA cells. TRPV1 is highly expressed in tumor and weakly expressed in tumor-free brain. TRPV1 stimulation triggers tumor cell death through the branch of the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway that is controlled by activating transcription factor-3 (ATF3). The antitumorigenic response of NPCs is lost with aging. NPC-mediated tumor suppression can be mimicked in the adult brain by systemic administration of the synthetic vanilloid arvanil, suggesting that TRPV1 agonists have potential as new HGA therapeutics