Toggle light / dark theme

Get the latest international news and world events from around the world.

Log in for authorized contributors

Efficacy and Safety of VMAT2 Inhibitors in the Treatment of Huntington DiseaseA Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

In patients with Huntington disease, vesicular monoamine transporter 2 inhibitors (VMAT2is) treatment improved chorea without significant changes in adverse effects or depressive symptoms.


This website uses a security service to protect against malicious bots. This page is displayed while the website verifies you are not a bot.

Influence of Decreased Kidney Function on Plasma Biomarkers of Neurodegenerative Disorders in Routine Care: Confirmation of the Interest of Ratios

This study found that impaired kidney function was linked to increased plasma cerebral amyloidosis biomarkers, but ratio-based measures showed stable sensitivity and specificity for detecting cerebral amyloidosis across all eGFR groups.


This website uses a security service to protect against malicious bots. This page is displayed while the website verifies you are not a bot.

Hidden mosquito viruses emerge as RNA immune signals map global infections

Aedes aegypti, commonly known as the yellow fever mosquito, is a highly adapted, invasive mosquito species recognized as a major global health threat that acts as the primary vector for several severe diseases, most notably dengue fever, as well as yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika virus. Local government agencies conduct routine molecular surveillance of these mosquitoes to detect and track viruses. However, they are primarily limited to using conventional reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction methodologies, which can only detect known pathogens that have already been identified and for which specific genetic primers have been developed.

Recent research efforts applying high-throughput RNA sequencing have led to a large expansion in the mosquito virome (the entire collection of viruses contained within mosquitoes). However, questions remain as to how persistent insect viruses are within mosquito colonies, how insect viruses interact with mosquito immune responses and how frequently insect viruses can be transmitted.

A new study by Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine researchers looked at the mosquitoes’ immune response to discover many more insect viruses and they hope to someday use the mosquitoes’ own immune system to battle some of the most pervasive and antagonistic human viruses. The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.

Abstract: Proposing a no-nonsense strategy for the treatment of dominant neurodevelopmental disorders:

Xiaochang Zhang & team introduce exon annotation for nonsense-mediated mRNA (EANMD) and report on alternatively spliced exons in the brain that trigger mRNA decay, noting modulation of such exons in disease-causal genes can potentially treat neurodevelopmental disorders.


Address correspondence to: Xiaochang Zhang, University of Chicago, Cummings Life Science Center 507A, 920 E. 58th St., Chicago, Illinois 60,637, USA. Phone: 773.834.5369; Email: [email protected].

Virtual Reality Takes Physics Students to Another Planet

Daniel de Florian had already established himself as a theoretical physicist—leading a group at CERN that contributed to the discovery of the Higgs boson—when he had an idea: introducing physics into high schools using virtual reality (VR). He believed that younger generations were drawn to less traditional ways of accessing science and that VR might be worth a try. As director of the Institute of Physical Sciences at the National University of General San Martín, located on the outskirts of the sprawling metropolis of Buenos Aires in Argentina, he had the resources to pursue the idea.

In 2024, de Florian began developing a combination of science, gaming, and immersive technology to create a VR-boosted version of high school physics courses. With funding from an international bank, he conducted the first pilot tests in 2025. In the VR program, students could manipulate atoms, create molecules, and solve challenges such as protecting nature on a fictional planet under various physical threats.

De Florian told Physics Magazine about his experience developing this unconventional educational tool.

/* */