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Category: biotech/medical

Zebrafish reveal new insights into the biology of autism

In recent decades, the zebrafish has become one of the most valuable model organisms in scientific research. For a variety of reasons, including their genetic similarities to humans, these tiny tropical fish have helped researchers unlock secrets to diseases ranging from muscular dystrophy to melanoma. Now, Yale researchers are hoping the zebrafish will do the same for autism spectrum disorder.

In a new study, a research team generated a database of 520 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs and their effects on basic larval zebrafish behaviors and then used the database to identify drug candidates that reverse disrupted behaviors in zebrafish carrying mutations in autism risk genes.

These drug candidates, the researchers say, might represent targets for people carrying mutations in specific autism risk genes.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation can target a deep brain region without surgery or medication

Neuroscientists at University of Iowa Health Care have demonstrated for the first time that noninvasive brain stimulation can alter the activity of a critical deep brain region involved in emotion and memory. Moreover, the study shows that personalizing the stimulation site using a patient’s unique brain connectivity pathway can increase the neuromodulation effect.

The study, published recently in Nature Communications, used innovative, concurrent brain stimulation and recording techniques in people to provide direct human evidence that noninvasive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can reliably engage and modulate activity in the hippocampus.

The hippocampus is a deep brain region that plays a critical role in multiple brain functions, such as memory and emotion. Problems with hippocampal function have been implicated in several neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Oatk: a de novo assembly tool for complex plant organelle genomes

Plant organelle genomes, particularly large mitochondrial genomes with complex repeats, present significant challenges for assembly. The advent of long-read sequencing enables the assembly of complete genomes, but problems of resolving alternative structures remain. Here we introduce a novel tool that employs a syncmer-based assembler for rapid assembly graph construction, integrates a profile-HMM database for robust organelle identification, and leverages a new search method to find the best supported path through the assembly graph. We describe high-quality organelle assemblies for 195 plant species, demonstrating improvements over other methods, and providing multiple insights into structural complexity, heteroplasmy, and DNA exchange between organelles.

Association of White Matter Hyperintensities, Regional Brain Glucose Metabolism, and Cognitive Impairment in Aβ-Negative Patients

This study examined whether periventricular white matter hyperintensities relate to region-specific cortical hypometabolism and metabolism mediates domain-specific cognition in Aβ-negative individuals.

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Expert in Anti-Aging Dr. Ronald Klatz Discusses Chronic Disease — Redefining Medicine

Today’s episode on Redefining Medicine features Ronald Klatz, MD, DO. As Founder and President of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, and leading authority in the field of anti-aging, Dr. Klatz has helped pioneer the exploration of new therapies and treatments for the prevention of chronic disease, and other disorders associated with aging. Dr. Klatz has also been instrumental in founding the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and continues to provide oversight for continuing medical education programs, activities, and publications. #antiaging #regenerativemedicine #wellness #sportsmedicine #Innovation #wellness #functionalmedicine

Cytomegalovirus Drives the Development of Cytotoxic CD4+ T Cells in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

Background and ObjectivesChronic immune activation is a hallmark of latent viral infections and autoimmune disorders, profoundly shaping immune cell phenotypes, including CD4+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CD4 CTL). The mechanisms underlying CD4 CTL…

Reprogramming ‘gatekeeper’ immune cell may boost cancer immunotherapy

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists have discovered how tumors disable immune “gatekeeper” cells that alert the rest of the immune system to the presence of cancer—and how restoring their energy production can improve immunotherapy. Dendritic cells activate the cytotoxic immune cells that destroy cancer. The researchers found that tumors reduce dendritic cell function by decreasing their mitochondrial fitness, thus preventing formation of the anticancer immune response.

The results, published in Science, also show that boosting mitochondrial function in dendritic cells enhances antitumor immune activity and strengthens the efficacy of existing immunotherapies.

Dendritic cells alert and activate tumor-killing immune cells as a critical part of anticancer immune response. However, within the nutrient-sparse tumor microenvironment (the complex mixture of chemicals, cells and other factors near cancer cells), dendritic cells progressively lose their energy-producing mitochondrial activity. That loss drives dendritic cell dysfunction and weakens the body’s immune defenses against cancer.

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