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Category: biotech/medical – Page 131

Enzymes critical for astrocytic GABA production in Alzheimer’s disease identified!

A research team has identified a previously unknown enzyme, SIRT2, that plays a key role in memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The study provides critical insights into how astrocytes contribute to cognitive decline by producing excessive amounts of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA.

Astrocytes, once thought to only support neurons, are now known to actively influence brain function. In Alzheimer’s disease, astrocytes become reactive, meaning they change their behavior in response to the presence of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques, a hallmark of the disease. While astrocytes attempt to clear these plaques, this process triggers a harmful chain reaction. First, they uptake them via autophagy and degrade them by the urea cycle, as discovered in previous research. However, this breakdown results in the overproduction of GABA, which dampens brain activity and leads to memory impairment. Additionally, this pathway generates hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a toxic byproduct that causes further neuronal death and neurodegeneration.

The research team set out to uncover which enzymes were responsible for excessive GABA production, hoping to find a way to selectively block its harmful effects without interfering with other brain functions. Using molecular analysis, microscopic imaging, and electrophysiology, the researchers identified SIRT2 and ALDH1A1 as critical enzymes involved in GABA overproduction in Alzheimer’s-affected astrocytes.

Ultrasound-activated cilia can clean implanted stents and catheters

Urinary stents and catheters are implanted medical tubes that are widely used in human and veterinary medicine to drain urine to/from the bladder. Ureteral stents are used when the ureter, the duct between the kidney and bladder, is blocked by tumors, pregnancy, stones or anatomical narrowing.

Biofilm, produced by bacteria, and crystalline deposits, called encrustation, grow on the inner and outer walls of such stents and catheters soon after implantation and are among the main causes of failure of these devices because they lead to painful blockages and urinary infections.

To mitigate these issues, urinary stents and catheters therefore must be replaced every two to six months, which not only considerably restricts the quality of life of those affected but also leads to high hospital load and costs.

Computational analysis clarifies cancer risk for families with genetic variants

QIMR Berghofer-led research has shown that new advanced computational prediction tools can improve the accuracy of genetic testing for families affected by an inherited condition that significantly increases their risk of developing cancer, paving the way to better targeted care.

The findings have been published in the American Journal of Human Genetics alongside complementary studies by international collaborators, which together show how incorporating the new computational biology tools with existing modeling methods improved the predictive power of genetic test results.

Computational tools are used to predict if and how a genetic is likely to impact the function of the protein encoded by the gene.

Novel CAR-T therapy achieves positive results in a high proportion of patients with a refractory type of lymphoma

Researchers from the Sant Pau Research Institute (IR Sant Pau), in collaboration with Sant Pau Hospital and the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, have developed an innovative CAR-T cell therapy targeting the CD30 protein (HSP-CAR30), which has shown high efficacy in patients with refractory CD30+ lymphoma.

A Phase I clinical trial, whose results have been published in the journal Blood, reveals that this new CAR-T30 therapy promotes the expansion of memory T cells, leading to long-lasting responses and improved clinical outcomes in treated patients.

Hodgkin and other CD30+ lymphomas have posed a significant challenge to the medical community, particularly in refractory or relapsed cases where conventional treatments have so far shown limited efficacy.

Overcoming the quantum sensing barrier: New protocol counteracts the limitation of decoherence

Researchers have demonstrated a new quantum sensing technique that widely surpasses conventional methods, potentially accelerating advances in fields ranging from medical imaging to foundational physics research, as shown in a study published in Nature Communications.

For decades, the performance of quantum sensors has been limited by decoherence, which is unpredictable behavior caused by environmental noise.

“Decoherence causes the state of a quantum system to become randomly scrambled, erasing any quantum sensing signal,” said Eli Levenson-Falk, senior author of the study, associate professor of physics and astronomy at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering.

Molecule can disarm pathogenic bacteria without harming beneficial microbes

A consortium of researchers with multidisciplinary skills, coordinated by INRAE and including the CNRS, the Université Paris-Saclay and Inserm, has identified a molecule capable of “disarming” pathogenic bacteria in the face of the immune system, without any negative effects on the host microbiota, promising a new strategy to combat antibiotic resistance.

These results, already patented and recently published in Nature Communications, are leading to the development of new drugs.

Antibiotic resistance is a major public health issue. According to the WHO, 5 million people die every year worldwide as a result of . This could become the leading cause of death by 2050.