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Category: biotech/medical – Page 182

In the body, psilocybin becomes psilocin, which can increase nerve cell communication even in a single dose

A recent study by the Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research (HITBR) at the Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH) in Mannheim provides the first detailed cellular insights into how psilocin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, promotes the growth and networking of human nerve cells.

These findings complement clinical studies on the treatment of mental disorders and could contribute to a better understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms behind the therapeutic effect of psilocybin.

Psilocybin is the well-known in so-called magic mushrooms, which is converted in the body to psilocin—the compound that ultimately unleashes the psychoactive effect. The Mannheim research team worked directly with psilocin to investigate the neurobiological effects.

X-ray snapshot: How light bends an active substance

Many biologically important molecules change shape when stimulated by UV radiation. Although this property can also be found in some drugs, it is not yet well understood. Using an innovative technique, an international team involving researchers from Goethe University Frankfurt, the European XFEL in Schenefeld and the Deutschen Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY in Hamburg has elucidated this ultra-fast process, and made it visible in slow motion, with the help of X-ray light. The method opens up exciting new ways of analyzing many other molecules.

The study is published in the journal Nature Communications.

“We investigated the molecule 2-thiouracil, which belongs to a group of pharmaceutically active substances based on certain DNA building blocks, the nucleobases,” says the study’s last author Markus Gühr, the head of DESY’s free-electron laser FLASH and Professor of Chemistry at University of Hamburg. 2-thiouracil and its chemically related active substances have a sulfur atom, which gives the molecules its unusual, medically relevant properties.

A torpor-like state in mice slows blood epigenetic aging and prolongs healthspan

Dissecting the effects of hypothermic and hypometabolic states on aging processes, the authors show that activation of neurons in the preoptic area induces a torpor-like state in mice that slows epigenetic aging and improves healthspan. These pro-longevity effects are mediated by reduced Tb, reinforcing evidence that Tb is a key mediator of aging processes.

Cancer cells can cooperate to grow

In a new study, funded in part by NIH, a team led by Dr. Carlos Carmona-Fontaine from New York University investigated a peculiar characteristic of cell growth called the Allee effect. In the Allee effect, the viability of a cell population drops below a certain cell density. This suggests the cells are somehow cooperating to survive. The study appeared on February 19, 2025, in Nature.

To look at whether cancer cells exhibit an Allee effect, the researchers grew several types of cancer cells with various restricted nutrients. They found that depriving the cells of an amino acid that the cells need to grow appeared to create an Allee effect. Only higher-density cell populations survived under these conditions. This indicated that a cooperative survival strategy had kicked in.

The team then further explored how cancer cells might be cooperating to survive in low-amino acid environments. Chains of amino acids called oligopeptides can be broken down by cells into individual amino acids. The scientists found that cancer cells released substances into their immediate environment that broke nearby oligopeptides down. Because this occurred outside the cancer cells, any cell in the immediate vicinity could use the resulting free amino acids.

Rosemary Compound Shows Promise for Alzheimer’s Disease

Researchers developed a stable form of carnosic acid, a compound found in rosemary and sage. The compound showed promise for improving learning and memory and reducing signs of Alzheimer’s disease in mouse models. The corresponding study was published in Antioxidants. The researchers hope to test the compound in human trials.

Carnosic acid has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. While pure carnosic acid is too unstable for medical use, the new compound developed by scientists from Scripps Research fully converts to carnosic acid in the gut before absorption into the bloodstream. They called the compound ‘diAcCA’

As a part of the study, the researchers tested the compound’s efficacy in mouse models for three months. Ultimately, the compound improved learning and memory, and reduced markers of inflammation, formation of amyloid plaques, and phosphorylated tau aggregates.

Clinical relevance of engineered cartilage maturation in a randomized multicenter trial for articular cartilage repair

Applying tissue maturation techniques to engineered cartilage grafts produces more functionally faithful grafts and leads to superior clinical outcomes in patients with knee cartilage injuries, shows a new multicenter clinical trial.

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Engineered hyaline-like cartilage tissues are superior to immature cell-based grafts for the therapy of cartilage defects in the human knee.

DNA Printed Book By Isaac Asimov Now Available

Scientists have now cracked this secret using computational simulations and lab experiments, paving the way for bioengineered silk with game-changing applications, from medical sutures to ultra-strong body armor.

Spiders Strengthen Their Silk with Stretching

When spiders spin their webs, they use their hind legs to pull silk from their spinnerets. This pulling action does more than just release the silk—it strengthens the fibers, making the web more durable.

New treatment could cure one in 20 cases of high blood pressure

Half a million people in the UK with dangerously high blood pressure – a “silent killer” that causes tens of thousands of deaths a year – could be cured by a new treatment.

Doctors have developed a technique to burn away nodules that lead to a large amount of salt building up in the body, which increases the risk of a stroke or heart attack.

The breakthrough could mean people with primary aldosteronism – which causes one in 20 cases of high blood pressure – no longer have to have surgery or spend their lives taking the drug spironolactone to lower their risk of a stroke or heart attack.

Dietary pro-oxidant therapy by a vitamin K precursor targets PI 3-kinase VPS34 function

We finally have a more natural method to kill cancer.

A study from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory suggests that a vitamin K precursor, menadione, may offer a highly targeted way to kill prostate cancer cells.

Unlike traditional treatments that push cancer into dormancy, menadione acts as a pro-oxidant, disrupting a key lipid called PIP. This lipid helps cells manage waste, and without it, cancer cells become overwhelmed and ultimately burst.

The study, published in Science, demonstrated significant tumor suppression in both mice and human cancer cells. Researchers believe this method could offer a safer and more definitive resolution for prostate cancer while minimizing the risk of resistance.

Beyond cancer, menadione also shows promise in treating X-linked myotubular myopathy, a severe genetic muscle disorder. Importantly, menadione’s safety profile appears favorable, as it is commonly used in animal feed to support vitamin K production.

The findings suggest that menadione could be especially beneficial for prostate cancer patients under active surveillance, potentially delaying or even preventing progression.

With low side effects and a highly selective approach, this research offers new hope for effective, minimally invasive cancer treatment options.

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