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Category: biotech/medical – Page 583

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis and connectivity

Studies by a growing number of labs have identified neurological health benefits from exposing human volunteers or animal models to light, sound and/or tactile stimulation at the brain’s “gamma” frequency rhythm of 40Hz. In the latest such research at The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and Alana Down Syndrome Center at MIT, scientists found that 40Hz sensory stimulation improved cognition and circuit connectivity and encouraged the growth of new neurons in mice genetically engineered to model Down syndrome.

Li-Huei Tsai, Picower Professor at MIT and senior author of the new study in PLOS ONE, said that the results are encouraging but also cautioned that much more work is needed to test whether the method, called GENUS (for Gamma Entrainment Using Sensory Stimulation), could provide clinical benefits for people with Down syndrome. Her lab has begun a small study with human volunteers at MIT.

“While this work, for the first time, shows the beneficial effects of GENUS on Down syndrome using an imperfect mouse model, we need to be cautious as there is not yet data showing whether this also works in humans,” said Tsai, who directs The Picower Institute and The Alana Center, and is a member of MIT’s Brain and Cognitive Sciences faculty.

The gene responsible for cognitive defects in Down syndrome

Learning and memory impairments in a Down syndrome mouse model were reversed by correcting expression of a gene that influences the generation of new neurons in the brain. The finding could pave the way to treat the cognitive impairment associated with the syndrome in humans.

Adult neurogenesis is the process of generating new neurons in the adult brain. Defects in this process have been observed in various animal models of neurological disorders including schizophrenia, depression, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and such as Down syndrome. But the precise cellular and underlying adult neurogenesis and their links to neurological disorders are not well understood.

Molecular neurobiologist Kyung-Tai Min at Korea’s Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology and his colleagues found that interactions between a gene called the Down syndrome critical region 1 (DSCR1) and two other molecules, TET1 and miRNA-124, were necessary for adult neurogenesis and were important in learning and memory.

New experiment could confirm the fifth state of matter in the universe

An experiment that could confirm the fifth state of matter in the universe—and change physics as we know it—has been published in a new paper from the University of Portsmouth.

Physicist Dr. Melvin Vopson has already published research suggesting that has mass and that all , the smallest known building blocks of the universe, store information about themselves, similar to the way humans have DNA.

Now, he has designed an experiment—which if proved correct—means he will have discovered that information is the fifth form of matter, alongside solid, liquid, gas and plasma.

ChatGPT ‘uncovers’ hidden cancer, saves woman’s life after missed diagnosis

Despite testing negative for rheumatoid arthritis, doctors diagnosed her with the condition after four months of visits.

However, the 40-year-old, who owns a marketing company, soon experienced excruciating stomach pains and a dramatic 14-pound weight loss within a month, with doctors attributing it to acid reflux.

Unsatisfied and desperate for answers, Bannon turned to the AI chatbot developed by OpenAI for a potential diagnosis, which she had been using for work.

Tool for tracking antibiotic resistance genes

The global proliferation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) poses a significant threat to the efficacy of antibiotic-based treatments for diseases. Effective monitoring of ARGs across both spatial and temporal dimensions is essential to understanding their transmission and implementing preventive measures.

A research team has developed a computational tool, Argo, designed to accurately track ARGs in environmental samples, providing insights into their dissemination and associated risks.

“Short-read sequencing method is currently used as a high-throughput DNA sequencing technique that generates large volumes of short DNA fragments, typically 150 base pairs. However, it often fails to provide information on the hosts of ARGs,” explained the senior author. “Without detailed host information, it becomes challenging to accurately assessing the risks of ARGs and tracing their transmission, hindering our understanding of their impact on human health and the environment.”

Why our waistlines expand in middle age—aging stem cells shift into overdrive

It’s no secret that our waistlines often expand in middle age, but the problem isn’t strictly cosmetic. Belly fat accelerates aging and slows down metabolism, increasing our risk for developing diabetes, heart problems and other chronic diseases. Exactly how age transforms a six pack into a softer stomach, however, is murky.

Now preclinical research by City of Hope has uncovered the cellular culprit behind age-related abdominal fat, providing new insights into why our midsections widen with middle age.

Published today in Science, the findings suggest a novel target for future therapies to prevent belly flab and extend our healthy lifespans.

Novel cell therapy shows promising results in advanced tumor diseases

In recent years, cell therapies have developed alongside chemotherapy and immunotherapy to become a new pillar in the treatment of patients with blood and lymph gland cancer. In solid tumors, such as skin, lung, or bone and soft tissue cancer (sarcomas), they have not yet proven themselves as a treatment method.

Tumor shrinkage was achieved only in rare cases, but the side effects were all the more severe. An international research group led by scientists from the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT/UCC) in Dresden has now conducted a Phase I clinical trial of a novel cell therapy approach that also shows promise for .

The results are published in Nature Medicine.

Scientists create first reprogrammed brain cells that could cure Alzheimer’s

In a world-first, scientists have figured out how to reprogram cells to fight — and potentially reverse — brain diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine created lab-grown immune cells that can track down toxic brain buildup and clear it away, restoring memory and brain function in mice.

They did this by turning stem cells — which can become any cell in the body — into brain immune cells called microglia.

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