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Category: biotech/medical – Page 82

Fresh insights into the inner workings of the developing brain could lead to autism treatments

While there is a vast amount of information about the human brain and how it develops and works, much of the organ is still uncharted territory. But new research published in the journal Nature is giving us new insights into a type of brain cell called the GABAergic interneuron and its role in the developing brain. These findings could help explain how conditions like autism and brain disorders in children develop.

GABAergic interneurons are a vital part of the brain. They release the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which regulates by switching neurons on and off. Disruptions in their functions can lead to a number of disorders, including epilepsy, schizophrenia and autism.

Researchers decode tertiary structure of DNA aptamer–ATP complex and improve binding affinity

DNA aptamers are powerful molecular tools in biosensing, bioimaging and therapeutics. However, a limited understanding of their tertiary structures and binding mechanisms hinders their further optimizations and applications.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a central metabolite in cellular energy metabolism, is a key target for development. A DNA aptamer 1301b has recently been reported to bind to one molecule of ATP with a dissociation constant (KD) of ~2.5 µM. However, the structural basis for ATP recognition by 1301b remains unclear, lacking guiding principles for rational optimization.

In a study published in PNAS, a team led by Prof. Tan Weihong, Prof. Han Da, and Prof. Guo Pei from the Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences determined the tertiary structure of a DNA aptamer-ATP 1:1 binding complex, revealed the recognition mechanism, and engineered an optimized DNA aptamer with a submicromolar KD for ATP binding, which exhibited the highest affinity reported for ATP-binding DNA aptamers to date.

Revolutionary Cortisol Test Lets You “See” Stress With a Smartphone Camera

A protein-based biosensor measures cortisol with high accuracy. Smartphone compatibility makes stress testing more accessible. Cortisol plays a key role in regulating essential body functions such as blood pressure and metabolism, and disruptions in this stress hormone can contribute to a variety

First-Ever Treatment for Rare Eye Disease Wins FDA Approval After Landmark Trials

Phase 3 clinical trial results from Scripps Research and its collaborators supported FDA approval of ENCELTO, the first cell-based treatment for the neurodegenerative retinal disease known as MacTel. For individuals with macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel), a rare retinal disease that steadily

The pharma industry from Paul Janssen to today: why drugs got harder to develop and what we can do about it

Personal site for posts about my interests: the biotech industry, medicine, molecular biology, neuroscience, biorisk, science, consciousness, AI, innovation, decision making, philosophy, games, sci-fi, probability, and forecasting (among other things). I write to learn, mostly about biotech.

Mantle Cell Lymphoma Translocations Rewire Chromosome-Wide Gene Expression

Translocations are chromosomal “cut and paste” errors that drive many lymphomas, a type of blood cancer and the sixth most common form of cancer overall. This includes mantle cell lymphoma, a rare but aggressive subtype diagnosed in about one in every 100,000 people each year.

A study by researchers at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona, has shown a new way translocations promote cancer. The translocation most typically found in mantle cell lymphoma drags a powerful regulatory element into a new area of the human genome, where its new position allows it to boost the activity of not just one but 50 genes at once.

The discovery of this genome rewiring mechanism shows the traditional focus on the handful of genes at chromosomal breakpoints is too narrow. The study also greatly expands the list of potential drug targets for mantle cell lymphoma, for which there is no known cure.

Immune cells in the brain help shape adolescent neural circuits

Making a smoothie, going for an evening walk, or having empathy for a loved one are all examples of executive functions that are controlled by the brain’s frontal cortex. This area of the brain goes through profound change throughout adolescence, and it is during this time that abnormalities in maturing circuits can set the stage for neurodevelopmental disorders, such as schizophrenia and ADHD.

Researchers at the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester have discovered that microglia, the brain’s immune cells, play a key role in how the brain adapts to the changes in this area during adolescence, which may transform how are treated during this window and, possibly, into adulthood.

“A better understanding of the ways we can drive changes in these circuits offers new targets for disease treatment,” said Rianne Stowell, Ph.D., research assistant professor of Neuroscience at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and first author of the study out today in Nature Communications.

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