The macrophages resident in the brain and spinal cord appear to be a key element in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, according to the results of a new mouse study.
Microglial mayhem
As we age, our immune cells become increasingly dysfunctional; once-helpful cells can behave in harmful ways, promoting persistent inflammation, impairing tissue regeneration, and possibly also facilitating the progression of age-related diseases.
In a recent study, a team of researchers has discovered that a naturally occurring protein called Lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase (L-PGDS) prevents, and can destroy, the protein aggregates associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Surprisingly common and with critical functions
L-PGDS is a common protein, second only to albumin, in the human brain. It provides several critical functions, including regulation of processes and protection against further damage from ischemic strokes. It has been shown to be a molecular chaperone, preventing amyloid beta from forming the deadly aggregates associated with Alzheimer’s, and, perhaps most importantly, it has been shown to destroy aggregates that already exist. Not surprisingly, people who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease lack adequate amounts of this critical protein.
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On Wednesday, at the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons in Geneva, a panel of government experts debated policy options regarding lethal autonomous weapons.
Dutch NGO Pax created a report that surveyed major players from the sector on their view of lethal autonomous weapons. They categorised companies based on 3 criteria: whether they were developing technology that’s potentially relevant to deadly AI, working on related military products, and if they had committed to abstaining from contributing in the future.
By these criteria, Microsoft scores rather highly in the birthplace of Skynet rankings. Microsoft has invested extensively in developing artificial intelligence products, has very close relationships with the US military, and Satya Nadella has committed to providing the military with their very best technology. While Microsoft has fallen short of explicitly developing AI for military purposes, we do know that they have developed a version of the HoloLens for the military that is specifically designed to increase the lethality of soldiers in the field.
Posted in futurism
Should citizenship be restricted to humans?
Scene taken from the film Short Circuit 2 (1988).
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An asteroid larger than some of the world’s tallest buildings will zip by Earth next month.
