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Scientists identify a brain region that differs between males and females and may influence social behavior

Scientists have uncovered a previously unknown cluster of brain cells that may help explain differences in social behavior between males and females. The small neural circuit appears to function like an on/off switch, showing a striking pattern of activity that differs sharply by sex, an unusually clear contrast compared with most known brain sex differences, which tend to be more subtle and overlapping. Researchers also found that the circuit’s activity shifts with social and reproductive status, suggesting the brain may use this mechanism to adapt behavior across key life stages.

The new study was led by Dr. Tamar Licht and Dr. Dan Rokni from the Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

A targeted protein degrader that doubles as a cancer vaccine

Cells routinely present peptide fragments from their proteome for immune surveillance, using major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins as a display window. In this study, researchers introduced viral peptides to be processed and displayed on cancer cells.


One molecule combines two approaches to waken dormant immunity against tumors by .

Recently, variable length dystrophin constructs have been characterized in models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)

Here, Hichem Tasfaout & team describe a new method for using proteomics to evaluate the efficacy of three dystrophin-replacement approaches using AAV vectors.


1Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota — Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

2Department of Neurology.

3Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Center, and.

4Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA.

Atorvastatin and Aortic Stiffness During Anthracycline-Based Chemotherapy

Statin therapy before and during anthracycline-based chemotherapy resulted in fewer cases of elevated pulse wave velocity and reduced aortic distensibility compared with placebo. The results suggest a potential protective effect of atorvastatin against vascular dysfunction in cancer survivors.


Question Does 12 months of treatment with atorvastatin mitigate anthracycline-associated increased aortic stiffness, an important factor associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes?

Findings In this secondary analysis of 300 participants with lymphoma enrolled in the STOP-CA (Statins to Prevent the Cardiotoxicity From Anthracyclines) randomized clinical trial, atorvastatin was associated with significantly lower odds of an increase (≥0.8 m per second) in magnetic resonance imaging–derived aortic arch pulse wave velocity, compared with placebo. The proportion of participants meeting this primary exploratory end point was significantly lower with atorvastatin (5%), compared with placebo (50%).

Meaning These findings suggest that pretreatment with atorvastatin is associated with preserved vascular function in patients undergoing anthracycline treatment.

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