News by Subject Medicine & Health

A simple dietary supplement reduces behavioral symptoms in mice with a genetic mutation that causes schizophrenia. After additional experiments, including visualizing the fluorescently stained dancing edge of immature brain cells (video included), researchers concluded that the supplement likely protects proteins that build neurons' cellular skeletons. The supplement, betaine, is already used clinically to treat the unrelated metabolic disease homocystinuria, so experts believe it should be safe to repurpose as a future schizophrenia treatment option.

Researchers used platinum and aluminum compounds to create a catalyst which enables certain chemical reactions to occur more efficiently than ever before. The catalyst could significantly reduce energy usage in various industrial and pharmaceutical processes. It also allows for a wider range of sustainable sources to feed the processes, which could reduce the demand for fossil fuels required by them.

Researchers at Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) have developed an ingenious therapeutic strategy against chronic myelomonocytic leukemia that links a cytotoxic drug payload to an antibody vector that targets the CD64 marker highly expressed by monocytes and monocytic progenitors. This selective antibody-drug conjugate spares other blood cell lineages thus avoiding the side-effects of conventional anti-cancer drugs such as anemia, infection or bleeding diatheses. Consequently, this drug-delivery tactic shows great promise against other monocyte-related diseases.

* A new method has been developed to measure how fast amyloid fibrils grow. * The team fired a beam of neutrons at the growing fibrils then used a 'contrast matching' method that made most of each fibril invisible to neutrons, so they could analyse the signal from the growing end alone. * The method will help scientists better understand diseases associated with amyloid fibrils, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Type 2 diabetes.

Novel insights into repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSB), the most severe form of DNA damage, help scientists understand how proteins work to seal nicks. High resolution images show near-complete cycle of DSB detection and repair. Findings have implications in enhancing cellular response to radiation and chemotherapy.