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Category: biotech/medical – Page 10

Surprising gut discovery reveals a hidden trigger of diabetes and liver disease

Scientists in Canada have uncovered a surprising culprit behind high blood sugar and liver problems: a hidden fuel made by gut bacteria. This little-known molecule, called D-lactate, slips into the bloodstream and pushes the liver to make too much sugar and fat. By creating a simple “trap” that blocks the molecule in the gut, researchers saw big improvements in blood sugar, insulin resistance, and liver health in obese mice—without changing diet or weight. The discovery opens up a fresh way to fight diabetes and fatty liver disease by targeting the gut’s secret fuel before it can do harm.

‘Young’ immune cells reverse signs of neurodegenerative brain changes in preclinical study

“Young” immune cells created by Cedars-Sinai investigators reversed signs of aging and Alzheimer’s disease in the brains of laboratory mice, according to a study published in the journal Advanced Science.

The immune cells, which were produced from human stem cells, could be used to develop new treatments for neurological conditions in humans.

“Previous studies have shown that transfusions of blood or plasma from young mice improved cognitive decline in older mice, but that is difficult to translate into a therapy,” said Clive Svendsen, Ph.D., executive director of the Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute and senior author of the study.

Stored for 130 years: Bottles reveal evidence of Danish butter production and hygiene practices of the past

Two forgotten bottles in a basement in Frederiksberg containing bacterial cultures from the 1890s have provided researchers at the University of Copenhagen with unique insight into Denmark’s butter production history. Using advanced DNA analysis, they have examined the contents of the bottles, which offered several bacterial surprises and a reminder of the challenges of hygiene at the time.

Lactic acid bacteria have long been used to flavor food and extend its by acidifying it and displacing . Denmark was among the first to use the magic of lactic acid bacteria industrially, which, together with the introduction of pasteurization, helped to ensure the high quality of dairy products and, not least, keep them free of disease.

This is evidenced by the discovery of two bottles of white powder, which researchers from the University of Copenhagen found by chance in a dusty moving box last year. The bottles had labels indicating that they contained cultures consisting of lactic acid bacteria, but had not seen the light of day since the late 1800s and were well hidden away in a basement under the greenhouses on Rolighedsvej near the old Agricultural College in Frederiksberg.

DNA cassette tapes could solve global data storage problems

Our increasingly digitized world has a data storage problem. Hard drives and other storage media are reaching their limits, and we are creating data faster than we can store it. Fortunately, we don’t have to look too far for a solution, because nature already has a powerful storage medium with DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). It is this genetic material that Xingyu Jiang at the Southern University of Science and Technology in China and colleagues are using to create DNA storage cassettes.

Personalized brain stimulation shows benefit for depression

A more precise and personalized form of electric brain stimulation may be a more effective and faster treatment for people with moderate to major depression compared to other similar treatments, according to a UCLA Health study.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, examined the effectiveness of a noninvasive brain stimulation treatment known as (HD-tDCS) in treating depression. Transcranial direct current stimulation uses electrodes placed on a patient’s scalp to deliver noninvasive, safe levels of electrical currents to targeted areas of the brain.

For depression, the treatment is used to target brain networks that regulate emotional processing and self-referential thoughts. TDCS has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for depression, and into various forms of tDCS is ongoing.

Distinct psilocybin-induced oscillations observed in rat medial prefrontal cortex, with effects lasting days

Psychedelics, a class of psychoactive drugs that typically induce peculiar mental states and hallucinations, are still prohibited for recreational use in most countries worldwide. In recent years, some neuroscientists and medical researchers have been exploring the potential therapeutic effects of these drugs, focusing on the treatment of depression, anxiety and various substance use disorders.

Researchers at the University of Bristol, Compass Pathways plc and other institutes recently carried out a new study involving rats, exploring the effects of the psychedelic compound on the activity of neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex, a brain region that supports decision-making, attention and the regulation of emotions. Their paper, published in Molecular Psychiatry, outlines some of the associated with the intake of this compound, which had not yet been observed in human experiments.

“Psychedelic drugs like have profound effects on our brains and minds,” Matt Jones, Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Bristol and senior author of the paper, told Medical Xpress. “These effects are fascinating and—as a long history of psychedelic use and recent clinical trials attest—potentially beneficial. This study was driven by two interrelated questions. Firstly, how does a relatively simple, small molecule alter brain activity to completely change our mental model of the world? Secondly, can those effects be harnessed to help treat mental illness?”

Scientists reveal how the brain uses objects to find direction

We take our understanding of where we are for granted, until we lose it. When we get lost in nature or a new city, our eyes and brains kick into gear, seeking familiar objects that tell us where we are.

How our brains distinguish objects from background when finding direction, however, was largely a mystery. A new study provides valuable insight into this process, with possible implications for disorientation-causing conditions such as Alzheimer’s. The work is published in the journal Science.

The scientists, based at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) of McGill University and the University Medical Center Göttingen, ran an experiment with mice using ultrasound imaging to measure and record brain activity. The mice were shown , either an object or a scrambled image showing no distinct object.

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