Scientists discovered that alcohol activates a sugar-producing pathway in the body, creating fructose that may reinforce addictive drinking. The enzyme responsible, KHK, appears to drive both alcohol cravings and liver injury. When this enzyme was blocked in mice, their drinking decreased and their livers showed far less damage.
Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland and their international collaborators have identified key developmental and molecular differences between the two main subtypes of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, CLL. The findings, published in PLOS ONE, show that mutated and unmutated forms of CLL may originate from distinct stages of B cell development, offering new insight into disease mechanisms and biomarker discovery.
CLL, the most common leukemia in adults, is characterized by disruption of the peripheral immune system through the accumulation of abnormal B-lymphocytes. CLL is divided into mutated (M-CLL) and unmutated (UM-CLL) subtypes based on the mutation frequency of the immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region in B cells. UM-CLL is more aggressive and tends to have a worse prognosis than M-CLL. The research team performed a meta-analysis of transcriptomic data from 116 patients and healthy donor B cells to explore the origins of these subtypes.
B cells go through different developmental stages in bone marrow and in lymphatic tissue germinal centers. They are classified into different subtypes depending on their maturation and function, such as memory or plasma cells. The results revealed that M-CLL resembles germinal center–dependent memory B cell subtype, CD27bright memory B cells, while UM-CLL reflects an earlier intermediary germinal center stage, possibly explaining their differences in mutation levels and clinical behavior.
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Neura Pod is a series covering topics related to Neuralink, Inc. Topics such as brain-machine interfaces, brain injuries, and artificial intelligence will be explored. Host Ryan Tanaka synthesizes information, shares the latest updates, and conducts interviews to easily learn about Neuralink and its future.
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Timestamps:
00:00 Intro.
00:41 DNA damage and aging.
01:37 Why bowhead whales live so long.
03:13 Cold shock proteins and lifespan.
04:43 Body temperature and longevity.
06:50 Acute cold exposure benefits.
08:10 Takeaway.
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P.S. This is not professional medical advice and should not be taken as such. The creator of this video is not held accountable for your health. Consult your doctor first.
New research finds that dying cells leave a “footprint of death” that guides immune responses — but viruses like influenza can exploit this signaling. The discovery, published in Nature Communications, offers new insight into cell death, viral transmission, and potential drug targets.
New insights into the aftermath of cell death might ultimately inform drug development.
Multicellular organisms (animals, plants, humans) all have the ability to methylate the cytosine base in their DNA. This process, a type of epigenetic modification, plays an important role in conditions such as cancer and processes such as aging.
In a paper appearing in Nature Genetics, researchers discover that in more “primitive” unicellular organisms, both the adenine and the cytosine bases are methylated. This would suggest that in some ways, these unicellular organisms are more complex than their multicellular peers.
The team also found that methylation of the adenine base was, in the case of many of these unicellular organisms, vital for controlling which genes are switched on, which is important for their viability.
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have built a microscope that can detect a signal over an intensity range 14 times wider than conventional microscopes. Moreover, the observations are made label-free, that is, without the use of additional dyes.
This means the method is gentle on cells and adequate for long-term observations, holding potential for testing and quality control applications in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.
Microscopes have played a pivotal role in the development of science since the 16th century. However, progress has required not only more sensitive and accurate equipment and analysis, but also more specialized ones. Therefore, modern, cutting-edge techniques have had to straddle trade-offs.