Category Biology/Biotechnology

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered a potential new strategy to fight back against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, conditions that are linked to the toxic accumulation of Tau and alpha synuclein protein clumps in the brain. The team reports in Nature Communications that tubulin, the building block of microtubules, the cell’s internal ‘railway tracks,” can stop Tau and alpha synuclein from forming toxic clumps and instead steer them into their normal, healthy roles.

“Tau and alpha synuclein are well known for their roles in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s...

Treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) for type 2 diabetes and obesity is independently associated with a significantly increased five-year risk for osteoporosis, gout, and osteomalacia compared with nonuse, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, held from March 2 to 6 in New Orleans.

Muaaz Wajahath, from the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in East Lansing, and colleagues evaluated the five-year risk for osteoporosis, gout, and osteomalacia in adults with both type 2 diabetes and obesity treated with GLP-1 RAs (semaglutide, liraglutide, dulaglutide, or exenatide) compared with matched controls (73,483 per group).

The researchers found that at five years, patients expo...

As the U.S. plans to return to the moon with the upcoming Artemis II mission, a question endures: What will future lunar explorers eat? According to new research from The University of Texas at Austin, the answer might be chickpeas.

Scientists have successfully grown and harvested chickpeas using simulated “moon dirt,” the first instance of this crop produced in this medium. The research, which was conducted in collaboration with Texas A&M University, is described in a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Sara Santos, the principal investigator of the project, said that the work is a giant leap in understanding what it will take to grow food on the lunar surface.

“The research is about understanding the viability of growing crops on the moon,” said Santos, who i...

Atrial fibrillation is a common heart condition characterized by a rapid, irregular heartbeat stemming from the heart’s upper chamber. It is a leading cause of stroke from clots that form in a small pouch of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA). While several treatment options exist, they have many drawbacks, and risks often remain. But now, researchers have developed a promising new treatment involving magnetic fluids. Their study, published in Nature, describes the new procedure and results from rat and pig studies.

Atrial fibrillation treatment options
Blood thinners are a common treatment for atrial fibrillation...