Category Biology/Biotechnology

Molecular switch links early life stimulation to lasting memory changes

Researchers identify the molecular mechanisms linking early-life environments with memory
Mice raised in enriched environments show improved learning and memory driven by sustained activation of the transcription factor AP-1, the molecular ‘switch’ that converts early-life experiences into lasting changes in the brain. Credit: Instituto de Neurociencias UMH-CSIC

Researchers have identified a molecular mechanism that helps explain why growing up in a stimulating environment enhances memory. In contrast, a lack of stimulation can impair it. The team from the Institute for Neurosciences (IN), a joint research center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH), was led by researcher Ángel Barco.

Their study, conducted in mice and published in Nature Communications, demonstrates that the environment during childhood and ado...

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Exercise slows tumor growth in mice by shifting glucose uptake to muscles

mice run wheel
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

It’s well known that exercise is good for health and helps to prevent serious diseases, like cancer and heart disease, along with simply making people feel better overall. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for preventing cancer or slowing its progression are not well understood. But, a new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals how exercise can increase glucose and oxygen uptake in the skeletal and cardiac muscles, instead of allowing it to “feed” tumors.

Reduced tumor growth in exercised mice
To study how exercise-induced metabolic changes affect tumor growth, the research team injected mice with breast cancer cells and fed some of the mice a high-fat diet (HFD), consisting of 60% calories from ...

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Psoriasis rates rise globally, with highest burden in wealthier regions

Psoriasis
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Researchers in China report that global incidence rates of psoriasis rose slightly from 1990 to 2021 and are projected to continue rising for both men and women through 2050.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that continues to impose a growing global burden. Understanding the rate of increase is critical for informing public health strategies, improving health care access, and supporting early diagnosis worldwide.

In the study, “Global Psoriasis Burden and Forecasts to 2050,” published as a Research Letter in JAMA Dermatology, researchers used a time-series forecasting analysis to project global psoriasis incidence through 2050 and to address age, sex, and regional differences in burden.

Analyses included age-standardized incide...

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The ‘Miracle Mineral Solution’—amazing cure or toxic illusion?

MMS – miracle cure or toxic illusion?

Miracle Mineral Solution, also known as MMS, has been marketed for years as a purported miracle cure for various conditions, including cancer, autism, and COVID-19. MMS is the marketing name for sodium chlorite (NaClO₂), a powerful disinfectant used, among other things, for water treatment. When sodium chlorite is acidified, chlorine dioxide (ClO₂) is formed. Its consumption can be hazardous to health.

A team of scientists from Wroclaw Medical University decided to investigate this.

In a study published in Scientific Reports, they analyzed the effects of acidified sodium chlorite (ASC), from which ClO₂ is produced.

Study methods and findings
Two versions of the preparation were tested—ASC1 (acidified with hydrochloric acid) and ASC2 (with gluconic acid)—on various strain...

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