Category Biology/Biotechnology

A mouse study shows that a single workout can activate POMC neurons (shown in green in yellow) for up to 2 days. The activity of these neurons are important regulators of blood glucose levels and energy balance.

Study offers insight into brain’s potential role in fitness, diabetes therapy. A new study from UT Southwestern Medical Center shows neurons in mice that influence metabolism are active for up to two days after a single workout. The research offers new insight into the brain’s potential role in fitness and – in the longer term – may provide a target for developing therapies that improve metabolism.

“It doesn’t take much exercise to alter the activity of these neurons,” said Dr. Kevin Williams, a neuroscientist at UT Southwestern...

Brentuximab vedotin mechanism of action.

A new combination of three drugs that harness the body’s immune system is safe and effective, destroying most cancer cells in 95% of patients with recurrent Hodgkin lymphoma, according to the results of an early-phase study.

Presented Dec. 3 at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology in San Diego, the study in 19 men and women found that injections of ipilimumab (marketed as Yervoy), nivolumab (Opdivo), and brentuximab vedotin (ADCETRIS) safely decreased tumor size or spread to some degree in 18 patients after at least six months of treatment, with 16 patients showing complete disappearance (remission) of tumors. After nine months of treatment, 15 remained in complete remission with no sign of their cancer’s return (relapse).

Resear...

Manhattan plot of the results from the GWAS meta-analysis of ADHD.

A major international collaboration headed by researchers from the Danish iPSYCH project, the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Massachusetts General Hospital, SUNY Upstate Medical University, and the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium has for the first time identified genetic variants which increase the risk of ADHD. The new findings provide a completely new insight into the biology behind ADHD.

Our genes are very important for the development of mental disorders – including ADHD, where genetic factors capture up to 75% of the risk. Until now, the search for these genes had yet to deliver clear results...

Six days after treatment with IGF-1 carried by dendrimer nanoparticles (blue), the particles have penetrated through the cartilage of the knee joint.
Credit: Brett Geiger and Jeff Wyckoff

Injectable material made of nanoscale particles can deliver arthritis drugs throughout cartilage. In an advance that could improve the treatment options available for osteoarthritis, engineers have designed a new material that can administer drugs directly to the cartilage. The material can penetrate deep into the cartilage, delivering drugs that could potentially heal damaged tissue.

“This is a way to get directly to the cells that are experiencing the damage, and introduce different kinds of therapeutics that might change their behavior,” says Paula Hammond, head of MIT’s Department of Chemical Engineeri...