Category Biology/Biotechnology

Representation of the long/short polymorphism of the 5-HTT gene and the release, reception and recycling of serotonin in neurons. Adapted from Canli and Lesch

Stress during pregnancy has been linked to several conditions, including some instances of autism spectrum disorder. Now, researchers at the Uni of Missouri School of Medicine have observed a variant of a stress-sensitive gene and exposure to stress during pregnancy among two groups of mothers of children with autism. The researchers believe the finding could be a step toward helping identify women who have greater risks for having children with autism when exposed to stressors during a specific time window during pregnancy.

“Autism was thought to be largely a genetic disorder, but previous research has shown that environmental influ...

Exercise-induced ROS activates Nrf2, which then translocates into the nucleus to increase the expression of antioxidant enzymes. Antioxidant response element (ARE), carbon monoxide (CO), Glutathione peroxidase (GPx), Glutathione S-transferase (GST), Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO-1), and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2).

If you’re an older adult, a 30 min workout may not be as effective, even at the cellular level, as it was when you were younger. According to a new study, age may play a significant role in a cell’s ability to respond to that activity. In the study, a group of men 18 to 30 yo were tested against a group of older men 55 years and older...

A false-colour scanning electron micrograph of a human egg cell (gold) surrounded by cumulus cells (orange). Cumulus cells are specialised cells that nourish the large egg cell while it grows in the ovarian follicle. Credit: Yorgos Nikas, Wellcome Images.

Yale researchers have identified molecular pathways involved in aging of human eggs. This research could eventually lead to treatments to correct age-related damage and improve fertility in women age 40 and older. The study examined the sharp decline in egg quality in women 40 and older and found that egg damage is linked to oxygen-deprived cells.

“More women are postponing childbearing, but with age, the cumulus cells that surround and nurture the eggs begin dying; we’ve found that this is caused by lack of oxygen,” said Pasquale Patrizi...

A hydrogel made at Rice University consists of custom peptide fibers with spaces – “missing teeth” – that can trap and deliver hydrophobic small-molecule drugs. Credit: I-Che Li/Rice University

Custom hydrogel traps water-avoiding molecules for slow delivery. A gap-toothed peptide created by bioengineers at Rice University may be an efficient way to deliver insoluble drugs to precise locations in the body. Rice bioengineer Jeffrey Hartgerink and his students made a hydrogel of what they call “missing tooth” peptide nanofibers. Gaps in the fibers are designed to hold drug molecules that have hydrophobic properties. The biodegradable gel can be injected where needed and releases the medication over time.

Hydrogels built of custom peptides are a specialty of Hartgerink’s lab, which has introd...