Wireless device enables precise activation of light-sensitive pain drugs in animal study
Photoactivable drugs are activated when irradiated by a beam of light—via an optical fiber—thus generating a controlled and local therapeutic effect on target tissues. Now, a scientific team has pioneered a new breakthrough in the field of photopharmacology with the design of the first wireless device capable of remotely activating a photoactivable drug and causing it to have therapeutic effects on specific organs.
Brain’s ‘waste disposal network’ is shaped by neural activity, study finds
Over the past decade, intensive studies have shown that the brain’s meningeal lymphatic system acts as the brain’s “waste disposal network,” maintaining homeostasis by clearing metabolic waste and transporting immune cells. However, the mechanism underlying its developmental regulation remains unknown. How does this intricate system form, and which cells or signals govern its specific spatial arrangement in the meninges?
Study explores social media’s growing influence on cosmeceutical trends
The University of Cincinnati’s Kelly Dobos has spoken with Cosmetics Design U.S. about recent research revealing a significant rise in consumer interest in cosmeceuticals, or cosmetic products with active ingredients purported to have medical benefits.
Positive mindset linked to fewer problems related to drinking
A person’s ability to hold on to positive emotions seems to reduce the risk of problems after drinking, independent of how much alcohol is consumed.
Q&A: Silent scorpion-sting epidemic in Brazil driven by urbanization and climate change
Prof Eliane Candiani Arantes heads the Laboratory of Animal Toxins at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirao Preto, University of São Paulo (USP) where her group is working with toxins found in the venom of the Crotalus durissus terrificus rattlesnake and the Tityus serrulatus scorpion. They also study the venoms of scorpions from the Amazon region, which are still not well understood.
Trajectory of anxiety and depression symptoms during alcohol treatment may predict relapse
Researchers have identified anxiety and depression symptom trajectories that may help explain the high relapse rates for people who quit drinking.
Tuberculosis research creates multi-disease screening tests providing results within 15 minutes
A new prototype blood test for infectious diseases, designed to be delivered and analyzed at the point of care, has the potential to save lives across the developing world.
Sudden cardiac death in children peaks during teenage years
Sudden and unexpected heart-related deaths in children are most common during their teenage years, according to research from the UK’s national cardiac pathology referral center at City St George’s, University of London.
Discovery of 500 tumor-specific cryptic peptides may guide future pancreatic cancer immunotherapies
Researchers from MIT and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have discovered that a class of peptides expressed in pancreatic cancer cells could be a promising target for T-cell therapies and other approaches that attack pancreatic tumors.
How exercise helps prevent acute muscle pain from becoming chronic
A study conducted at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil investigated the process of muscle pain chronification—that is, when it goes from acute to chronic—and identified one of the mechanisms by which physical exercise prevents this transition, protecting the body from inflammation and persistent pain.