A low vitamin B6 level has negative effects on brain performance. A research team from Würzburg University Medicine has now found a way to delay the degradation of the vitamin. Vitamin B6 is important for brain metabolism. Accordingly, in various mental illnesses, a low vitamin B6 level is associated with impaired memory and learning abilities, … Read more
Pharmacology is a multifaceted scientific discipline that delves into the study of drugs, their actions within biological systems, and their interactions with living organisms. It is a field that intersects with various branches of biology, chemistry, medicine, and pharmacy, aiming to understand how drugs work, their therapeutic effects, potential side effects, and mechanisms of action. … Read more
Biotechnology is a rapidly evolving field that harnesses biological processes and systems to develop innovative solutions for various applications in medicine and industry. It encompasses a diverse range of techniques, including genetic engineering, fermentation, and cell culture, to manipulate biological systems for practical purposes. Biotechnology has revolutionized healthcare, agriculture, environmental science, and industrial manufacturing, offering … Read more
Neuropeptides, which are broadly considered to modulate synaptic communication, can have unique and life-long effects on brain development, particularly the wiring of neuronal circuits. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and MedUni Vienna now show that the presence of the neuropeptide galanin during a critical window of brain development is imperative for neurons to connect efficaciously to … Read more
The periodic table is a tabular arrangement of chemical elements, organized by their atomic number, electron configuration, and recurring chemical properties. It provides a systematic way to categorize and understand the behavior of elements based on their shared characteristics. Dmitri Mendeleev is credited with developing the first periodic table in 1869, arranging elements by their … Read more
Researchers at the University of Alberta have uncovered what they say has been the missing puzzle piece ever since the genetic code was first cracked. The code is the universal set of rules that allow living organisms to follow genetic instructions found in DNA and RNA to build proteins. In new research, published in BMC … Read more
An avenue that scientists are currently exploring for the development of novel pharmaceuticals involves the synthesis of bioactive compounds found in Chinese herbal medicine. This collaborative effort, combining traditional knowledge with modern scientific methods, focuses on pharmaceutically relevant compounds found in medicinal plants for large-scale synthesis. An important compound in this context is merrillianin, a … Read more
Making quantum systems more scalable is one of the key requirements for the further development of quantum computers because the advantages they offer become increasingly evident as the systems are scaled up. Researchers at TU Darmstadt have recently taken a decisive step toward achieving this goal. Quantum processors based on two-dimensional arrays of optical tweezers, … Read more
Scientists at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, have found a powerful new way to program optical circuits that are critical to the delivery of future technologies such as unhackable communications networks and ultrafast quantum computers. “Light can carry a lot of information, and optical circuits that compute with light—instead of electricity—are seen as the next … Read more
Analytical chemistry is a branch of chemistry that focuses on the identification and quantification of chemical substances. It involves the use of various techniques and methods to analyze and interpret the composition of matter, providing essential information for a wide range of scientific, industrial, and environmental applications. Analytical chemists employ sophisticated instruments and methodologies to … Read more
Chemistry, often referred to as the central science, is a branch of natural science that explores the properties, composition, structure, reactions, and changes of matter. It is a discipline that delves into the microscopic realm of atoms and molecules, seeking to understand the fundamental principles that govern the behavior of substances and their transformations. Chemistry … Read more
Diseases often arise from proteins going haywire, yet conventional drugs have struggled to rein in these rogue elements. A promising frontier in pharmaceutical research lies with PROTACs, a novel class of drugs that show significant potential. These compounds tag proteins, earmarking them for disposal by the cell’s own protein degradation system. Recent breakthroughs by research … Read more
Pre-clinical studies led by CAMH have unveiled a potential breakthrough in multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment, using a small molecule drug. Published in Science Advances, this research, building on Dr. Fang Liu’s earlier findings, introduces a compound effective in two MS animal models, marking a significant stride toward clinical application. MS, an incurable progressive neurological disease, … Read more
Based on blood tests, it is possible to detect rare genetic diseases, recognize cancer, or determine the inflammation level in the body. Moreover, due to the rapid development of medical diagnostics based on biofluid analysis, many efforts are being made worldwide to adapt medical approaches, making personalized medicine the paradigm of future health care. Moving … Read more
A placebo is a substance or treatment that appears identical to a real medical intervention but lacks any active component. It is often used in medical research and clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of a new treatment by comparing its results with those of a placebo. The term “placebo” is derived from the Latin … Read more
MIT researchers have devised an innovative method to enhance the efficiency of processing and delivering hydrophobic drugs, which often pose challenges due to their poor solubility in water. Published in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials, the approach involves initially processing drugs in a liquid solution instead of a solid form. This streamlining process aims to … Read more
Organoids are miniature, three-dimensional organ-like structures that are grown in vitro, replicating the architecture and functionality of real organs. These tiny structures hold immense potential in various fields, from biomedical research to drug discovery and personalized medicine. The term “organoid” is derived from the combination of “organ” and “oid,” meaning resembling or having the form … Read more
Proteins, the workhorses of biology, are encoded by DNA sequences and are responsible for vital functions within cells. Since the first experimental measurement of a protein structure was made by John Kendrew in the 1950s, protein’s ability to fold into complex three-dimensional structures has long been a subject of scientific fascination and importance. However, determining … Read more
In the realm of chemical reactions, fluorine stands as a ‘magic bullet atom,’ renowned for its capacity to enhance drug absorption and extend the lifespan of pharmaceuticals. Yet, conventional methods for incorporating fluorine into compounds often involve costly materials and pose challenging execution. Scientists at Rice University have unveiled a dependable and cost-effective approach to … Read more
Researchers at University College London (UCL) has cast doubt on the effectiveness of polygenic risk scores in predicting and preventing common diseases, such as heart disease. Polygenic risk scores are meant to estimate an individual’s disease risk based on thousands or millions of common genetic variants. The study, published in BMJ Medicine, analyzed 926 polygenic … Read more