July/August 2021- Volume 17, Issue 7
In this Issue
Editors Insight
The microscopic man on the moon
The microscopic man on the moon
The moon landing inspired a generation of scientists. Could the COVID-19 pandemic inspire the next generation?
Neuroscience
Activating a brain circuit relieves pain in male mice, but not in female mice
Activating a brain circuit relieves pain in male mice, but not in female mice
Scientists identified a new sex-specific pain circuit in the brain, laying the groundwork for developing better pain-relieving drugs for both sexes.
A promising new class of psychotropic drugs
A promising new class of psychotropic drugs
A newly developed drug stabilizes dopamine and serotonin levels using a novel mechanism. It effectively treats psychosis in patients with schizophrenia, and researchers are testing its efficacy for Parkinson’s disease as well.
Light and sound stimulation improves early Alzheimer’s disease symptoms
Light and sound stimulation improves early Alzheimer’s disease symptoms
Spending an hour every day listening to a low-pitched thrum and gazing at blinking lights may help prevent structural changes in the brain and cognitive impairments associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
A new neuroprosthetic may revolutionize spinal cord injury treatment
A new neuroprosthetic may revolutionize spinal cord injury treatment
A neuroprosthetic implanted in the brains of rats with spinal cord injuries helped them learn to walk again, and it may help the brain communicate with the spinal cord.
Clinical Trials
Can a probiotic prevent type 1 diabetes in children?
Can a probiotic prevent type 1 diabetes in children?
An upcoming clinical study will test whether a B. infantis probiotic can prevent the development of type 1 diabetes in predisposed infants.
Depleting skin immune cells helps treat cutaneous lupus
Depleting skin immune cells helps treat cutaneous lupus
A new antibody treatment reduced levels of type I interferon-producing cells in patients with cutaneous lupus, improving skin symptoms during phase 1 clinical trials.
Infographic: Vaccine development for infectious disease
Infographic: Vaccine development for infectious disease
Vaccine development for infectious diseases gives rise to new vaccine approaches and accelerated development and approval timelines.
Peanuts may be the key to treating peanut allergies
Peanuts may be the key to treating peanut allergies
Promising results from clinical trials show that allergen tolerization works for many patients.
COVID-19 may trigger an autoimmune response
COVID-19 may trigger an autoimmune response
Researchers plan to monitor the immune responses of COVID-19 patients for one year to see how they correlate with illness severity and lasting effects. This data will help develop personalized treatments for patients.
A small molecule inhibitor blocks breast cancer's back up plan
A small molecule inhibitor blocks breast cancer's back up plan
Scientists discovered a long sought-after inhibitor for the DNA repair polymerase, Polθ, which may be key to treating drug-resistant BRCA1 and BRCA2-mutant cancers.
Immunology
Space alters an astronaut’s immune system
Space alters an astronaut’s immune system
From microgravity to radiation, space wreaks havoc on astronauts’ immune systems, potentially putting them at risk of infection from microbes onboard.
Hitchhiking microbes
Hitchhiking microbes
With every launch, spacecraft carrying humans into space bring along a few uninvited guests.
Designing vaccines with reverse vaccinology
Designing vaccines with reverse vaccinology
Investigating antibodies produced by infectious diseases yields vaccines with broad-acting protection.
Skin cells use epigenetics to tolerate microorganisms
Skin cells use epigenetics to tolerate microorganisms
Unlike other cells in the body that mount a strong immune response against microbial invaders, skin cells use an epigenetic mechanism to ignore most of the microbes they see. These findings reveal a potential new drug target for inflammatory skin diseases.
A next-generation SARS-CoV-2 vaccine
A next-generation SARS-CoV-2 vaccine
A naturally occurring nanoparticle yields a new type of vaccine that offers broad-acting protection against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. With further development, the approach may lead to a pan-coronavirus vaccine.
Computational Tools
AI finds new uses for old drugs
AI finds new uses for old drugs
Researchers built a framework to purposefully identify drug candidates for repurposing.
Special Report: Seeking intelligence
Special Report: Seeking intelligence
Beyond the buzz, is AI just another research tool?
Keolu Fox revises historical narratives with genome data
Keolu Fox revises historical narratives with genome data
A native Hawaiian, anthropologist, and genome scientist, Keolu Fox investigates how mutations found in indigenous populations contribute to human health and emphasizes the importance of considering who benefits from research involving indigenous genomes.
Milestone
Science milestone: The first transgenic mice
Science milestone: The first transgenic mice
Pivotal advancements in transgenic science in the 1970s and 80s helped launch the mouse as a model system for studying human development and disease.
