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July 2021 Volume 17, Issue 7

Volume 17, Issue 7 | July 2021

July/August 2021

In this Issue

Neuroscience

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.

A see-through brain is lit up white with colored lights behind it on a black background

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 brain sits in the middle of a half blue and half pink background.

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 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.

Clinical Trials

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.

Red antibody structures and blue virus particles intermingle.

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.

Illustration of a strand of DNA breaking with surrounding fragments

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.

Peanuts may be the key to treating peanut allergies

Promising results from clinical trials show that allergen tolerization works for many patients.

A person scratches at a red rash on the back of their hand.

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.

Editors Insight

The microscopic man on the moon

The moon landing inspired a generation of scientists. Could the COVID-19 pandemic inspire the next generation?

Immunology

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.

A photo of the International Space Station floating above the Earth.

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

With every launch, spacecraft carrying humans into space bring along a few uninvited guests.

Designing vaccines with reverse vaccinology

Investigating antibodies produced by infectious diseases yields vaccines with broad-acting protection.

A graphic illustration of the skin microbiome showing hair as brown columns and bacteria as purple spheres and orange rods.

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.

Computational Tools

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.