‘Super-intelligent’ mice may help treat brain
disorders in humans
Altering a single gene has helped scientists create
super-intelligent mice and researchers believe that the findings could lead to
new drugs for cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s
disease,schizophrenia and
other conditions. The researchers altered the gene to inhibit the activity of
an enzyme called phosphodiesterase-4B (PDE4B), which is present in many organs,
including the brain. In behavioural tests, these mice showed enhanced cognitive
abilities.
‘Cognitive impairments are currently poorly treated, so I
am excited that our work using mice has identified phosphodiesterase-4B as a
promising target for potential new treatments,’ said lead researcher Steve
Clapcote, lecturer in pharmacology at the University of Leeds in England. The
findings are limited to mice and have not been tested on humans, but PDE4B is
present in humans, the study pointed out. In tests, the ‘brainy mice’ showed a
better ability than ordinary mice to recognise another mouse that they had been
introduced to the day before. They were also quicker at learning the location
of a hidden escape platform in a test called the Morris water maze.
These intelligent mice were also found to be less fearful.
The researchers are now working on developing drugs that will specifically
inhibit the enzyme. These drugs will be tested in animals to see whether any
would be suitable for clinical trials in humans. ‘In the future, medicines
targeting PDE4B may potentially improve the lives of individuals with
neurocognitive disorders and life-impairing anxiety, and they may have a
time-limited role after traumatic events,’ co-lead researcher Alexander McGirr,
psychiatrist in training at the University of British Columbia in Canada noted.
The findings appeared in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
Source: www.thehealthsite.com
18.08.2015
Soon — an easier and quicker way
to detect blood-clots
A new method, tested on rats, may someday enable doctors
to quickly scan the entire body for a blood clot. To locate a
blood clot, a physician may need to use three different methods: ultrasound to
check the carotid arteries or legs, magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI)to scan the heart and computed tomography to
view the lungs.
‘It is a shot in the dark. Patients could end up being
scanned multiple times by multiple techniques in order to locate a clot,’ said
Peter Caravan from the Massachusetts General Hospital. ‘We sought a method that
could detect blood clots anywhere in the body with a single whole-body scan,’
he added. A blood clot is a dangerous health situation with the potential to
trigger heart attacks, strokes and
other medical emergencies.
To treat a blood clot, doctors need to find its exact
location. ‘If a person suffers a stroke that stems from a blood clot, their
risk for a second stroke skyrockets,’ Caravan noted. The initial blood clot can
break apart and cause more strokes if it is not quickly found and treated.
Depending on where the blood clot is located, the treatment varies — some of
them respond well to drugs, while others are better addressed with surgery. The
team is set to describe their approach at the 250th national meeting and
exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) this week.
Source: www.thehealthsite.com
18.08.2015
It’s not our abilities that show
who we truly are, it is our choices
Dumbledore
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