As at-home, do-it-yourself (DIY) brain stimulation devices like transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) gain popularity for common psychiatric conditions like depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), questions arise about their safety and efficacy. However, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to “fully” clear any of these devices and has only granted breakthrough device designation...
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mRNA vaccines for disease outbreaks can be synthesized in less time with new technique
The phosphorylation reagent with a nitrobenzyl hydrophobic tag allows production of high purity fully chemically synthesized mRNA and transcriptionally synthesized cyclic mRNA. Credit: Reiko Matsushita In an era where viral outbreaks can escalate into global pandemics with alarming speed, the ability to quickly develop new vaccines has become crucial. However, the speed of vaccine production...
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A new era of treating neurological diseases at the blood-brain-immune interface
Integration of vascular risk factors with genetic susceptibility in neurological diseases. Credit: Cell (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.09.018 The question of what causes complex neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s or multiple sclerosis continues to confound scientists and doctors, with the unknowns standing in the way of early diagnoses and effective treatments. Even among identical twins who share the same genetic risk factors,...
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Increased autism risk linked to Y chromosome, study finds
Sex chromosome aneuploidy identification in the SPARKMC-SCA cohort. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53211-7 Increased risk for autism appears to be linked to the Y chromosome, a Geisinger Health System study has found, offering a new explanation for the greater prevalence of autism in males. The results are published in Nature Communications. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition...
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Could a once-daily pill for seizures also treat Alzheimer’s disease?
A once-a-day pill used to treat seizures could also help treat Alzheimer’s disease, a new study suggests. Image credit: Viktoriya Skorikova/Getty Images. Past research shows that for many people, mild cognitive impairmentTrusted Source can be the first sign of Alzheimer’s disease. About one-third of people who have mild cognitive impairment because of Alzheimer’s disease progresses to dementia within 5 years. “Our studies...
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At Last, Treatment Is in Sight for Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
SAVANNAH, Georgia — There’s no medical treatment for Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, a debilitating neurologic disorder that’s both progressive and incurable. But now, nerve specialists learned, new potential treatments are moving closer to clinical trials. Genetic-based therapies are currently in preclinical research phases, and an experimental small-molecule drug has reached phase 3 in humans, neurologists told...
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Can Ozempic Cause Hair Loss?
Liudmila Chernetska/iStock via Getty Images Ozempic (semaglutide) is an FDA-approved injectable medication that can help treat Type 2 diabetes. Ozempic helps the body release more insulin after eating and stops the liver from making more sugar. It also slows how fast the stomach empties, which can make people feel fuller longer and lower appetite. All of...
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A select few doctor groups are behind telehealth’s GLP-1 boom
Over the last two years, dozens of telehealth companies have started to offer the wildly popular GLP-1 drugs. A new STAT examination has found that just a handful of networks of doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants are writing prescriptions for the slew of websites offering the weight loss drugs, including the compounded versions that...
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A new injectable shows promise to prevent and treat hypoglycemia
October 2, 2024 by American Chemical Society Encapsulated glucagon for insulin-induced hypoglycemia dissolves when sugar levels get seriously low (less than 60 milligrams per deciliter, mg/dL), releasing the hormone into the bloodstream and triggering the liver to release glucose. At normal sugar levels (more than 100 mg/dL), the micelles remain intact, keeping glucagon inactive. Credit:...
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First human vagus nerve recordings pinpoint cardiovascular signals
October 1, 2024 by Monash University The team that first recorded vagus nerve signals in humans has now isolated the electrical activity of individual neurons responsible for cardiovascular regulation. Published in the Journal of Physiology, the Monash University-led discovery paves the way for more research into how and why cardiovascular disease develops. Monash University’s Professor...