CAN DEPRESSION BE INFECTIOUSIJ
Major depressive disorder (MDD) should be re-conceptualised as an infectious disease, according to Turhan Canli, PhD, associate professor of Psychology and Radiology at Stony Brook University. In a paper published in Biology of Mood & Anxiety Disorders, Dr Canli suggests that major depression may result from parasitic, bacterial, or viral infection. He presents examples that illustrate possible pathways by which these microorganisms could contribute to the etiology of MDD. MDD remains highly prevalent disease with some 15 to 20 per cent of the population experiencing MDD at some point. Recurrence is common, and pharmacological treatments have not changed. “Given this track record of MDD, I propose reconceptualising the condition as some form of infectious disease,” says Canli.
SPINAl INJURY CAUSES BRAIN DAMAGEIJ
Spinal cord injuries (SCI) may cause progressive brain degeneration, says a new research. They can cause widespread and sustained brain inflammation that leads to progressive loss of nerve cells, with associated cognitive problems and depression, the findings showed. “Our studies for the first time show that isolated SCI can cause progressive loss of brain cells in key brain regions,” said lead researcher Alan Faden from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the US (UM SOM). “This is an important and significant advancement in our understanding of the overall effects of spinal cord injuries,” added E Albert Reece from UM SOM. The brain degeneration was demonstrated in different experimental models and animals. “The link between spinal trauma and brain function is now more clear, and we believe that further research in this area will offer the hope of new ways to treat this devastating trauma,” Reece said.
CHEMICAl IN COFFEE PREVENTS OBESITY!
Researchers at the University of Georgia have discovered that a chemical compound commonly found in coffee may help prevent some of the damaging effects of obesity. In a paper published recently in Pharmaceutical Research, scientists found that chlorogenic acid, or CGA, significantly reduced insulin resistance and accumulation of fat in the livers of mice who were fed a high-fat diet. “Previous studies have shown that coffee consumption may lower the risk for chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” said Yongjie Ma, a postdoctoral research associate in UGA's College of Pharmacy and lead author of the paper. “Our study expands on this research by looking at the benefits associated with this specific compound, which is found in great abundance in coffee, but also in other fruits and vegetables like apples, pears, tomatoes and blueberries.”
DNA-BASED MEMORY RECORDS INPUT(S)
Scientists have developed a new DNA-based recorder that allows bio-engineers to create cell cultures that detect information in their environment and store it for later use. Such “designer” cells might be used to monitor water quality in a village or measure the amount of sugar a person eats, they noted. “Building gene circuits requires not only computation and logic but a way to store that information. DNA provides a very stable form of memory and will allow us to do more complex computing tasks,” explained bio-engineer Timothy lu from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge. In synthetic biology, genes are engineered to regulate each other's expression in such a way that they can perform logic operations similar to those in computer circuits. In previous synthetic-biology attempts, data storage has been laborious to create.
BACK AND FORTH
Driving to work becomes routine but could you drive the entire way in reverse gearIJ Humans, like many animals, are accustomed to seeing objects pass behind us as we go forward. Moving backwards feels unnatural. In a new study, scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) reveal that moving forward actually trains the brain to perceive the world normally. The findings also show that the relationship between neurons in the eye and the brain is more complicated than previously thought. In fact, the order in which we see things could help the brain calibrate how we perceive time, as well as the objects around us. “We were trying to understand how that happens and the rules used during brain development,” said the study's senior author Hollis Cline, who is the Hahn Professor of Neuroscience and member of the Dorris Neuroscience Center at TSRI.