Stanford researchers have shown in rats that pharmacologically active amounts of a fast-acting anesthetic drug could be released from nanoparticle "cages" in small, specified brain areas at which the scientists had aimed a beam of focused ultrasound. In principle, the same approach could work for many drugs with widely differing pharmacological actions and psychiatric applications, and even for some chemotherapeutic drugs used to combat cancer.
Author: Bruce Goldman
Your gut-microbial ecosystem is a pharmaceutical cornucopia
Your trillions-strong ecosystem of gut microbes, in addition to its many other responsibilities, operates as a homespun pharmaceutical factory.
Stanford immunologist pushes field to shift its research focus from mice to humans
Much of what we know about the immune system comes from experiments conducted on mice. But lab mice are not little human beings. The two species are separated by both physiology and lifestyles. Stanford immunologist Mark Davis is calling on his colleagues to shift their research focus to people.
How to deliver gene therapy without a dangerous side effect: autoimmunity to the normal protein
A workaround avoids a common, dangerous side effect of gene therapy: an autoimmune reaction to the normal protein, which could improve gene therapy.
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Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is caused by various genetic mutations that cause heart muscle to contract with too much force. New research suggests why.
On/off sociability switch in brain identified, could play a role in autism
An electrochemical on/off switch in the brain may spell the difference between sociability and social awkwardness, scientists have learned.
“Mood mirror” in blood: Might its absence bring on the blues?
Low levels of a substance, acetyl-L-carnitine, in the blood are associated with depression. Could this "mood mirror" be a cure for the blues?
How you get around depends on how fast you’re moving
How our brains blend cues from multiple senses to estimate our speed and position in space depends on where we are and how fast we seem to be moving.
Stitching single cells together any which way you want to
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The beating brain: A video captures the organ’s rhythmic pulsations
A group of researchers have developed an imaging method to show the brain in motion.
Why nicotine-mimicking molecules might make great anti-inflammatory drugs for MS, RA, gout and more
A set of structurally similar proteins can activate a receptor for nicotine on immune cells, resulting in a dialing down of inflammation.
Stanford psychiatrist, engineer and neuroscientist Karl Deisseroth wins 2018 Kyoto Prize
Stanford's Karl Deisseroth has won the 2018 Kyoto Prize in applied technology for his invention and application of optogenetics.
Lay off the laxatives — even a short bout of diarrhea can ruin your gut microbes’ month
In each of our abdomens sit trillions of microbes, but a bout of diarrhea can induce a lasting round of gut-bug disruption, new research indicates.
Huge study shows cancer benefits, limitations of antiretroviral therapy for HIV
Antiretroviral therapy, a breakthrough treatment for HIV infection, suppresses the levels of circulating HIV viral particles in the blood. When it works, cancer rates drop, according to a new study. Still, even when the therapy is successful, HIV-positive individuals retain elevated rates of cancer.
Bad bug’s Achilles heel: New drug targets identified for S. aureus
A hitherto unheralded set of telltale enzymes may prove to be perfect targets for shooting down a gang of nasty bacterial pathogens collectively called S. aureus.
Found in a mouse: the brain’s “face your fear” center
The discovery, in mice, of a pair of nerve clusters regulating fearful versus bold responses to a visual threat could help people with excessive anxiety, phobias or post-traumatic stress disorder lead more normal lives.