This review summarizes current evidence regarding the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of gastric cancer.
Category: biotech/medical – Page 2
New BMI uses AI to reveal hidden metabolic disorders
Researchers at Leipzig University and the University of Gothenburg have developed a novel approach to assessing an individual’s risk of metabolic diseases such as diabetes or fatty liver disease more precisely. Instead of relying solely on the widely used body mass index (BMI), the team developed an AI-based computational model using metabolic measurements. This so-called metabolic BMI shows that people of normal weight with a high metabolic BMI have up to a fivefold higher risk of metabolic disease. The findings have been published in the journal Nature Medicine.
The conventional body mass index, calculated using height and weight, may indicate overweight but does not reflect how healthy or unhealthy body fat actually is. According to BMI classifications, up to 30% of people are considered to be of normal weight but already show dangerous metabolic changes. Conversely, there are individuals with an elevated BMI whose metabolism remains largely unremarkable. This discrepancy can lead to at-risk patients being identified and treated too late.
For the current scientific study, the international research team analyzed data from two large Swedish population studies involving a total of almost 2,000 participants. In addition to standard health and lifestyle parameters, extensive laboratory data from blood samples and analyses of the gut microbiome were collected. Based on this dataset, the researchers developed a computational model that predicts metabolic BMI.
Researchers extract DNA from 25 Killer whales off the coast of Japan — and make “crucial” new discovery
Their in-depth DNA analysis also showed that resident killer whales shared the same haplotype (group of inherited genes) while the transients had eight different haplotypes making them more genetically diverse. This finding suggests that transient killer whales used Hokkaido as a refuge during the last Ice Age, the researchers say.
“Clarifying the ecological characteristics of killer whales is crucial for achieving coexistence with them,” says first author Momoka Suzuki, Kyoto University, in a statement.
Understanding the diet and behaviour of orcas in Japanese waters gives conservationists important information that can help protect the animals from threats. “They are deeply entwined with human activities such as tourism and fisheries in Hokkaido,” adds Suzuki.
A trio of AI methods tackles enzyme design
Naturally occurring enzymes, while powerful, catalyze only a fraction of the reactions chemists care about.
That’s why scientists are eager to design new-to-nature versions that could manufacture drugs more efficiently, break down pollutants, capture carbon, or carry out entirely new forms of chemistry that biology never evolved.
Read more.
RFdiffusion2, RFdiffusion3, and Riff-Diff each solve different structural problems in computational enzyme design by Elizabeth Walsh.
Human T-cell receptor–CD3 complex structure unraveled!
Mean motor disconnectivity (MMD), evaluated on MRI imaging, explains additional variability in skilled hand function after subacute stroke, beyond motor evoked potential status and corticospinal tract lesion load.
BACKGROUND: Persistent compromised hand function is one of the most common long-term deficits after stroke. It is related to dysfunction of the primary motor cortex (M1) and corticospinal tract (CST) as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging-derived estimates of CST lesion load or by transcranial magnetic stimulation-derived measures, such as motor evoked potential (MEP) status. However, substantial interindividual variability remains with these measures. We tested whether a novel measure, mean motor disconnectivity (MMD), explains additional variation in the hand function of subacute stroke patients. METHODS: Thirty-two participants (15 M/17 F; age, 58.6±9.65 years) after unilateral ischemic stroke involving the CST and related upper extremity weakness were studied within 4 weeks of stroke in a cross-sectional study design at Emory University between 2015 and 2021.
Algorithm matches drugs to glioblastoma’s diverse cell types, offering hope for individualized therapies
Researchers have developed a new computational approach that uncovers possible drugs for specific cellular targets for treating glioblastoma, a lethal brain tumor. This approach enabled them to predict more effective treatment combinations to fight the disease on an individualized basis.
This laboratory and computational research effort was led by scientists at Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“The cellular targets we identified could be key to effectively fighting a disease that has seen only one new targeted drug approved in the last two decades,” says Nagi G. Ayad, Ph.D., senior author, associate director for translational research, and professor of oncology at Georgetown Lombardi.
Abstract: Review: Cardiovascular complications of pregnancy
Yijun Yang, Jennifer Lewey & Zoltan Arany explore pregnancy-related cardiovascular adaptations and complications, along with the mechanisms, animal models, and racial and ethnic disparities tied to these conditions.
1Cardiovascular Institute, and.
2Division of Cardiology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Address correspondence to: Zoltan Arany, 11th floor Smilow Translational Research Center, 34th and Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19,014, USA. Email: [email protected].
Boosting the cell’s own cleanup: New class of small molecules accelerate natural protein degradation
Cells have a remarkable housekeeping system: Proteins that are no longer needed, defective, or potentially harmful are labeled with a molecular “tag” and dismantled in the cellular recycling machinery. This process, known as the ubiquitin-proteasome system, is crucial for health and survival.
Now, an international team of scientists led by CeMM, AITHYRA and the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology in Dortmund has identified a new class of small molecules that harness this natural system to accelerate the removal of an immune-modulating enzyme called IDO1.
The findings, published in Nature Chemistry, introduce a new concept in drug discovery that could transform how we target difficult proteins in cancer and beyond.