Efficacy and effectiveness of new vaccine against Ebola

New research has tested new vaccine against Ebola. Seems that really works...

Sources:

S0140673615611175.pdf

We finally have an effective Ebola vaccine. The war on the disease is about to change. - Vox

Thinking about how we think

We show that this power-of-two-based permutation logic is widely used in cortical and subcortical circuits across animal species and is conserved for the processing of a variety of cognitive modalities including appetitive, emotional and social information. However, modulatory neurons, such as dopaminergic (DA) neurons, use a simpler logic despite their distinct subtypes

Sources:

Frontiers | Brain Computation Is Organized via Power-of-Two-Based Permutation Logic | Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience

New pieces for DNA code...

New research use 'custom genetic alphabet' for generate new unique proteins...

The 'genetic alphabet' of DNA constitutes two base pairs (A–T and G-–C). In a major breakthrough in synthetic biology, Synthorx's scientific founder Dr. Romesberg and his team have crafted another base pair d5SICSTP and dNaMTP (abbreviated X-–Y) that can be replicated in vivo. The incorporation and in vivo replication of X—Y into DNA expands the genetic alphabet, allowing for the increased storage of information and the incorporation of multiple non-natural amino acids into new, unique proteins.

Sources

Startup’s Artificial DNA Could Revolutionize Drug Design

Synthorx | Technology

A semi-synthetic organism with an expanded genetic alphabet : Nature : Nature Research

Natural-like Replication of an Unnatural Base Pair for the Expansion of the Genetic Alphabet and Biotechnology Applications - Journal of the American Chemical Society (ACS Publications)

 

A lot of viral genomes discovered...

New research provides a lot of more data about unkown viral genomes...

Here we analysed over 5 Tb of metagenomic sequence data from 3,042 geographically diverse samples to assess the global distribution, phylogenetic diversity, and host specificity of viruses. We discovered over 125,000 partial DNA viral genomes, including the largest phage yet identified, and increased the number of known viral genes by 16-fold. 

Sources

Uncovering Earth’s virome : Nature : Nature Research

The 'resonance' of DNA

Seems that there are terahertz frequencies related with DNA nature modification...

The origin of the rupture of the hydrogen bonds in DNA is thought to be low-frequency vibrational modes propagating along its length in the form of phonon-like modes that expand and contract the space between the bases

Sources

Observation of coherent delocalized phonon-like modes in DNA under physiological conditions : Nature Communications

Virus killer, a macromolecule designed by machines...

The macromolecule focus on  glycoproteins... and it was designed by I+D laboratories of 'Cognitive Solutions' of IBM.

First, it’s able to attract viruses towards itself using electrostatic charges. Once the virus is close, the macromolecule attaches to the virus and makes the virus unable to attach to healthy cells. Then it neutralizes the virus’ acidity levels, which makes it less able to replicate.

For their study, the researchers ignored the viruses’ RNA and DNA, which could be key areas to target, but because they change from virus to virus and also mutate, it’s very difficult to target them successfully.

Sources

Cooperative Orthogonal Macromolecular Assemblies with Broad Spectrum Antiviral Activity, High Selectivity, and Resistance Mitigation - Macromolecules (ACS Publications)

IBM Research-Almaden: San Jose, California

IBM Announces Magic Bullet To Zap All Kinds of Killer Viruses | Fast Company | Business + Innovation

IBM Creates A Molecule That Could Destroy All Viruses | Popular Science

Lifestyle and the gut microbiota

• The gut microbiota is an adaptive entity that coevolves with the human host.

• Diet, environment and hygiene practices affect the microbiota.

• Westernization-diseases, such as obesity, are associated to lifestyle determinants.

Sources

Cooperative Orthogonal Macromolecular Assemblies with Broad Spectrum Antiviral Activity, High Selectivity, and Resistance Mitigation - Macromolecules (ACS Publications)

Welcome | mynewgut.eu

Precision treatments based on new immunotherapy discovery.

The 'antigens' are the specific 'flags' that damaged Cells use to notify that something in wrong...

The 'immune system' can follow this advertisements using the 'T-Cells'. If those flags changes then is time to destroy the affected Cell..

“We had suspected that the diversity of mutations we see in tumour evolution would be reflected by the antigens present on the cancer cells – but until now we had no proof.”

Sources

New immunotherapy discovery could give treatments the precision they need - Cancer Research UK - Science blog

Clonal neoantigens elicit T cell immunoreactivity and sensitivity to immune checkpoint blockade | Science

Train your body for a better brain size...

The physical activity in middle ages has been lined with better healthy of brain later in life.

Sources

Poor Physical Fitness In Middle Age Linked To Smaller Brain Size Later In Life | IFLScience

Exercise Capacity - Clinical Methods - NCBI Bookshelf

"Interfacing" graphene to neurons

New method for build graphene-based electrodes,

Neural-interfaces rely on the ability of electrodes to transduce stimuli into electrical patterns delivered to the brain. In addition to sensitivity to the stimuli, stability in the operating conditions and efficient charge transfer to neurons, the electrodes should not alter the physiological properties of the target tissue.

"For the first time we interfaced graphene to neurons directly," said Professor Laura Ballerini of the University of Trieste in Italy. "We then tested the ability of neurons to generate electrical signals known to represent brain activities, and found that the neurons retained their neuronal signalling properties unaltered. This is the first functional study of neuronal synaptic activity using uncoated graphene based materials."

Sources

Graphene shown to safely interact with neurons in the brain

Graphene-Based Interfaces Do Not Alter Target Nerve Cells - ACS Nano (ACS Publications)

Microscopic depots for drug delivery efficiency

This new approach  permits put inside a tumor micro-scale depots.

Biomedical engineering researchers have developed a technique for creating microscopic "depots" for trapping drugs inside cancer tumors. In an animal model, these drug depots were 10 times more effective at shrinking tumors than the use of the same drugs without the depots.

Sources
Microscopic drug 'depots' boost efficacy against tumors in animal model