Biocytogen Establishes Two Business Divisions to Distinguish Preclinical Models and Services (BioMice) From Antibody Drug R&D
BEIJING--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 31, 2023--
2023-08-31 21:23
Cintas Named to Newsweek’s America’s Greatest Workplaces 2023
CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 31, 2023--
2023-08-31 21:21
Zelenskyy says Ukraine has developed a long-range weapon, a day after a strike deep inside Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country has developed a weapon that hit a target 700 kilometers (400 miles) away
2023-08-31 21:21
Canada warns LGBTQ residents of the risks of traveling to the US due to some state laws
The Canadian government is warning its LGBTQ citizens of risks they could face when traveling to the US, citing new laws in several states.
2023-08-31 21:15
US applications for jobless claims inch back down as companies hold on to their employees
U.S. applications for unemployment benefits fell slightly last week as businesses continue to retain employees in an economy that has largely withstood rapidly rising interest rates for more than a year
2023-08-31 20:59
Fed's preferred inflation gauge shows a modest rise in latest sign of slowing price increases
An inflation gauge closely tracked by the Federal Reserve remained low last month, adding to signs of cooling price increases and raising the likelihood that the Fed will leave interest rates unchanged when it next meets in late September
2023-08-31 20:52
Ice Spice's height: Rapper once dispelled rumors about her stature
As avid followers have long been pondering the question, 'What is Ice Spice's actual height?' she candidly seized the moment to unveil the truth
2023-08-31 20:28
Bank of Canada to hold rates steady on Sept. 6; home prices to fall in 2023
By Milounee Purohit and Devayani Sathyan BENGALURU (Reuters) -The Bank of Canada is expected to hold its key interest rate
2023-08-31 20:27
Merz Aesthetics® Expands Upon NEOCUTIS® Skincare Line with Launch of New ‘Neo Restore Post Treatment Nourishing Sheet Mask’
RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 31, 2023--
2023-08-31 20:18
Ellen DeGeneres seen running errands day after she became victim of viral death hoax
Ellen DeGeneres' fake death news was followed by the fake news of former Bachelorette contestant Josh Seiter
2023-08-31 20:18
Meg Ryan is still single as rom-com star set to return with 'What Happens Later' after 8-year break
Once married to Dennis Quaid before splitting after nearly a decade, Ryan dated John Mellencamp on and off for 8 years with a brief engagement in 2018
2023-08-31 19:56
Scientists may have just found a cure for alcoholism
Alcohol addiction ruins millions of lives every year, but scientists may have found a cure for this terrible affliction. A new treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD) has been trialled in monkeys with impressive results and, if these translate to human trials, the impact could be monumental. A team of neuroscientists and physiologists from across the US tested a new type of gene therapy to see if they could directly target the underlying brain circuitry associated with sustained heavy drinking. As they noted, in the journal Nature Medicine, people suffering from AUD commonly return to alcohol use even if they attempt to quit. This is largely to do with what’s known as mesolimbic dopamine (DA) signalling – meaning how the central nervous system circuit communicates the feelgood neurotransmitter dopamine. A protein called glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is key to keeping these neurons in this reward circuitry functioning. However, experts have found that levels of GDNF are reduced in people with AUD during periods of alcohol abstinence, most notably in a region of the brain called the ventral tegmental area (VTA), as IFLScience notes. Therefore, the researchers decided to test whether using gene therapy to deliver more GDNF to the VTA could help reinforce this crucial dopaminergic signalling and prevent patients from suffering an alcoholic relapse. The team of scientists explained how alcohol consumption in non-addicts prompts the release of dopamine, creating a pleasurable buzz feeling, but chronic alcohol use causes the brain to adapt and stop releasing so much dopamine. “So when people are addicted to alcohol, they don’t really feel more pleasure in drinking,” Dr Kathleen Grant, a senior co-author of the study, said in a statement. “It seems that they’re drinking more because they feel a need to maintain an intoxicated state.” For their research, Dr Grant and her colleagues used eight rhesus macaque monkeys, who were exposed to increasing concentrations of alcohol over four 30-day “induction” periods. The monkeys then had free access to alcohol and water for 21 hours a day for six months, during which they developed heavy drinking behaviours. This was then followed by a 12-week abstinence phase, with the GDNF treatment performed four weeks in for half of the subjects. The gene therapy was delivered using a a viral vector containing a copy of the human GDNF gene injected directly into the primate’s VTA, according to IFLScience. And the results were truly jaw-dropping. “Drinking went down to almost zero,” Dr Grant said. “For months on end, these animals would choose to drink water and just avoid drinking alcohol altogether. They decreased their drinking to the point that it was so low we didn’t record a blood-alcohol level.” The most exciting aspect of their findings is the suggestion that gene therapy could offer a permanent solution for people with the most severe cases of AUD. This will be a welcome glimmer of hope to many, given that some 29.5 million people were diagnosed with AUD in the US alone in 2021, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Of these 29.5 million sufferers, almost a million (894,000) were aged between 12 and 17. It’ll likely be some time before we know for sure whether the gene therapy can be rolled out in humans, but it’s an important first step in tackling this devastating disorder. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-08-31 19:54
