DDN Dialogues

Seeing into the future of autism detection

According to the CDC, about 1 in 36 children in the United States has autism. An early and accurate diagnosis is hugely important for children and their parents as they learn how to navigate life on the spectrum. A recent study in Nature described a new method to aid early detection of autism using a smartphone app. 

Healing a broken heart

After a heart attack, the damage is permanent — for now. Researchers are testing innovative ways to get the heart to regenerate muscle cells and fix itself.

The antibiotics hidden in medieval recipes

Could the solution to antibiotic resistance already have been discovered? Microbiologists and historians probe medieval and ancient texts to find out.

Rejuvenating the retina to save vision

In diabetic macular edema, senescent cells build up in the retina, leading to vision loss. A new drug forces these undead cells to die, healing the retina.

From warhead to cancer-killer, the quest for more actinium-225

Actinium-225 is a radioactive isotope that kills cancer cells with a burst of alpha particles, but it was difficult to make enough of it — until now.
https://www.drugdiscoverynews.com/from-warhead-to-cancer-killer-the-quest-for-more-actinium-225-15934

Sex differs in matters of the heart

An off-the-cuff request at the local butcher led to a serendipitous discovery about heart valve disease, leading to potential new sex-specific ways to treat it.

The diabetes gene that broke all the rules

Researchers discovered a new gene required for pancreas development, but much to their surprise, they found that it was absent in all animals except primates.

Making sugar healthy

With some out-of-the-box engineering, researchers have developed a nature-inspired strategy to turn sugar in packaged foods into gut-healthy fiber.

All eyes on space

 Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome impairs astronauts’ vision, but new strategies to study the condition in space and on Earth may lead to treatments.

A new hope for Chagas disease

Chagas disease stems from a parasitic infection. Now, with the help of a few insect-eating monkeys, a new treatment for this condition is on the horizon.