62 articles from THURSDAY 24.11.2022

Neuroscientists discover a new drug candidate for treating epilepsy

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is one of the most common types of epilepsy worldwide. Although symptomatic medications are available, one-third of TLE patients remain unresponsive to current treatment, so new drug targets are critically needed. Neuroscientist have recently identified and developed a new drug candidate that has potential for effectively treating TLE by suppressing neuroinflammation.

A radical new approach in synthetic chemistry

Scientists have measured how unpaired electrons in atoms at one end of a molecule can drive chemical reactivity on the molecule's opposite side. This work shows how molecules containing these so-called free radicals could be used in a whole new class of reactions.

Gene that guides earliest social behaviors could be key to understanding autism

A new animal study points to a gene that is important for the earliest development of basic social behaviors. The work also suggests that exposure to certain drugs and environmental risk factors during embryonic development can cause changes to this gene, leading to alterations in social behavior that are similar to those found in individuals who have autism.

Pocket feature shared by deadly coronaviruses could lead to pan-coronavirus antiviral treatment

Scientists have discovered why some coronaviruses are more likely to cause severe disease, which has remained a mystery, until now. Researchers say their findings could lead to the development of a pan-coronavirus treatment to defeat all coronaviruses -- from the 2002 SARS-CoV outbreak to Omicron, the current variant of SARS-CoV-2, as well as dangerous variants that may emerge in future.