Synthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) decreases during aging, which is thought to limit the activity of enzymes that require it for their catalytic activity. Studies in animals indicate that replenishment of cellular NAD+ can have beneficial effects on aging and age-related diseases, but the situation in humans is less clear. Yoshino et al. report the effects of supplementation with the NAD+ precursor nicotinamide mononucleotide in overweight or obese postmenopausal women with prediabetes (see the Perspective by Hepler and Bass). The treatment improved insulin sensitivity in muscle, although a change in NAD+ content was not detected. The treatment also increased the expression of platelet-derived growth factor b. The results support potential therapeutic action of NAD+ supplementation in humans, but how various NAD+ precursors are processed in specific tissues remains to be fully explored.
Science , abe9985, this issue p. [1224][1]; see also abj0764, p. [1147][2]
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A new study led by Washington University School of Medicine provides new guidance on the treatment of medulloblastoma, a pediatric brain cancer. Some aspects of radiation therapy may be reduced while still providing effective treatment.
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A new study at the University of Chicago Medicine and Washington University found that a single inhalation session with 25% nitrous oxide gas was nearly as effective as 50% nitrous oxide at rapidly relieving symptoms of treatment-resistant depression, with fewer adverse side effects. The study, published June 9 in
Science Translational Medicine, also found that the effects lasted much longer than previously suspected, with some participants experiencing improvements for upwards of two weeks.
These results bolster the evidence that non-traditional treatments may be a viable option for patients whose depression is not responsive to typical antidepressant medications. It may also provide a rapidly effective treatment option for patients in crisis.
Microbiome Souvenirs May Clear Customs, Spread Antimicrobial Resistance
Source: Photo by Mantas Hesthaven on Unsplash
June 9, 2021
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A study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that international travelers are bringing home new and potentially deadly strains of antimicrobial resistant superbugs in their gut microbiomes. The scientists, collaborating with researchers at Maastricht University, analyzed bacterial communities in the gut microbiomes of 190 Dutch adults before and after travel to Southeastern Asia, South Asia, North Africa and Eastern Africa, which are all regions where the prevalence of resistance genes is high. The results confirmed that international travelers commonly return home with an unexpected payload of new bacterial strains among the thousands that normally reside within the gut microbiome.