A research team at the Korea University College of Medicine has uncovered a genetic mechanism responsible for delayed tooth development and impaired mineralization.

 

A Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines review outlines how AI can help clarify the molecular mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine formulas, from pharmacokinetics prediction to target and synergy discovery.

With an increasing use of ultrasonography-based diagnosis, there is a need to develop affordable alternatives to conventional ultrasound gel, ensuring patient comfort. A team of researchers from Japan has recently developed a reusable, solid ultrasound gel pad composed of tamarind seed gum. This gel pad demonstrated improved patient satisfaction compared to conventional gel, eliminating discomfort such as stickiness or tickling, while showing no degradation in image quality.

An association between oral microbiota and cognitive performance in schizophrenia has been reported by researchers at Science Tokyo. By analyzing saliva samples and cognitive test scores from patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls, the study shows that lower oral microbial diversity is associated with poorer cognitive function, with specific predicted microbial metabolic pathways potentially linked to this relationship. These association patterns offer testable hypotheses for future longitudinal and experimental studies.

RNA viruses' rapid evolution challenges conventional diagnostics like reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction, as mutations can cause detection failures. Researchers from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology prospected a dual-strategy for RNA virus detection in Medicine Plus: mutation-tolerant broad screening and precise variant discrimination. Integrating these into portable, multiplex devices using real-time genomic data is key for effective public health responses.

Researchers led by the University of Vienna and Liège University Hospital Centre have identified genetic variants associated with a rare inherited growth disorder in two prehistoric individuals who lived more than 12,000 years ago. Using ancient DNA analysis and modern clinical genetics, they diagnosed the condition in a mother and daughter buried together in southern Italy. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the study shows that paleogenomics can now reconstruct ancient population history and diagnose rare genetic diseases in prehistoric individuals.