Brain Research: Boosting the brain's waste disposal system ♦ Scientists find potential epilepsy drug ♦ When punishment doesn't fit the crime

Suppression of epigenetic brain proteins induces autism-like syndrome Findings of a new study reveal a key role of the BET protein family in the regulation of selected genes that control normal development and function of nerve cells

Boosting the brain's waste disposal system Researchers have been investigating the extent to which macrophages, a type of phagocytic immune cell, might be used to eliminate the abnormal protein deposits typically found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Engineers create artificial skin that can send pressure sensation to brain cell Engineers have created a plastic skin-like material that can detect pressure and deliver a Morse code-like signal directly to a living brain cell. The work takes a big step toward adding a sense of touch to prosthetic limbs.

Scientists find potential epilepsy drug A potential new class of drugs has been discovered in mice studies that may prevent the development of temporal lobe epilepsy, one of the most common and devastating forms of epilepsy.

When punishment doesn't fit the crime People with traumatic brain injuries -- such as those incurred from violent accidents or combat -- are more prone to misjudge when faced with situations involving dispute or requiring discipline, new research indicates

Food Research: Proof-of-concept for low-cost drug made in lettuce ♦ One in three Americans to need more vitamin E ♦ Soda tax boosts retail prices of sugary drinks

Proteins from rice: raw materials instead of waste Proteins remain after starch is extracted from rice. Until now, this valuable raw material was disposed of by rice starch producers at great expense. A new process is being developed to split proteins into smaller pieces, or peptides, and then clean them. The peptides can be put to good use in products such as cosmetics or nutritional supplements.

Proof-of-concept for low-cost drug made in lettuce Scientists have used a plant-based system to make shelf-stable drugs. The researchers confirmed the viability of their method for FDA approval and human use, producing an effective drug that promotes tolerance to clotting factors, which could be taken by hemophilia patients, using freeze-dried lettuce leaves

Soda tax boosts retail prices of sugary drinks, A new study addresses questions about the efficacy of a voter-approved soda tax passed in 2014. Voters in Berkeley approved the first excise tax in the country on sugar-sweetened beverages, but questions soon arose about whether the move would have its desired effect by increasing the retail price of soda. The latest signs say yes.

Metabolic syndrome leads one in three Americans to need more vitamin E One-third of Americans who have a cluster of health problems that add up to metabolic syndrome don't absorb dietary vitamin E as effectively as healthy people.

Cancer Research: Cancer-suppressing proteins ♦ Two cancer research fronts to join forces ♦ Cancers drug resistant mechanism revealed

Telomeres and cancer mortality: The long and the short of it Telomeres are short stretches of repeated nucleotides that protect the ends of chromosomes. In somatic cells, these protective sequences become shorter with each cellular replication until a critical length is reached, which can trigger cell death. At the conclusion of their study, the authors conclude, "We speculate that long telomeres may represent a survival advantage for cancer cells, allowing multiple cell divisions leading to high cancer mortality."

Breakthrough in cancer research: Cancer-suppressing proteins Two cancer-suppressing proteins that could hold a key to controlling cancer cell growth and development have been discovered by researchers. The previously undiscovered proteins were found during ongoing research on the ubiquitin system.

Call to action for two cancer research fronts to join forces Targeting the genetic drivers of cancer works in clinical trials, but cancers often resurface shortly thereafter. Immunotherapy -- which primes a patient's immune cells to attack tumors -- offers a longer-lasting response, but only in a fraction of people. The way forward, argue experts, is to shift funding and research priorities so that these complementary approaches can be combined

Drug resistant mechanism revealed for a new targeted cancer therapy New research shines a light on identifying ‘hot spots’ in drug-resistant mutations involving a certain protein found to influence cancer growth.