科学者たちは、身体の「冷センサー」としばしば形容されるTRPM8の詳細な構造画像を捉え、このチャネルが冷却温度とミントの清涼感の原因であるメントールにどのように反応するかを明らかにした。サンフランシスコで開催された第70回生物物理学会年次大会で発表されたこの研究は、冷感の分子基盤を説明するのに役立ち、ドライアイや疼痛障害を含む疾患の薬剤開発に寄与する可能性がある。
冬の空気の冷たい刺激—あるいはミントの爽快感—は、皮膚、口腔、目を担当する感覚ニューロンの膜に位置するTRPM8と呼ばれるタンパク質チャネルから始まる。温度が約46°Fから82°Fの範囲に低下すると、チャネルが開き、イオンが細胞内に移動することを許し、脳が冷たいと解釈する神経信号を引き起こす。
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Researchers at LMU Munich, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, TU Darmstadt and Nanion Technologies report that the lysosomal ion channel TMEM175 helps prevent excessive acidification inside lysosomes, a malfunction that the team says could contribute to toxic buildup associated with Parkinson’s disease. The findings were reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Researchers have uncovered a neural signal involving the TRPV4 molecule that tells the brain when scratching an itch has provided enough relief. Experiments in mice showed that without this signal, scratching episodes become prolonged even as overall frequency drops.
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Researchers at Tokyo University of Science have discovered that combining common plant compounds from mint, eucalyptus, and chili peppers dramatically enhances their anti-inflammatory effects in immune cells. Certain pairings amplified the response several hundred-fold compared to individual use. The findings, published in the journal Nutrients, suggest potential for new dietary approaches to combat chronic inflammation.
Researchers in China have demonstrated heat flowing from cold to hot in a quantum system, potentially requiring updates to the second law of thermodynamics. Using a molecule as qubits, the team manipulated quantum information to achieve this reversal. The finding highlights differences between classical and quantum physics.
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MIT researchers and collaborators have directly characterized the three-dimensional atomic and polar structure of a relaxor ferroelectric using a technique called multislice electron ptychography, reporting that key polarization features are smaller than leading simulations predicted—results that could help refine models used to design future sensing, computing and energy devices.
Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have pinpointed a brain region called the caudal granular insular cortex, or CGIC, that acts as a switch turning acute pain into chronic pain. In animal studies, disabling this circuit prevented chronic pain from developing or reversed it once established. The findings, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, open paths to new treatments beyond opioids.