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How Can the Toxic Effects of Chemical Compounds on Humans Be Predicted by Means of Crowdsourcing?
(Latest Thinking), 8 mins
As humans react differently to chemical substances one of the challenges for public health is to establish which compounds are harmful for whom. The research project presented in this video uses crowdsourcing as part of the DREAM challenges as a method to improve research on this topic by involving the scientific...
Open Access
(Latest Thinking), 8 mins
Description
As humans react differently to chemical substances one of the challenges for public health is to establish which compounds are harmful for whom. The research project presented in this video uses crowdsourcing as part of the DREAM challenges as a method to improve research on this topic by involving the scientific community. Data on different reactions to chemical compounds were shared with scientists all over the world. They analyzed the data wit...
As humans react differently to chemical substances one of the challenges for public health is to establish which compounds are harmful for whom. The research project presented in this video uses crowdsourcing as part of the DREAM challenges as a method to improve research on this topic by involving the scientific community. Data on different reactions to chemical compounds were shared with scientists all over the world. They analyzed the data with different methods and every participating group described their methods and findings in detail. JULIO SAEZ-RODRIGUEZ explains how the outcomes show that the combination of all suggestions allowed for a better prediction of reactions to chemicals. In general the findings show that crowdsourcing has positive effects on science as it accelerates research, and that it is a powerful resource for computational biomedicine.
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How Can We Improve the Response to Chronic Conditions in India?
(Latest Thinking), 9 mins
India suffers from a high prevalence of diabetes and raised blood pressure. In this video, PASCAL GELDSETZER presents a detailed analysis of the prevalence of both conditions in India and asks how they might be better treated and controlled. Using population-based data collected by the Indian government, Geldsetze...
Open Access
(Latest Thinking), 9 mins
Description
India suffers from a high prevalence of diabetes and raised blood pressure. In this video, PASCAL GELDSETZER presents a detailed analysis of the prevalence of both conditions in India and asks how they might be better treated and controlled. Using population-based data collected by the Indian government, Geldsetzer shows that there is huge variation in the prevalence of these conditions between different Indian states and that these conditions do...
India suffers from a high prevalence of diabetes and raised blood pressure. In this video, PASCAL GELDSETZER presents a detailed analysis of the prevalence of both conditions in India and asks how they might be better treated and controlled. Using population-based data collected by the Indian government, Geldsetzer shows that there is huge variation in the prevalence of these conditions between different Indian states and that these conditions do not, as is sometimes assumed, only affect the wealthier strata of Indian society. With evident relevance for health authorities in India, the work also provides food for thought for authorities considering health interventions in other low and middle-income countries worldwide.
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Why Are Some Genetically Caused Diseases so Frequent in the Human Population?
(Latest Thinking), 12 mins
Why are some people more prone to sickness than others? Individual people differ in their genetic predisposition to disease. TOBIAS LENZ and his research group investigate whether historical selection by pathogens – by infectious agents – has shaped the genetic makeup of our immune system today. Their specific...
Open Access
(Latest Thinking), 12 mins
Description
Why are some people more prone to sickness than others? Individual people differ in their genetic predisposition to disease. TOBIAS LENZ and his research group investigate whether historical selection by pathogens – by infectious agents – has shaped the genetic makeup of our immune system today. Their specific focus here is on whether selection by pathogens on specific immune genes, so-called HLA genes, has affected the frequency of disease-c...
Why are some people more prone to sickness than others? Individual people differ in their genetic predisposition to disease. TOBIAS LENZ and his research group investigate whether historical selection by pathogens – by infectious agents – has shaped the genetic makeup of our immune system today. Their specific focus here is on whether selection by pathogens on specific immune genes, so-called HLA genes, has affected the frequency of disease-causing mutation in the neighborhood of these genes. As he explains in this video, they used both computer simulations as well as real sequencing of humans and ran a project on the genetics of medieval Europeans who suffered from leprosy. Their findings indeed support their hypothesis. This can explain, at least in part, the surprising frequency of some genetically caused diseases in the human population today.
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Do Financial Incentives Help Obese People to Achieve and to Maintain a Target Weight?
(Latest Thinking), 9 mins
By means of a field experiment, the research presented in this video tested the effects of financial incentives on the dieting behavior of obese people. As CHRISTOPH M. SCHMIDT explains, patients leaving rehabilitation clinics have been selected for the study and were given different treatments to help them achiev...
Open Access
(Latest Thinking), 9 mins
Description
By means of a field experiment, the research presented in this video tested the effects of financial incentives on the dieting behavior of obese people. As CHRISTOPH M. SCHMIDT explains, patients leaving rehabilitation clinics have been selected for the study and were given different treatments to help them achieve their target weight. It shows that those patients who received a financial incentive were more successful in sustaining healthy behav...
By means of a field experiment, the research presented in this video tested the effects of financial incentives on the dieting behavior of obese people. As CHRISTOPH M. SCHMIDT explains, patients leaving rehabilitation clinics have been selected for the study and were given different treatments to help them achieve their target weight. It shows that those patients who received a financial incentive were more successful in sustaining healthy behavior in the short term, with the effect weakening over time. These insights contribute to the question of the role financial incentives can play in encouraging healthy behavior.
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Do People Choose Optimal Health Insurance Plans?
(Latest Thinking), 14 mins
The health insurance market is driven by the individual choices consumers make on their insurance plans. The research presented in this video explores the questions of how consumers choose these plans, whether they are able to pick the plan most suited to their situation and whether they switch to another and bett...
Open Access
(Latest Thinking), 14 mins
Description
The health insurance market is driven by the individual choices consumers make on their insurance plans. The research presented in this video explores the questions of how consumers choose these plans, whether they are able to pick the plan most suited to their situation and whether they switch to another and better health insurance plan when they have the opportunity to do so. JOACHIM WINTER explains that, after running statistical analyses and...
The health insurance market is driven by the individual choices consumers make on their insurance plans. The research presented in this video explores the questions of how consumers choose these plans, whether they are able to pick the plan most suited to their situation and whether they switch to another and better health insurance plan when they have the opportunity to do so. JOACHIM WINTER explains that, after running statistical analyses and conducting experimental surveys, his research group found that consumers do not tend to pick ideal plans because often they focus too much on price and not so much on other cost-influencing factors. The researchers also discovered that switching rates to other plans are very low. These findings have implications for behavioral economics as well since they more generally offer valuable data on consumers’ choice behavior.
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How Can Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Be Treated Effectively in a Variety of Patients?
(Latest Thinking), 12 mins
One the most common types of leukemia is chronic lymphocytic leukemia. To find the right treatment for an individual patient with that disease is a challenging task and many patients develop a resistance against the existing drugs. The purpose of the research presented by BRIGITTE VOIT in this video is to find new...
Open Access
(Latest Thinking), 12 mins
Description
One the most common types of leukemia is chronic lymphocytic leukemia. To find the right treatment for an individual patient with that disease is a challenging task and many patients develop a resistance against the existing drugs. The purpose of the research presented by BRIGITTE VOIT in this video is to find new drugs that reduce cancer cells while not destroying other cells in the body. The researchers created two versions of organic molecules...
One the most common types of leukemia is chronic lymphocytic leukemia. To find the right treatment for an individual patient with that disease is a challenging task and many patients develop a resistance against the existing drugs. The purpose of the research presented by BRIGITTE VOIT in this video is to find new drugs that reduce cancer cells while not destroying other cells in the body. The researchers created two versions of organic molecules called dendrimers, differentiated by type of shell, and compared their effect to that of the commercial drug Fludarabine. The findings are highly relevant for treatment of leukemia: Both types of dendrimers destroy leukemia cells but one of them is more active against cancer cells and at the same time less harmful for healthy cells than Fludarabine. Moreover, the dendrimers have an effect on leukemia cells that are resistant to commonly used treatments.
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How Can Magnetic Resonance Imaging Be Improved for Early Disease Detection?
(Latest Thinking), 7 mins
The technique of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or short MRI, is a useful and widely used tool in clinical diagnostics. However, the current MRI techniques are not sensitive enough to detect low concentrations of drugs or disease related molecules. LEIF SCHRÖDER explains that MRI is typically based on the detection...
Open Access
(Latest Thinking), 7 mins
Description
The technique of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or short MRI, is a useful and widely used tool in clinical diagnostics. However, the current MRI techniques are not sensitive enough to detect low concentrations of drugs or disease related molecules. LEIF SCHRÖDER explains that MRI is typically based on the detection of water molecules. However, the high water concentration that is always present in the body creates a strong background signal obstruc...
The technique of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or short MRI, is a useful and widely used tool in clinical diagnostics. However, the current MRI techniques are not sensitive enough to detect low concentrations of drugs or disease related molecules. LEIF SCHRÖDER explains that MRI is typically based on the detection of water molecules. However, the high water concentration that is always present in the body creates a strong background signal obstructing the signal of dilute molecules so only substances at higher concentrations can be found. In the new approach presented in this video, the researchers used the noble gas Xenon, manipulated its magnetic properties and paired it with a contrast agent which senses specific molecules related to cancer. With this technique, they managed to visualize also molecules in very low concentrations as it is the case for early onset cancer. This approach can help to spot diseases at a very early stage or support drug development.
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How Can We Improve the Existing Vaccine for Tuberculosis to Combat the Growing Number of Multi-Resistant Strains?
(Latest Thinking), 9 mins
Each year 1.5 million people die of tuberculosis thus making it the number one killer of all contagious diseases. With the number of multi-resistant tuberculosis growing, currently available treatments are no longer as effective as they used to be. The existing vaccine does not protect against pulmonary tuberculos...
Open Access
(Latest Thinking), 9 mins
Description
Each year 1.5 million people die of tuberculosis thus making it the number one killer of all contagious diseases. With the number of multi-resistant tuberculosis growing, currently available treatments are no longer as effective as they used to be. The existing vaccine does not protect against pulmonary tuberculosis which is the most common form of the disease and easily transmittable. In this video, STEFAN H. E. KAUFMANN describes how this exist...
Each year 1.5 million people die of tuberculosis thus making it the number one killer of all contagious diseases. With the number of multi-resistant tuberculosis growing, currently available treatments are no longer as effective as they used to be. The existing vaccine does not protect against pulmonary tuberculosis which is the most common form of the disease and easily transmittable. In this video, STEFAN H. E. KAUFMANN describes how this existing vaccine was modified to trigger an additional component of the cellular immune response. The researchers showed that it achieved profound reduction of bacterial load in the lung and an excellent safety profile in preclinical studies. The vaccine candidate is currently undergoing clinical trials to be approved for humans.
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How Does the Enzyme MOF Work as a Molecular Bridge between Epigenetics and Metabolism?
(Latest Thinking), 7 mins
All cells in our bodies contain the same genetic information. Yet, these cells make up very different parts of the body like liver, heart, and eyes. This is achieved by expressing certain genes and inactivating others. The protein MOF is known to play an important role in this process: DNA does not flow freely in...
Open Access
(Latest Thinking), 7 mins
Description
All cells in our bodies contain the same genetic information. Yet, these cells make up very different parts of the body like liver, heart, and eyes. This is achieved by expressing certain genes and inactivating others. The protein MOF is known to play an important role in this process: DNA does not flow freely in the cell nucleus but is packaged by histone proteins. There, MOF facilitates reading the genetic information encoded in the DNA by modi...
All cells in our bodies contain the same genetic information. Yet, these cells make up very different parts of the body like liver, heart, and eyes. This is achieved by expressing certain genes and inactivating others. The protein MOF is known to play an important role in this process: DNA does not flow freely in the cell nucleus but is packaged by histone proteins. There, MOF facilitates reading the genetic information encoded in the DNA by modifying the histones. ASIFA AKHTAR describes in this video how the researchers were surprised to find that, in mammals, MOF is not only present in the nucleus but also in the mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell. To understand which role MOF plays in both locations, the team employed confocal microscopy, biochemistry and genetics to study the effect of removing the protein from the cell. Their findings indicate that MOF controls gene expression both in the nucleus and the mitochondria. This implicates a link between gene expression andmetabolism control which might provide a new perspective on how changes in the environment that influence the metabolism can impinge on the expression of genes.
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How Does the Interaction of Water with Collagen Lead to Pretension in Our Connective Tissues?
(Latest Thinking), 10 mins
The connective tissues in our body – such as skin, tendon, or bones – all contain a molecule called collagen. When you cut your skin, it springs open. This shows that the tissues in our body are under pretension. The research presented in this video is interested in the question of whether the interaction of c...
Open Access
(Latest Thinking), 10 mins
Description
The connective tissues in our body – such as skin, tendon, or bones – all contain a molecule called collagen. When you cut your skin, it springs open. This shows that the tissues in our body are under pretension. The research presented in this video is interested in the question of whether the interaction of collagen with water causes this tension. The researchers found, as PETER FRATZL explains, that the pretension comes from the contraction...
The connective tissues in our body – such as skin, tendon, or bones – all contain a molecule called collagen. When you cut your skin, it springs open. This shows that the tissues in our body are under pretension. The research presented in this video is interested in the question of whether the interaction of collagen with water causes this tension. The researchers found, as PETER FRATZL explains, that the pretension comes from the contraction of the collagen molecules which is due to a competition for water between collagen and the sugar-rich molecules that surround them. By using synchrotron diffraction, the group managed to show that this leads to a conformational change of this helix; it shortens and creates enormous stresses. These findings are relevant for research in regenerative medicine as well as research into the uses of osmotic pressure for complex movements and force generation more generally.
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