Dr. Michael Spedding published recently a review on the role of cytokines and neurotrophins in disease. Neurotrophins (e.g. BDNF) have beneficial effects on neuronal plasticity and brain metabolism. Inflammatory cytokines (e.g. IL1beta)oppose the effects of neurotrophins. Both, neurotrophins and cytokines are targets for the development of new drugs affecting central nervous system. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is the main activity-dependent neurotrophic factor. Interleukin 1beta...

Michael Spedding (Institute Internatinales Servier, Paris, France) described how neuroprotection can be achieved by either by blockade or by stimulation of AMPA (a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid) receptors. Low threshold AMPA receptor stimulation leads to the release of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) which is neuroprotective. Blockade of AMPA receptors reduces excitotoxicity leading to neuroprotection. BDNF is a major activity-dependent neurotrophic factor...

Annelyse Thevenin argues that the best approach to calculating breakpoint distance between two genomes with duplicate genes is by using Pseudo-Boolean Programming.

Sonia Longhi, Ph.D. Permanent Senior Scientist, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Marseille, France