Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology

Medical research

Scientists unveil how general anesthesia works

Hailed as one of the most important medical advances, the discovery of general anesthetics—compounds that induce unconsciousness, prevent control of movement and block pain—helped transform dangerous and traumatic operations ...

Medical research

Leaving its mark: How frailty impacts the blood

Globally, human society is aging. A side-effect of this is that age-related disorders, such as frailty, are becoming increasingly common. Frailty includes not only physical disabilities, but also a decline in cognitive function ...

Medications

Scientists reveal ADHD medication's effect on the brain

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurobiological disorder characterized by symptoms of hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. People with the condition are often prescribed a stimulant drug called ...

Neuroscience

The ever-changing brain: Shining a light on synaptic plasticity

Synapses allow neurons to communicate with one another. In the synapse, one neuron emits chemical messengers called neurotransmitters, and an adjacent neuron receives them using tiny structures called receptors. A specific ...

Neuroscience

Cycles of reward: New insight into ADHD treatment

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a widespread condition with complex underlying causes. A stimulant drug called methylphenidate is a common ADHD treatment that impacts the brain's levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter ...

Neuroscience

Altered brain activity patterns of Parkinson's captured in mice

The tell-tale tremors of Parkinson's disease emerge from abnormal activity in a brain region crucial for voluntary movement. Using a mouse model of the disease, researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology ...

Immunology

Protein police keep the immune system in check

Our immune systems defend our bodies against dangerous invaders and help clean up when damage is done. But if our bold protectors are left unsupervised, they sometimes do their jobs too well and end up harming healthy tissues. ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Researchers identify three sub-types of depression

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 300 million people worldwide suffer from depression and these rates are on the rise. Yet, doctors and scientists have a poor understanding of what causes this debilitating ...

Oncology & Cancer

Anti-cancer virus fits tumor receptor like a 'key in a lock'

Seneca Valley virus sounds like the last bug you'd want to catch, but it could be the next breakthrough cancer therapy. Now, scientists at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) and the University of Otago ...

Medical research

Cellular 'tuning mechanism' builds elegant eyes

How different cells in a multicellular organism acquire their identities remains a fundamental mystery of development. In the eye, for example, the lens contains two cell types—lens epithelial cells and lens fiber cells—the ...

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