Oral insulin set for human trials
Taiwanese scientists have successfully tested an oral form of insulin on rats and now plan to begin human trials. Insulin-dependent diabetics typically have to have multiple daily injections. The difficulty in making an oral form is that protein drugs such as insulin are broken down in the stomach, preventing them reaching the bloodstream, WebMD reports. The National Tsing Hua University researchers bundled insulin with chitosan (a chemical from the shells of shrimp, crabs and lobsters) into tiny nanoparticles, which they then made into an oral solution.
Second Alzheimer's gene found
American researchers have identified a second gene responsible for the most common form of Alzheimer's - which may help in developing a better screening test and, eventually, a cure. The team from Columbia University, Boston University and the University of Toronto found that variants of the gene SORL1 were more common in people with late-onset Alzheimer's and that they had less than half the levels of SORL1 proteins in their blood than healthy people, AFP reports. This is connected with the production of abnormal sticky proteins that gum up the brains of Alzheimer's sufferers. The first genetic marker, ApoE4, was identified in 1993.
Foot-dragging points to insecurity
People who procrastinate typically lack confidence, rather than being perfectionists, as is often thought, according to a University of Calgary mathematical analysis of previous studies. 'Perfectionism is not the culprit,' says researcher Piers Steel. 'In fact, perfectionists procrastinate less - but they worry about it more.' The analysis found that people are more likely to procrastinate if the task isn't urgent, isn't appealing or is daunting. People who are rebellious or depressed also tend to procrastinate, WebMD reports. Steel says more study is needed - preferably sooner, rather than later.