Because Kwanzaa is such a young holiday — it was created in 1966 by Professor Maulana Karenga — its culinary traditions are still evolving. Christmas calls for a ham or a turkey, and potato latkes signal Hanukkah, but there is no set Kwanzaa menu. And since the holiday lasts a week, every meal can't demand a day in the kitchen. Nonetheless, Kwanzaa is a time for creativity, for foods that helped the African people survive on both sides of the Atlantic."
. Using X-ray crystallography and cryogenic electron microscopy, his team captured detailed images of how mefloquine and aminoglycosides interact with the ribosome. These tools allowed the researchers to see where the drugs bind and how they change the ribosome’s behavior.What they found was unexpected. Mefloquine binds near a part of the ribosome known as bridge B7b/c. This area is crucial for the ribosome’s subunits to rotate and function properly during protein production. When mefloquine binds here, it alters the dynamics of these movements. This shift makes it easier for aminoglycosides to encourage the ribosome to read through the incorrect stop codon and continue building the
“It was exciting to discover something completely unexpected,” said Dr. Guskov. “A new mechanism that explains how drugs can help override a faulty stop signal. A very thrilling and motivating discovery.”One of the diseases that could benefit most from this finding is Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or DMD. This condition affects mostly boys and causes progressive muscle weakening, often leading to early death. About 10% to 15% of DMD cases are due to nonsense mutations.Right now, patients with this form of
have limited options. Aminoglycosides like gentamicin and therapies like Translarna have been tried, but their side effects and inconsistent success limit their use.By adding mefloquine to the mix, doctors might be able to reduce the dose of aminoglycosides needed. That would mean fewer side effects, which could open the door for longer and safer treatment. Even more importantly, mefloquine could help ribosomes produce full-length dystrophin—the key protein missing in DMD. Restoring this protein could improve muscle strength and slow disease progression.
Although DMD was a key focus, the potential uses of mefloquine may stretch far beyond. Since nonsense mutations play a role in many genetic disorders, including
and some cancers, this discovery could impact many lives.The tool — which is still in beta testing — is buggy, doesn’t yet connect to the FDA’s internal systems and has issues when it comes to uploading documents or allowing users to submit questions, the people say. It’s also not currently connected to the internet and can’t access new content, such as recently published studies or anything behind a paywall.
, dubbed internally CDRH-GPT, is intended to help staffers at the agency’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, a division responsible for ensuring the safety of devices implanted in the body as well as essential tools like X-rays and CT scanners.The division was among those affected by the
While many of the device reviewers were spared, the agency eliminated much of the backend support that enables them to issue approval decisions on time.The work of reviewers includes sifting through large amounts of data from animal studies and clinical trials. Depending on the applicant, it can take months or even over a year — which an AI tool could feasibly help shorten.