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Meditation study finds molecular overlap with drug responses

An exploratory study found that molecular signatures associated with meditation overlap with gene expression responses linked to more than 438 pharmaceuticals, Bioengineer.org reports. The study appeared in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur compared meditation-related molecular patterns with known drug responses. Bioengineer.org says most of the compounds identified interact with pathways involving neuroactive ligand receptors, which can modulate the brain's balance between excitation and inhibition.

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The trial tracked meditation across stages#

The analysis drew on a clinical trial of 106 people who practiced an intervention called Inner Engineering meditation, Bioengineer.org reports. The dataset contained RNA-sequencing profiles, measurements used to examine gene expression, from before meditation, during practice and at follow-up.

Meditation uses techniques to train attention and awareness, according to Wikipedia. In the study reported by Bioengineer.org, the researchers examined molecular patterns associated with one named intervention rather than treating every meditation practice as the same.

Bioengineer.org says the team used the Connectivity Map, or CMap, to compare the meditation-associated signatures with established drug responses. The analysis looked for overlap in molecular patterns and pathways, rather than testing the pharmaceuticals as part of the meditation intervention.

The comparison focused on biological pathways#

Bioengineer.org describes the study as an exploratory search for shared molecular features between meditation and drugs with known relevance to neurophysiology. The team sought pathways and mechanisms that might help account for reported therapeutic effects of meditation.

Bioengineer.org reports that meditation is often used as a non-pharmacological adjunct approach for managing stress and supporting well-being. The outlet says its associated biological processes have largely been examined through psychological frameworks, while this study examined molecular profiles across stages of practice.

The reported finding concerns overlap in gene expression responses, not evidence that meditation and the identified pharmaceuticals have the same effects. Bioengineer.org says the researchers designed the comparison to identify biological pathways and mechanisms for potential investigation.

In separate research, scientists used artificial intelligence to design enzymes that recognize and cut selected protein targets, Phys.org reports. According to FierceBiotech, insitro will receive $40 million upfront from AstraZeneca to identify drug targets for liver and heart diseases, plus as much as $1.46 billion tied to development and commercial milestones.

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