New research from the University of Iowa finds that blocking an enzyme that lowers localized acidity in the brain reduces cocaine withdrawal symptoms and drug-seeking behavior in mice. The research led by UI professor of psychiatry John Wemmie, MD, PhD, suggests that the enzyme, carbonic anhydrase 4 (CA4), might represent a new therapeutic target for addiction and relapse.

A plant-based diet rich in isoflavones alters the composition of the gut microbiome in a way that reduces inflammation and appears to provide some protection against multiple sclerosis-like disease in mice. The new findings from the University of Iowa lab of Ashutosh Mangalam, PhD, UI associate professor of pathology, were published recently in Gut Microbes.

A new UI study shows how cells around the submucosal glands "squeeze" in response to a chemical produced by bacteria and inflammatory cells, a finding that could better our understanding of the mechanisms of cystic fibrosis.