Reliable amplification of highly repetitive or low complexity sequence DNA enabled by superhelicase-mediated isothermal amplification.

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) requires thermal cycling to melt DNA and proceed through the subsequent cycles of DNA synthesis needed for exponential amplification. Previously, we engineered a superhelicase, with enhanced processivity and speed, to replace this traditional PCR melting step with enzymatic DNA unwinding while retaining desired PCR characteristics, such as multi-kb amplicon size and applicability to cloning and gene editing outcome assessment. This isothermal amplification method is named SHARP (SSB-Helicase Assisted Rapid PCR) because single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) and superhelicases are added to standard PCR reagents.

Therapeutic potential of clinically proven natural products in the management of dementia.

Dementia is a common neurodegenerative disorder connected to damage to nerve cells in the brain. Although some conventional drugs are available for dementia treatments and are still sanctified for dementia patients, their short- and long-term side effects and other limitations make treating patients more challenging. The authors aimed to explain novel options for treating dementia with natural products and unravel some clinically proven natural products.