2021

Imagine if surgeons could transplant healthy neurons into patients living with neurodegenerative diseases or brain and spinal cord injuries. And imagine if they could “grow” these neurons in the laboratory from a patient’s own cells using a synthetic, highly bioactive material that is suitable for 3D printing. By discovering a […]

Northwestern University scientists have identified the first compound that eliminates the ongoing degeneration of upper motor neurons that become diseased and are a key contributor to ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a swift and fatal neurodegenerative disease that paralyzes its victims. In addition to ALS, upper motor neuron degeneration also results in […]

A subtype of asthma in adults may cause higher susceptibility to influenza and could result in dangerous flu mutations. University of Queensland-led animal studies have found that paucigranulocytic asthma (PGA) – a non-allergic form of the condition – allows the flu virus to flourish in greater numbers in sufferers. UQ […]

University of Queensland researchers have confirmed a link between depression and stomach ulcers, in the world’s largest study of genetic factors in peptic ulcer disease. By studying health data from nearly half a million people, Professor Naomi Wray from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience and Queensland Brain Institute and Dr Yeda Wu from the […]

Researchers from the University of Oxford have investigated the potential for the commonly used anti-malarial and pneumonia drug Atovaquone to improve lung tumour receptiveness to cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Results from the ATOM clinical trial at the University of Oxford have shown that the anti-malarial drug Atovaquone […]

Researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Hamburg have discovered a disease-causing population of immune cells, which travel to the brain in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Using an approved treatment, which blocks transit through the blood brain barrier, they demonstrate how to trap these cells in […]

Researchers have discovered that the arrangement of existing memories in the brain is altered when we embed new memories. In fact, brain architecture is sophisticated enough to integrate new information while allowing new and old memories to interact, rather than having to forget old experiences to make room for new […]

Artificial sweeteners are very useful for people who do not tolerate sugar. We all need some sweetness in our lives to bring out the flavours of the tea or make coffee a little less bitter. Saccharin, aspartame and other common artificial sweeteners  are great alternatives to sugar. However, a new […]

Escherichia coli bacteria are constitutive members of the human gut microbiota. However, some strains produce a genotoxin called colibactin, which is implicated in the development of colorectal cancer. While it has been shown that colibactin leaves very specific changes in the DNA of host cells that can be detected in colorectal […]

Oxygen deficit, also called hypoxia, in the brain is actually an absolute state of emergency and can permanently damage nerve cells. Nevertheless, there is growing evidence that to a certain extent, hypoxia can also be an important signal for growth. Together with scientists from the University Hospitals of Copenhagen and […]

Competition among sperm cells is fierce – they all want to reach the egg cell first to fertilize it. A research team from Berlin now shows in mice that the ability of sperm to move progressively depends on the protein RAC1. Optimal amounts of active protein improve the competitiveness of […]

An international team of researchers discovered a rare genetic disease characterized by severe malformations of the limbs. As  scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics describe, the condition is caused by a newly identified epigenetic mechanism involving sequences of the genome with previously unknown function. This process could also […]