July 30, 2021

‘Feel Good’ Brain Messenger Can Be Willfully Controlled, New Study Reveals

From the thrill of hearing an ice cream truck approaching to the spikes of pleasure while sipping a fine wine, the neurological messenger known as dopamine has been popularly described as the brain’s “feel good” chemical related to reward and pleasure. A ubiquitous neurotransmitter that carries signals between brain cells, […]
July 30, 2021

No, COVID-19 does not enter our DNA

University of Queensland researchers are refuting claims that COVID-19 can enter a person’s DNA. The researchers from UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute say the claims have led to “scaremongering” and people should not hesitate to be vaccinated. Professor Geoff Faulkner said his team’s research published in Cell Reports showed there was no evidence of COVID-19 – […]
July 30, 2021

Advanced microscopy shines light on new CRISPR-Cas system

A new study describes how an interdisciplinary team of Cornell researchers used a state-of-the-art microscopy technique to reveal protein structures and key steps of a CRISPR-Cas system that holds promise for developing an improved gene editing tool. Eventually, these findings could lead to a reliable CRISPR-Cas system that allows scientists […]
July 30, 2021

Geographic differences in gut microbiota boost immunity

The gut microbiome is a diverse environment, jam-packed with up to 1,000 different species of bacteria. Human populations around the globe have significant differences in the composition of their gut microbiomes, which can impact their health in unique ways that have not been completely understood. Complicating matters, gut microbiome research […]
July 30, 2021

Cancer vaccine improves outcomes in Lynch syndrome model

A new strategy for developing vaccines against cancer showed promise in a proof-of-concept study led by scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian and Heidelberg University Hospital. The preclinical results could eventually lead to vaccines that cause the immune system to target cancers early in their development, preventing the disease from […]
July 29, 2021

Wine is safer for your heart than beer or cider

Atrial fibrillation, which basically is an irregular and rapid heart rate, is actually a quite common condition. It does increase the risk of stroke, heart failure and other heart-related health problems, while the risk of Atrial fibrillation can be influenced by alcohol. But not all alcohol torments your heart equally. […]
July 29, 2021

Systolic blood pressure above 120 mmHg increases rate of cardiovascular disease

Study provides insight on what blood pressure targets in patients with hypertension according to glucose status should be. An estimated 1.13 billion people worldwide have hypertension or high blood pressure, and two-thirds of these individuals are living in low- and middle-income countries. Blood pressure is the force manifested by circulating […]
July 28, 2021

Researchers question prevailing Alzheimer’s theory with new discovery

Scientists at UC say restoring a brain protein, not removing amyloid plaques, should be the target. Experts estimate more than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s dementia. But a recent study, led by the University of Cincinnati, sheds new light on the disease and a highly debated new drug […]
July 27, 2021

'Zombie cells' hold clues to spinal cord injury repair

Mammals have a poor ability to recover after a spinal cord injury which can result in paralysis. A main reason for this is the formation of a complex scar associated with chronic inflammation that produces a cellular microenvironment that blocks tissue repair. Now, a research team led by Leonor Saude, […]
July 26, 2021

Castration Delays Epigenetic Aging in Male Sheep

Castration is known to extend life in male sheep. Researchers here show that epigenetic clocks constructed for this species show the expected slowing of epigenetic aging following castration. This is a way to dig deeper into the question of how it is that females live longer than males in mammalian […]
July 26, 2021

Largest-Ever Type 1 Diabetes Genetic Study Identifies Potential Treatment Targets

Scientists have completed the largest and most diverse genetic study of Type 1 diabetes ever undertaken, identifying new drug targets to treat a condition that affects 1.3 million American adults. Several potential drugs are already in the pipeline. Drugs targeting 12 genes identified in the diabetes study have been tested […]
July 26, 2021

Discovery of Unknown Brain-Repair Process Could Lead to New Epilepsy Treatments

University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have discovered a previously unknown repair process in the brain that they hope could be harnessed and enhanced to treat seizure-related brain injuries. Common seizure-preventing drugs do not work for approximately a third of epilepsy patients, so new and better treatments for such […]