Robot – Page 276 – Innovita Research
August 8, 2018

Research reveals molecular details of sperm-egg fusion

The fusion of a sperm cell with an egg cell is the very first step in the process that leads to new individuals in sexually reproducing species. Fundamental as this process may be, scientists are only now beginning to understand the complexities of how it works. In a paper published […]
August 8, 2018

Created Line of Spinal Cord Neural Stem Cells Shows Diverse Promise

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that they have successfully created spinal cord neural stem cells (NSCs) from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) that differentiate into a diverse population of cells capable of dispersing throughout the spinal cord and can be maintained for long periods […]
August 8, 2018

Koala virus could explain why humans have ‘junk’ DNA

A koala virus could help researchers explain millions of years of accumulated ‘junk’ DNA in the human genome. An international team of researchers – including scientists from The University of Queensland – is studying a virus infecting koalas in the hope it could demonstrate how viruses have altered the DNA […]
August 7, 2018

Cellular communication system in mice helps control female fertility

When Joan Jorgensen was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, her roommate confided that she had just one period before going through menopause in high school. Doctors told Jorgensen’s roommate that she would never have biological children. “This is devastating news at any age, let alone a high school […]
August 7, 2018

Nanoparticles improve tumor treatment in mice

In the treatment of cancer, chemotherapy is a cleaver, not a scalpel. By attacking rapidly dividing cells, chemotherapy effectively fights tumors, but it also ravages healthy cells in the gut, bone marrow, the scalp and other organs, leading to severe side effects. These toxic chemicals save lives, but at a […]
August 7, 2018

Striking a Balance Between Immunity and Inflammation

Hookworms infect nearly 430 million people in the world, mostly in countries where sanitation is poor, and people often walk barefoot. The body’s immune system is critical to attacking the hookworm, resulting in damage to the body’s tissues. But just how this damage takes place — and what helps repair […]
August 7, 2018

Key aspects of human cell ageing reversed by new compounds

Key aspects of the ageing of human cells can be reversed by new compounds developed at the University of Exeter, research shows. In a laboratory study of endothelial cells – which line the inside of blood vessels – researchers tested compounds designed to target mitochondria (the “power stations” of cells). In […]
August 6, 2018

Team Finds Correlation Between Genetics and Obesity Is Modified by Diet

A correlation between obesity and genetics has been found to be modified by diet, according to a scientific paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. A research group led by a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist found that a specific gene—APOA2—can result in a higher body mass index (BMI). […]
August 6, 2018

Developing a screening test for ovarian cancer

A University of Adelaide scientist and leading Adelaide surgeon is developing an early detection test for a deadly cancer and has today received a funding boost from the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF). Professor Martin Oehler, Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University’s Robinson Research Institute and Director of Gynaecological […]
August 6, 2018

A breath test for early-stage Parkinson’s

Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include tremor, loss of smell and neuropsychiatric problems. However, many people aren’t diagnosed until their disease is well-advanced, which could limit their treatment options. Now, researchers have tested a sensor to detect early-stage Parkinson’s disease from the breath of patients. They report their results in ACS Chemical […]
August 6, 2018

Osteoporosis, fracture risk predicted with genetic screen

A new genetic screen may predict a person’s future risk of osteoporosis and bone fracture, according to a study by a researcher at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Specifically, the study, one of the largest of its kind, identified 899 regions in the human genome associated with low bone-mineral density, […]
August 3, 2018

Tackling T Cells

A pair of new studies led by investigators at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital looks to T cells as paths toward reducing organ transplant rejection and treating autoimmune diseases. The immune system has two major kinds of T cells. T helper cells, also known as effector T cells, […]
August 3, 2018

A Tale of Two Structures

Throughout his science training in Vietnam, Germany, Austria and the United States, Nam Chu has loved finding ways to fight diseases such as neurodegeneration and cancer. “To do that,” he says, “you need to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms—how certain proteins can cause the disease and how you can intervene.” Now a […]
August 3, 2018

Learning arithmetic refines the primal brain system for representing quantity

A wildebeest knows when it is outnumbered by a pack of hungry hyenas, thanks to an imprecise, primal brain function called the Approximate Number System, or ANS. Animals have it and human babies are born with it. Scientists have long believed that human’s ability to solve symbolic math problems such […]
August 2, 2018

Convelo Therapeutics to develop regenerative medicines for neurological disorders

Convelo Therapeutics Inc., a company founded on seminal scientific discoveries made in the laboratories of Paul Tesar and Drew Adams at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, has launched from working in stealth mode with a mission to discover and develop a new class of medicines that regenerate the […]
August 2, 2018

Rewriting our understanding of gastric tumours

The immune system can be an important ally in the fight against cancer. A study from McGill scientists published today in Science suggests that the reverse may also be true – that abnormal inflammation triggered by the immune system may underlie the development of stomach tumours in patients with a hereditary cancer syndrome known […]
August 2, 2018

Method reveals how hidden DNA mutations affect tissues

Genes produce proteins that keep your body functioning and healthy. But genes that code for protein make up less than 2 percent of your DNA. The rest of the DNA might appear to be dormant at first glance, but scientists now appreciate that this region plays a key role in […]
August 2, 2018

Research Brief: Cancer-causing chemical formed in e-cigarette users

The lack of certain toxic and cancer-causing chemicals in e-cigarettes may not necessarily mean that e-cigarette users are not exposed to them anyway. A new study from the University of Minnesota found that while e-cigarettes contain virtually no N-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) — a chemical that can cause oral cavity and esophageal cancer […]
August 2, 2018

Queen Bees and the Microbial Fountain of Youth

UA students study honey bees to find out how bacteria in their guts and the foods they eat are connected to life expectancy. They hope the insects can serve as model systems to discover clues about how genetics, gut bacteria and diet influence aging in humans. To the untrained eye […]
August 1, 2018

Measure of belly fat in older adults is linked with cognitive impairment

A new study using data from the Trinity Ulster Department of Agriculture (TUDA) ageing cohort study comprising over 5,000 individuals has found that a measure of belly fat (waist:hip ratio) was associated with reduced cognitive function in older Irish adults (>60 years of age). These findings have significant implications as […]
August 1, 2018

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome more likely to have a child with autism

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are more likely than other women to have an autistic child, according to an analysis of NHS data carried out by a team at Cambridge University’s Autism Research Centre. The research was published in the journal Translational Psychiatry. PCOS affects about one in ten women […]
August 1, 2018

Squishy hydra’s simple circuits ready for their close-up

Just because an animal is soft and squishy doesn’t mean it isn’t tough. Experiments at Rice University show the humble hydra is a good example. The hydra doesn’t appear to age – and apparently never dies of old age. If you cut one in two, you get hydrae. And each one can eat animals […]
July 31, 2018

Cannabinoid improves survival rates of mice with pancreatic cancer

The study reported mice with pancreatic cancer that were treated with a naturally occurring constituent of medicinal cannabis alongside chemotherapy, survived almost three times longer than those treated with chemotherapy alone. Each year around 9,800 people in the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The disease is particularly aggressive and […]
July 31, 2018

Research into cell-to-cell signalling mechanism may lead to new cancer treatments

Pioneering new research into the way in which cells communicate with each other could hold the key to unlocking new, improved treatment for life-threatening diseases, including cancer. Various mechanisms exist for cells to communicate with each other, and many are essential  for development. A team of international researchers looked at […]
July 31, 2018

Multiple pregnancies might make women’s cells ‘age’ faster

Multiple pregnancies might make women’s cells age more quickly, a new Northwestern University study suggests. Led by Calen Ryan and Christopher Kuzawa of Northwestern and Dan Eisenberg at the University of Washington, the research could help explain why women with many children tend to show signs of accelerated aging. The findings, published in Scientific Reports, […]
July 30, 2018

How do jumping genes cause disease, drive evolution?

Almost half of our DNA sequences are made up of jumping genes—also known as transposons. They jump around the genome in developing sperm and egg cells and are important to evolution. But their mobilization can also cause new mutations that lead to diseases, such as hemophilia and cancer. Remarkably little […]