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New software advances ability to turn stem cells into other cell types. Harvard Medical School researchers and colleagues have developed new software to help scientists generate different types of cells for use in research and medicine. The software aids ongoing efforts to turn induced pluripotent stem cells, or IPSCs—adult cells that […]

This interesting study shows that when given the choice to consume sugar or protein, flies consume a lot of sugar and exhibit reduced life span as a result. Feeding the same proportional mix of sugar and protein to flies without giving them the choice of what to consume does not […]

To date, not much is known about two similar, but different, pediatric rheumatic conditions: juvenile myositis, an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks its own tissue and causes inflammation in the muscles, and systemic lupus erythematosus, the most common and serious form of lupus where the immune systems attacks its own […]

Mapping the cerebral vascular network in human patients, at unprecedented scales: this tour de force has been achieved by the French laboratory Physics for Medicine Paris (ESPCI Paris-PSL, Inserm, CNRS). In a study published on the front page of Nature Biomedical Engineering, the research team details its method: ultrasound localization […]

Scientists report on the structural and molecular factors governing the stability of a protein complex involved in DNA repair pathways in cells. The cells in our body are constantly fighting off the threat of cancer by repairing damaged DNA. In a new study, scientists from Tokyo University of Science investigate […]

Intake of a high-fat diet leads to an increased risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and fatty liver. A study in mice from Karolinska Institutet shows that it is possible to eliminate the deleterious effects of a high-fat diet by lowering the levels of apolipoprotein CIII (apoCIII), a […]

New research by the University of Bristol as part of a team led by the University of Maryland (UMD) identifies age-related changes to DNA, revealing longevity-related differences among bat species. The study found that DNA from tissue samples can be used to accurately predict the age of bats in the […]

Patients with cancers of unknown origin greatly benefited from next-generation sequencing; widespread inherited cancer risk also suggests broad utility, a study finds. When standard cancer treatments don’t work, or if doctors can’t determine where a patient’s cancer originated, genomic sequencing can help pinpoint mutations in a tumor that might be […]

Mouse study focuses on signal from astrocytes to nerves. Researchers were able to enhance memory formation in mice by increasing a specific signal between astrocytes, one of the most numerous types of cell in the brain that occupy more space in the brain than nerve cells. Experts have long known […]

Researchers may have found the earliest changes that occur in seemingly healthy breast tissue long before any tumours appear, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Communications. The study, funded by Cancer Research UK, showed that before becoming cancerous, breast cells with the BRCA1 gene mutation undergo […]

Newly published research has revealed a close link between proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease and age-related sight loss. The findings could open the way to new treatments for patients with deteriorating vision and through this study, the scientists believe they could reduce the need for using animals in future research […]

Neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease are in the firing line after researchers identified an attractive therapeutic drug target. An international collaboration, co-led by University of Queensland researchers, has isolated and analysed the structure and function of a protein found in the brain’s nerve fibres called SARM1. Dr […]