General

When mice learn to do a new task, their brain activities change over time as they advance from ‘novice’ to ‘expert.’ The changes are reflected in the wiring of cell circuits and the activities of neurons. Using a two-photon imaging microscope and a wealth of genetic tools, researchers from Cold […]

Lamprey is blood-sucking vampire-like fish that attach to and eventually kill game fish, making them the bane of many a fisherman's existences. Like something out of a horror film, these parasites use radial rows of sharp teeth to dig into the skin of their host and extract blood and other […]

Mitochondria, often thought of as the powerhouses of cells, are just one part of a larger living thing, but they are unique among cellular structures in that they have their own DNA that is distinct from that of their parent cells. And just like their parent cells, mitochondria need quality-control […]

NIH-funded study finds higher risks for children of women who took efavirenz during pregnancy. Children born to women on HIV therapy containing the drug efavirenz were 2 to 2.5 times more likely to have microcephaly, or small head size, compared to children born to women on regimens of other antiretroviral […]

Women who are diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) during late pregnancy or within a month following delivery are more likely to experience restored cardiac function and improved outcomes compared to those who are diagnosed later in the postpartum period, according to a new study from Penn Medicine. The findings underscore the […]

One day in the future when you need medical care, someone will examine you, diagnose the problem, remove some of your body’s healthy cells, and then use them to grow a cure for your ailment. The therapy will be personalized and especially attuned to you and your body, your genes, […]

A new Yale study shows that some patients being treated for severe heart failure with a battery-operated pump saw significant improvement after additionally using neurohormonal blockade (NHB) drug therapy. NHB therapy, which includes three broad categories of drugs, including ACE inhibitors, has long been the standard therapy for treating heart […]

Uterine fibroids are a very common condition, and affected women often wonder if their pregnancy challenges are related to their fibroids. In this article, we discuss the ‘classic’ view on how fibroids can affect fertility, and the effects of different fibroid treatment options on fertility. Fibroids It is estimated that […]

Scientists are still grappling with questions as fundamental as how a cell actually grows. Cells are not just water-filled blobs but are chock-full of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and many other types of molecules. When a cell grows, it not only increases in size, it also has to make more […]

A new treatment for lung disease in cystic fibrosis (CF) for which there remains no cure could potentially benefit all patients, according to a University of Bristol study published in Chemical Science. The findings are an important step towards a new therapy addressing the fundamental cause of cystic fibrosis. Cystic […]

Children who have received radiotherapy for a brain tumour can develop cognitive problems later in life. In their studies on mice, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have now shown that the drug lithium can help to reverse the damage caused long after it has occurred. The study is published in the […]

A Stanford-led pilot study has provided early evidence that an antibody is a safe, effective and rapid food allergy treatment. One injection of an antibody treatment let people with severe peanut allergies eat a nut’s worth of peanut protein two weeks later, a small, Stanford-led pilot study showed. The study […]

Women exposed simultaneously to stress and plastic additives late in pregnancy are at increased risk for premature birth, according to a study by Rutgers and other institutions. The study, published in the journal Environment International, is the first to analyze a link between stress and phthalates – a group of chemicals in plastics, personal […]

Researchers used artificial intelligence (AI) to evaluate stem cell-derived “patches” of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) tissue for implanting into the eyes of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness. The proof-of-principle study helps pave the way for AI-based quality control of therapeutic cells and tissues. The […]

While it is well known within the medical community that there is a link between the bacteria Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) and rates of gastric cancer—commonly referred to as stomach cancer—the rates and risk among Americans has been largely understudied. Now, after analyzing records of close to 400,000 patients, researchers […]

In a breakthrough with important implications for the future of immunotherapy for breast cancer, UC San Francisco scientists have found that blocking the activity of a single enzyme can prevent a common type of breast cancer from spreading to distant organs. While studying a mouse model that replicates key features […]

A study by researchers at Yale has uncovered why belly fat surrounding organs increases as people age, a finding that could offer new treatment possibilities for improving metabolic health, thereby reducing the likelihood of diseases like diabetes and atherosclerosis that stem from inflammation. Led by Dr. Vishwa Deep Dixit, the Waldemar […]

Scientists have for the first time seen how the MYC protein, which plays a central role in cancer, binds to a key protein and controls important functions in the cell. The new discovery may in the long term help in the development of new cancer drugs that disrupt the function […]

An unexpected discovery about fertilization from the University of Virginia School of Medicine reveals new insights on how sperm and egg fuse and could have major implications for couples battling infertility – and may lead to a future male contraceptive. The finding has the potential both to boost the success […]

What if you could cure cancer by re-engineering patients’ cells to better target and destroy their own tumors? With the advent of powerful new cellular engineering technologies, this is no longer the stuff of science fiction. In the past few years, these technologies have enabled the development of revolutionary engineered […]

Cases of melanoma among U.S. adolescents and young adults declined markedly from 2006 to 2015 – even as the skin cancer's incidence continued to increase among older adults and the general population during the span, new research shows. The finding, based on national cancer-registry data, suggests that public-health efforts advocating sun […]

Over 77,000 Canadians are living with multiple sclerosis, a disease whose causes still remain unknown. Presently, they have no hope for a cure. In a study published in Science Translational Medicine, researchers at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) identify a molecule named ALCAM which, once blocked, delays […]

Pemphigus, an autoimmune disease mediated by B cells and which causes painful blisters and sores on the skin and mucous membranes, is a rare chronic autoimmune condition that can be fatal if not treated. Treatment for pemphigus, most commonly through an oral medication, was often slow and would not result […]

Short-term increases in sugar consumption could increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease and have a significant impact on our health, a new study out of the University of Alberta suggests. In a study published in Scientific Reports, U of A researchers found that mice had an increased susceptibility to chemically […]

Children who have received radiotherapy for a brain tumour can develop cognitive problems later in life. In their studies on mice, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have now shown that the drug lithium can help to reverse the damage caused long after it has occurred. The study is published in the […]

All the tissues of our body have the same DNA, but they perform very different functions and have very different aspects. For example, a lymphocyte and a neuron share the same genetic material, but they play very different tasks, and their appearance under the microscope is entirely dissimilar. What gives […]

PNNL incorporates information of over 300,000 medical concepts, more than any existing AI data set, in effort to aid physicians’ diagnoses Artificial intelligence will never replace a doctor. However, researchers at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have taken a big step toward the day when AI can […]

One in three women of reproductive age has at least one chronic condition that could compromise their health or lead to adverse outcomes during pregnancy, according to the University of Utah Health scientists. Yet few of these women are using the most effective forms of contraception to prevent unplanned pregnancies. […]

Getting five or fewer hours of sleep a night is associated with low bone mineral density (BMD) and higher odds of osteoporosis, according to the findings of the largest study of sleep and BMD to date among U.S. postmenopausal women. “Our study suggests that sleep may negatively impact bone health, […]

A multidisciplinary team of experts has developed a ground-breaking ‘smart needle’ probe that uses light to pinpoint cancerous tissues or cells almost instantaneously. This optical biopsy uses a technique called Raman spectroscopy, which measures the light scattered by tissues when a low-power laser is shone onto it. Light is scattered […]