General

Inhibitory neurons target the weakest-responding neurons in the brain to facilitate transmission of signals. When looking at a complex landscape, the eye needs to focus in on important details without losing the big picture—a charging lion in a jungle, for example. Now, a new study by Salk scientists shows how […]

Salk scientists find that canopy shade from competing plants triggers cellular changes in as little as five minutes. Scientists and gardeners have long known that plants grow taller and flower sooner when they are shaded by close-growing neighbors. Now, for the first time, researchers at the Salk Institute have shown […]

Researchers have for some years proposed reprogramming of scar tissue cells in the injured heart as a way to produce a regrowth of healthy tissue, an outcome that does not normally occur. The heart is one of the least regenerative organs in mammals, and injury produces scarring and loss of […]

New research shows cells gather more data than once believed inside the thalamus, a relay station of sensory and motor abilities in the brain. That could change how medicine treats schizophrenia, epilepsy and other brain disorders. Our brains are responsible for coordinating and interpreting many of the actions we take […]

Linked to serious health problems including cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, obesity affects more than a third of adults in the United States. Presently, there are few safe and effective nonsurgical therapeutic interventions available to patients with obesity.  Now, a multi-disciplinary team of researchers has demonstrated that a metabolic regulatory […]

Biomarkers are important determinants of appropriate and effective therapeutic approaches for various diseases including cancer. There is ample evidence pointing toward the significance of immune check point inhibitors (ICI) against cancer, and they showed promising clinical benefits to a specific group of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Several reports demonstrated […]

The loss of muscle tissue—referred to as muscle atrophy in medical terms—can occur as a result of lack of physical activity for an extended period of time; aging; alcohol-associated myopathy—a pain and weakness in muscles due to excessive drinking over long periods of time; burns; injuries; malnutrition; spinal cord or […]

Scientists at Cambridge and Leeds have successfully reversed age-related memory loss in mice and say their discovery could lead to the development of treatments to prevent memory loss in people as they age. In a study published in Molecular Psychiatry, the team show that changes in the extracellular matrix of the brain – […]

Göttingen researchers have developed mini-antibodies that efficiently block the coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 and its dangerous new variants. These so-called nanobodies bind and neutralize the virus up to 1000 times better than previously developed mini-antibodies. In addition, the scientists optimized their mini-antibodies for stability and resistance to extreme heat. This unique combination […]

Using lab-created tissue to heal or replace damaged organs is one of the great visions for the future of medicine. Synthetic materials could be suitable as scaffolding for tissue because, unlike natural tissues, they remain stable in the organism long enough for the body to form new natural structures. A […]

We remember things longer if we take breaks during learning, referred to as the spacing effect. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology gained deeper insight into the neuronal basis for this phenomenon in mice. With longer intervals between learning repetitions, mice reuse more of the same neurons as […]

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, […]

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 – […]

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 […]

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 […]