General

Imagine if surgeons could transplant healthy neurons into patients living with neurodegenerative diseases or brain and spinal cord injuries. And imagine if they could “grow” these neurons in the laboratory from a patient’s own cells using a synthetic, highly bioactive material that is suitable for 3D printing. By discovering a […]

Northwestern University scientists have identified the first compound that eliminates the ongoing degeneration of upper motor neurons that become diseased and are a key contributor to ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a swift and fatal neurodegenerative disease that paralyzes its victims. In addition to ALS, upper motor neuron degeneration also results in […]

A subtype of asthma in adults may cause higher susceptibility to influenza and could result in dangerous flu mutations. University of Queensland-led animal studies have found that paucigranulocytic asthma (PGA) – a non-allergic form of the condition – allows the flu virus to flourish in greater numbers in sufferers. UQ […]

University of Queensland researchers have confirmed a link between depression and stomach ulcers, in the world’s largest study of genetic factors in peptic ulcer disease. By studying health data from nearly half a million people, Professor Naomi Wray from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience and Queensland Brain Institute and Dr Yeda Wu from the […]

Researchers from the University of Oxford have investigated the potential for the commonly used anti-malarial and pneumonia drug Atovaquone to improve lung tumour receptiveness to cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Results from the ATOM clinical trial at the University of Oxford have shown that the anti-malarial drug Atovaquone […]

Researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Hamburg have discovered a disease-causing population of immune cells, which travel to the brain in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Using an approved treatment, which blocks transit through the blood brain barrier, they demonstrate how to trap these cells in […]

Researchers have discovered that the arrangement of existing memories in the brain is altered when we embed new memories. In fact, brain architecture is sophisticated enough to integrate new information while allowing new and old memories to interact, rather than having to forget old experiences to make room for new […]

Artificial sweeteners are very useful for people who do not tolerate sugar. We all need some sweetness in our lives to bring out the flavours of the tea or make coffee a little less bitter. Saccharin, aspartame and other common artificial sweeteners  are great alternatives to sugar. However, a new […]

Escherichia coli bacteria are constitutive members of the human gut microbiota. However, some strains produce a genotoxin called colibactin, which is implicated in the development of colorectal cancer. While it has been shown that colibactin leaves very specific changes in the DNA of host cells that can be detected in colorectal […]

Oxygen deficit, also called hypoxia, in the brain is actually an absolute state of emergency and can permanently damage nerve cells. Nevertheless, there is growing evidence that to a certain extent, hypoxia can also be an important signal for growth. Together with scientists from the University Hospitals of Copenhagen and […]

Competition among sperm cells is fierce – they all want to reach the egg cell first to fertilize it. A research team from Berlin now shows in mice that the ability of sperm to move progressively depends on the protein RAC1. Optimal amounts of active protein improve the competitiveness of […]

An international team of researchers discovered a rare genetic disease characterized by severe malformations of the limbs. As  scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics describe, the condition is caused by a newly identified epigenetic mechanism involving sequences of the genome with previously unknown function. This process could also […]

Inspired by personal tragedy, graduate student Hyunwoo Yuk used his background in soft materials to develop a bioadhesive tape for repairing damaged tissue. In November, mechanical engineering PhD candidate Hyunwoo Yuk earned the top prize at the Collegiate Inventors Competition hosted by the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame. Yuk was […]

Researchers at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research have discovered a new type of bone cell that may reveal new therapeutic approaches for osteoporosis and other skeletal diseases. The new cells, which the researchers term ‘osteomorphs’, are found in the blood and bone marrow, and fuse together to form osteoclasts, […]

A new study from the University of Iowa finds that the limitations of human memory make it difficult for researchers to link adverse childhood experiences to physical health issues later in life. The researchers found that so many people either forget what happened to them in childhood or don’t remember it […]

A new partnership between Vanderbilt University’s Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery and clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company Soleno Therapeutics will further research into new clinical treatments for multiple obesity syndromes. Leading the collaboration are WCNDD director Craig Lindsley, who holds the William K. Warren, Jr. Chair in Medicine, and Jerod Denton, professor of anesthesiology and pharmacology […]

A new study of first-time pregnant women found risk factors for heart disease, such as obesity and elevated blood sugar, can put expectant moms at higher risk for pregnancy complications and gestational diabetes and also lead to increased chances of high blood pressure, or hypertension, two to seven years after […]

The goal of “precision oncology” is to be able to tailor treatments to each individual patient based on their cancer’s unique molecular fingerprints. New technologies and large, “-omics” datasets are now allowing researchers to examine shared features not just within a single type of cancer — such as breast cancer […]

A team of engineers has identified the ‘violent’ physical processes at work inside the lungs which cause wheezing, a condition that affects up to a quarter of the world’s population. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, used modelling and high-speed video techniques to show what causes wheezing and how […]

A type of cell derived from human stem cells that has been widely used for brain research and drug development may have been leading researchers astray for years, according to a study from scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The cell, known as an induced […]

Common fungi, often present in the gut, teach the immune system how to respond to their more dangerous relatives, according to new research from scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine. Breakdowns in this process can leave people susceptible to deadly fungal infections. The study, published in Cell, reveals a new twist […]

The environment surrounding the cancerous cells of a lymphoma tumor has a strong influence on the progression of these blood-cell cancers and their responses to therapies, according to a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. Measuring this molecular and cellular environment, or “microenvironment,” appears to represent a new type […]

The discovery of an “Achilles’ heel” in a type of gut bacteria that causes intestinal inflammation in patients with Crohn’s disease may lead to more targeted therapies for the difficult-to-treat disease, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian. In a study published in Cell Host and Microbe, the investigators showed […]

Much of the three-dimensional architecture of the genome in antibody-producing immune cells is dependent on a gene called SMC3. When this gene is not working properly it can lead to improper immune cell development and to cancer, by disrupting how DNA is structured inside the cell nucleus, according to a […]

Neutralizing antibodies develop within two weeks of a SARS-CoV-2 infection, but their durability and intensity can vary by individual, prompting concerns about the prospects of long-lasting immunity and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. In a PLOS ONE paper researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that individual immune […]

UC San Diego researchers will inject harmless virus carrying a restorative gene into participants’ brains, where earlier animal studies suggest it may slow, prevent or reverse progression of the neurological disorder. Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have launched a first-in-human Phase I clinical trial to […]

In a new study out of University of California San Diego School of Medicine, researchers have identified a universal strain of bacteria derived from healthy human skin that can treat the most common type of eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis. In the paper published in Nature Medicine, the research […]

Building upon previous research, an international team led by scientists at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, has validated a more inclusive and comprehensive genetic tool for predicting age of onset of aggressive prostate cancer, a disease that killed more than 33,000 American men in 2020. Reporting in […]

New research by a prestigious Université de Montréal researcher could pave the way for the treatment of early morbid familial obesity, a disease that affects four to six per cent of people suffering from early severe obesity. Co-authored by Michel Bouvier and Patricia René of UdeM’s Institute for Research in […]

Tracking the origin of synthetic genetic code has never been simple, but it can be done through bioinformatic or, increasingly, deep learning computational approaches. Though the latter gets the lion’s share of attention, new research by computer scientist Todd Treangen of Rice University’s Brown School of Engineering is focused on whether sequence alignment and pan-genome-based methods can outperform recent […]