General

Cancer cells have been described as immortal because, unlike normal cells, they don’t age and die, but instead can continue to multiply without end. In most cases, cancer cells become immortal by invoking a genetic mutation that can trigger the production of an enzyme, known as telomerase, which prevents telomeres from […]

Using high-resolution imaging and 3D computer modelling, a University of Oregon research team has found that the branching arms of neurons weave through space in a way that balances their need to connect to other neurons with the costs of doing so. The discovery about how these dendrites behave came […]

Screening for predictive factors of drug resistance and tailored therapies can improve outcomes in patients with refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. White blood cells or lymphocytes are the soldiers of our immune system that patrol the body via the lymphatic system. While their primary role is to protect the body […]

People who already had COVID-19 develop an immune response, which protects them from repeated infections. This raises a question during the current ongoing vaccination programme – do these people need to be vaccinated? Scientists from UCL 51 UK healthcare workers, around half of whom had a previous laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, […]

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet show how a certain type of immune cells, macrophages, can be recruited into breast cancer tumors, where they are reprogrammed to support and drive tumor growth. In a study published in the scientific journal PNAS, they describe that low levels of the tumor suppressor protein TAp73 […]

Long thought a vestigial part of human cells, new genetic analysis of the primary cilium shows that it may be tied to common conditions like diabetes and kidney failure. Until recently, scientists believed that the primary cilium – an antenna-like structure found on the surface of most human cells – […]

University of Alberta researchers have found a new, more effective way to measure future heart disease and diabetes risk in youth. By testing the blood for remnant cholesterol (RC), made by the body during the day as food is consumed, researchers were able to show that this non-fasting type of […]

A diet high in poor-quality carbohydrates – known as a high glycemic diet – leads to a higher risk of heart attacks, strokes and death, a large study of people living on five continents has found. White bread, rice, and some potatoes have a high glycemic index, while most fruits, […]

In a new commentary for the journal Science, an associate vice president for research at The University of Texas at Arlington argues that emerging protein-based immunotherapies could lead to highly effective “off-the-shelf” cancer treatments for more patients. Jon Weidanz, who also is a professor in the College of Nursing and Health […]

Regular meat consumption is associated with a range of diseases that researchers had not previously considered, according to a large, population-level study conducted by a team at the University of Oxford. The results associate regular meat intake with a higher risk of various diseases, including heart disease, pneumonia and diabetes, […]

The liver has a rare superpower among body organs – the ability to regenerate, even if 70% of its mass is removed. It also keeps up its metabolic and toxin-removing work during the process of regeneration, thanks to a subset of cells that expand their workload while the rest focus […]

An experimental treatment can essentially reverse type 1 diabetes in certain types of laboratory mice, according to a series of studies led by University of Utah Health scientists. An injection of the therapeutic agent converts cells that normally control glucose production into ones that generate insulin. The researchers say giving […]

Grafting neurons grown from monkeys’ own cells into their brains relieved the debilitating movement and depression symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison reported today. In a study published in the journal Nature Medicine, the UW team describes its success with neurons made from induced pluripotent stem […]

Postmenopausal women who ate high levels of plant protein had lower risks of premature death, cardiovascular disease death, and dementia-related death compared with women who ate less plant protein, according to new research from the University of Iowa College of Public Health investigators. Previous research has shown an association between […]

Oregon State University research has revealed a crucial mechanism behind one of humankind’s most deadly physiological processes: the movement of malignant cells from one part of the body to another. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study led by OSU biophysicist Bo Sun shows the […]

A new Northwestern Medicine study showed cognitive SuperAgers have resistance to the development of fibrous tangles in a brain region related to memory and which are known to be markers of Alzheimer’s disease. The tangles are made of the tau protein which forms structures that transport nutrients within the nerve […]

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, […]