General

Using the power of computer science, physics and biology, scientists are attempting to mimic what took millions of years of evolution to refine: the creation of new proteins. The human body contains at least tens of thousands of different proteins, which act as workhorses driving many of the functions that […]

Chemotherapy drugs are lifesaving to cancer patients, but these toxic drugs are hazardous to the health care workers who come into contact with them. Despite the risks, many health care workers do not use recommended personal protective equipment such as gloves or gowns when handling chemotherapy. A study from the University […]

Analysis of genetic data from more than 94,000 individuals has revealed five new risk genes for Alzheimer’s disease, and confirmed 20 known others. An international team of researchers also reports for the first time that mutations in genes specific to tau, a hallmark protein of Alzheimer’s disease, may play an […]

The human body is made up of 30 to 40 million cells, a large and complex network of blood cells, neurons, and specialized cells that make up organs and tissues. Until now, figuring out which mechanisms control communication between them has proven a significant challenge for the field of cell […]

While virtually all cells in an animal’s body communicate with their neighbors in one way or another, many scientists thought that only neurons — the specialized cells that comprise much of the brain and nervous system — produce structures that allow signals to be delivered to specific locations over long […]

Princeton University researchers are gaining new insights into the causes and characteristics of diseases by harnessing machine learning to analyze molecular patterns across hundreds of diseases simultaneously. Demonstrating a new tool now available to researchers worldwide, the team of computer scientists and biologists has already uncovered and experimentally confirmed previously […]

U.S. rates of sexually transmitted infections (STI) are soaring to such an extent that public health officials are posting billboards that exhort sexual partners to use condoms. But who is championing male circumcision as a mechanism to protect women? Researchers, that’s who. A recent systematic review of 81 published studies and abstracts […]

In a paper published in the journal Nature, an international research team led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden report that bone growth in mice takes place in accordance with the same principles as when new cells are constantly produced in blood, skin and other tissue. This contradicts the previous […]

People fall in love for many reasons — similar interests, physical attraction, and shared values among them. But if they marry and stay together, their long-term happiness may depend on their individual genes or those of their spouse, says a new study led by Yale School of Public Health researchers. […]

White-blooded Antarctic icefishes live with anemia, oversized hearts and low bone mineral density, traits that in people would normally signal disease. These adaptations, however, help the fish survive in cold water and may offer a window on human aging, says a UO biologist. That potential human health payoff comes with […]

Mathilde came into the world with chubby cheeks and a full head of auburn hair. But she was a very sick baby, and was immediately transferred on January 19, 2013 to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Montreal Children’s Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre (MCH-MUHC). By the […]

A single misbehaving protein – called TDP-43 – is behind 97 percent of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases and 45 percent of frontotemporal dementia diagnoses. It also is found in 80 percent of chronic traumatic encephalopathy and 60 percent of Alzheimer’s disease cases. Now, University of Pittsburgh researchers have found a way […]

Rice University scientists say context rules dynamic mechanisms that turn cells into tissues. How cells in developing embryos communicate depends a great deal on context, according to scientists at Rice University. They found that a protein signaling pathway known as WNT and its interactions are far more dynamic than once thought as the response […]

A new biomaterial-based bone graft extender created by Vanderbilt and U.S. Army researchers has the potential to improve treatment of critical orthopedic conditions. While a graft using a patient’s own bone  – typically from the pelvis or femur – for re-implantation is considered the standard technique to repair, replace or […]

Drinking is not good for your body and health and you know it. Everyone knows it at this point. However, it can also affect other person’s body as well. A team of scientists led by the University of Bristol found that women who drink during pregnancy put their children in […]

OHSU, PNNL collaboration pinpoints protein in blood linked to compromised kidney function One of the most common and deadly complications from a heart attack is kidney failure. New research indicates that a specific protein in the bloodstream created after cardiac arrest may be the culprit. Led by Oregon Health & […]

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States suffers a stroke and available therapies, such as clot busting drugs or clot removal devices, are focused on limiting the extent of brain damage. Now, research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System shows that a brain protein called […]

A new study helps determine the role of pesticides and pollutants during the course of the progressive neurodegenerative disease that has no cure. While exact causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remain unknown, new research shows pesticides and other environmental pollutants advance the progression of the neurodegenerative disease. The latest study […]

Biologic age, a DNA-based estimate of a person’s age, is associated with future development of breast cancer, according to scientists at the National Institutes of Health. Biologic age was determined by measuring DNA methylation, a chemical modification to DNA that is part of the normal aging process. The study showed […]

There is nothing we value more than our mind. We want to be smart and we want to surround ourselves with smart people. We would do anything to make our minds healthy, but there are certain things that do not help our cognitive function and memory. Scientists from UCL found […]

Mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell. And for mitochondria, much like for double-header engines stacked together in a steam train, working in multiples has its benefits. New research from Washington University in St. Louis shows that when cells divide rapidly, their mitochondria are fused together. In this configuration, the […]

A single dose of a PD-1 inhibitor before surgery for melanoma can put patients in remission. Researchers from the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, who documented this finding in the largest cohort of patients to be treated with anti-PD-1 drugs before surgery, also showed that immune responses brought […]

Researchers at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) have shown that immunotherapy treatments against cancer could reduce the amount of virus that persists in people on triple therapy. In a study published in the journal Nature Communications, they show, in the cells of people living with HIV, how these therapies reveal […]

Scientists in the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Biochemistry are watching evolution happen in real time. In a recent study published online in the Journal of Bacteriology, biochemistry professor Michael Cox and his team describe blasting E. coli bacteria with ionizing radiation once a week, causing the bacteria to become radiation resistant. In doing so, they […]

Both in Denmark and internationally, there is political agreement on the need to minimize the exposure of people and the environment to endocrine disruptors. In order to legislate in a way that protects both humans and the environment, it is crucial for lawmakers to know what dose is safe. Risk […]

Buried deep within the dazzlingly intricate machinery of the human cell could lie a key to treating a range of deadly cancers, according to a team of scientists at Florida State University. In a new study, researchers discovered a critical missing step in the production of proteasomes — tiny structures […]

There are certain diseases that are so difficult to treat that you definitely would want to have an immunity from them. Like cancer or type 2 diabetes. However, most of us are not protected from these conditions. Except people with a certain type of dwarfism. Now scientists from University of […]

Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is the third cause of visual impairment worldwide and the leading cause of blindness in higher income countries with aging populations. It is estimated that by 2020 196 million people will suffer AMD. Several years ago, treatment of AMD had a breakthrough with the application […]

Transplanting pancreatic islet cells into patients with diabetes is a promising alternative to the daily insulin injections that many of these patients now require. These cells could act as a bioartificial pancreas, monitoring blood glucose levels and secreting insulin when needed. For this kind of transplantation to be successful, scientists need […]

New findings by researchers at Cardiff University suggest that intensive therapy during the early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS) leads to better long-term outcomes for patients, despite it often being viewed as a riskier option than other first line treatments. Dr Emma Tallantyre, from Cardiff University’s Division of Psychological Medicine […]