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Spontaneous mutations in paternal sperm are linked to autism spectrum disorder; researchers have developed way to quantify those mutations and assess chances the mutations will cause disease. The causes of autism spectrum disorder or ASD are not fully understood; researchers believe both genetics and environment play a role. In some […]

New study shows exactly how the manner in which mitochondria divide has remained the same since evolution began. A group of scientists at Tokyo University of Science showed for the first time that in red algae, an enzyme that is usually involved in cell division also plays a role in […]

How mammals perceive light changes between night and day. Researchers at Aalto University and the University of Helsinki discovered that mice were better at finding a dim light in pitch-darkness in experiments done at night time compared to ones done during the day time. The scientists were surprised to find […]

Researchers at SciLifeLab report in the journal Science that they have created a detailed blood atlas of the proteins in human immune cells. The open-access database offers medical researchers an unprecedented resource in the search for treatments for diseases. The Blood Atlas resource is the latest database to be released […]

At least one in five cases of infertility remains unexplained. Malefactors contribute to about half of these cases and, much of the time, men lack a specific causal diagnosis for their infertility. Researchers estimate that genetics could explain up to 50 percent of these cases, but many of the genes […]

A discovery by Harvard Medical School investigators at Massachusetts Eye and Ear provides new clues that may help improve the prevention and treatment of Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD), a genetic eye disease that causes vision loss. Researchers have, for the first time, showing a mechanism that advances understanding of […]

Experimental, off-the-shelf immunotherapy that combines a targeted antibody and chemotherapy can lead to potentially durable responses in multiple myeloma patients whose disease has relapsed or is resistant to other standard therapies. A multi-center, international trial evaluated the drug, belantamab mafodotin, and found almost a third of patients whose disease had […]

Medical experts from the University of Tokyo have identified simple test doctors can use to diagnose a rare condition that causes extreme back pain. Patients can receive a common imaging test, an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), twice: once while lying flat on their backs (supine) and once while lying face-down […]

Eating watermelon in the form of powdered supplements helped adult obese mice avoid some detrimental health effects of an unhealthy diet, according to a new Oregon State University study. The study is published in the Journal of Nutrition. A significant next step in this research would be a human clinical trial, said […]

Our bodies function in a cycle called circadian rhythm. It is our internal biological clock, which determines when our body is taking its time to heal, when it is growing and when it is using its other functions. However, up until now we didn’t know that the circadian rhythm affects […]

Type 2 diabetes is typically caused by lifestyle factors. In very simplistic terms, it could be said that these people eat their way into this disease. Majority of patients of Type 2 diabetes are severely overweight, many of them being obese. And now scientists from Glasgow University have proofs that […]

The healthcare system has often assessed chronic leg pain in elite and hobby athletes as caused by breaks in bone structure. Research at Linköping University, however, demonstrates that the features seen in radiography are an ongoing healing process, requiring rest. Both elite and hobby athletes often experience stress fractures. There […]

Among the first and most-documented symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a child’s aversion to interaction with others. Specifically, they appear uninterested in social activities and stimuli that would normally attract a young child’s attention, such as watching other children play, sing or dance. In a new study, published […]

Not getting enough water is enough to make you feel sluggish and give you a headache, but a new Penn State study suggests it may also relate to cognitive performance. The researchers investigated whether hydration levels and water intake among older adults was related with their scores on several tests […]

Simian immunodeficiency virus, better known as SIV, is an HIV precursor. In other words, this  monkey- and ape-infecting virus is what HIV originated from. SIV attacks various monkeys, especially chimpanzees, but, interestingly, even infected animals are otherwise healthy. Why? Scientists from UCL say that some subspecies may have evolved a […]

Mothers’ and babies’ brains can work together as a ‘mega-network’ by synchronising brain waves when they interact. The level of connectivity of the brain waves varies according to the mum’s emotional state: when mothers express more positive emotions their brain becomes much more strongly connected with their baby’s brain. This may help […]

At least 90% of head and neck cancer patients develop symptoms that affect their ability or desire to eat, because of either the tumor itself or the surgery or radiation used to treat it. These problems, called nutrition impact symptoms, have wide-ranging negative effects on patients’ physical and mental health […]

IgG4-related disease is an autoimmune disorder affecting millions and has no established cure. Previous research indicates that T cells, a major component of the immune system, and the immunoglobulin IgG4 itself are key causative factors, but the mechanism of action of these components is unclear. Now, Scientists from Tokyo University […]

Investigating a rare genetic immune condition has allowed researchers to uncover a new drug target for a range of autoimmune diseases, which affect one in eight individuals and currently have few therapeutic options. An international team, led by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, discovered that the protein PI3K is […]

A ‘life-changing’ potential new drug could be available to lupus patients in the future thanks to ‘breakthrough’ research. The results of the TULIP II study have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), one of the most prestigious, peer-reviewed medical journals in the world. TULIP stands for ‘Treatment […]

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, together with colleagues from the EU-funded project HUMAN, recently published a study on a new animal model for studies of human lipoprotein metabolism and pharmacodynamics. The study is a result of the EU project HUMAN using a new animal model and new technologies to study aging […]

Glutamine could help people with obesity reduce inflammation of fat tissue and reduce fat mass, according to a new study at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the University of Oxford in the U.K. The researchers also show how glutamine levels can alter gene expression in several different cell types. However, […]

The connective tissue cells known as fibroblasts are vitally important for our recovery from injury. Sensing tissue damage, they gravitate to the site of a wound, instigating an inflammatory response that mends damaged tissue. A new Tel Aviv University study published in Nature Communications finds that fibroblasts also play a devastating role in the […]

Unlike almost every other organ, the mammary gland does not develop until after birth. And it’s unusually dynamic, shape-shifting during menstrual cycles, puberty, pregnancy, and lactation. These changes require energy. In a study using a new, genetically altered mouse model, researchers led by Rumela Chakrabarti of Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine have uncovered a key protein […]

Each year, roughly 15,000 Americans are diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), the most common malignant primary brain tumor in adults… and also the most lethal. Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy can help slow the tumor’s growth, but the disease remains incurable. Recurrence occurs in almost every case. But the tide to […]

Amid concerns about gluten sensitivity, increasing numbers of people are avoiding wheat. Most have not been diagnosed with a wheat-related medical condition, yet they seem to feel better when they don’t eat gluten-containing foods. A possible explanation is that modern varieties of wheat are responsible. But now, researchers reporting in […]

Saccharin received a bad rap after studies in the 1970s linked consumption of large amounts of the artificial sweetener to bladder cancer in laboratory rats. Later, research revealed that these findings were not relevant to people. And in a complete turnabout, recent studies indicate that saccharin can actually kill human […]

For many years, some parents have noticed that their autistic children’s behavioral symptoms diminished when they had a fever. This phenomenon has been documented in at least two large-scale studies over the past 15 years, but it was unclear why fever would have such an effect. A new study from […]

The first strain of influenza virus we encounter during childhood sets the course of how our immune system responds to exposures later in life. How successfully a person can fend off the flu depends not only on the virus' notorious ability to change with the season, but also on the […]

Researchers say a new method to analyse data from individual human cells could be a step-change for diagnosing some of the most devastating diseases, including cancer and autoimmune disease. By combining single cell analysis techniques with machine learning algorithms, a team led by researchers at the Garvan Institute of Medical […]