Related Science News

February 27, 2020

Cognitive impairment after intensive care linked to long-lasting inflammation

People who have been treated in intensive care commonly suffer from residual cognitive impairment, but the reason for this is unknown. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet now link cognitive impairment with lasting inflammation and a potential treatment target. The results are presented in the scientific journal Intensive Care Medicine. Every year, […]
February 27, 2020

Global group to investigate links between rare genomic disorders and psychiatric conditions

Rare genetic disorders caused by small changes in a person’s genetic make-up affect fewer than 1 in 2,000 people globally – but they are a major cause of developmental and psychiatric conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and intellectual disability. Recent advances in technologies to […]
February 27, 2020

In Utero Stem Cell Transplants, Enzyme Replacement May Offer New Treatments for Deadly Metabolic Disorders

Administering stem cell or enzyme therapy in utero may be a path to alleviating some congenital diseases that often result in losing a pregnancy, according to a new study in mice by UC San Francisco researchers, who showed that stem cells can enter the fetal brain during prenatal development and make up for cells that fail to make an essential protein. Each year, about 24,000 women […]
February 26, 2020

How Resident Microbes Restructure Body Chemistry

The makeup of our microbiomes — the unique communities of bacteria, viruses and other microbes that live in and on us — have been linked, with varying degrees of evidence, to everything from inflammatory bowel disease to athletic performance. But exactly how could such tiny organisms have such immense influences […]
February 26, 2020

New Clue Behind Age-Related Diseases and Food Spoilage Discovered

Exotic molecule linked to ozone also at work in chronic diseases and cancers, and even the decomposition of food. Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have made a surprising discovery that could help explain our risk for developing chronic diseases or cancers as […]
February 26, 2020

DNA Misfolding in White Blood Cells Increases Risk for Type 1 Diabetes

It’s known that genetics, or an inherited genome, is a major determinant of one’s risk for autoimmune diseases, like Type 1 diabetes. In human cells, a person’s genome—about six feet of DNA—is compressed into the micrometer space of the nucleus via a three-dimensional folding process. Specialized proteins decode the genetic […]
February 25, 2020

Establishment of a cat genome analysis platform

Cats share around 250 types of genetic diseases with humans, and they are seen as a next-generation animal model for diseases. During his days as a veterinarian, Project Professor Watanabe saw many animals succumb to diseases, including genetic diseases which were incurable. He presses forward with his research on cat […]
February 25, 2020

Diabetes in mice cured rapidly using human stem cell strategy

Researchers have converted human stem cells into insulin-producing cells and demonstrated in mice infused with such cells that blood sugar levels can be controlled and diabetes functionally cured for nine months. The findings, from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, are published online in the journal […]
February 25, 2020

Alberta’s switch to biosimilar drugs may pose legal challenges for doctors

The Alberta government’s plan for many arthritis, diabetes, and Crohn’s disease patients to switch to less expensive medications by July 1 could create legal challenges for doctors, say two researchers at the University of Alberta. “If a physician has concerns about switching, there may be a legal obligation as a […]
February 25, 2020

New technology unveils a widespread role of RNA in chromatin regulation

Development of a novel technology to generate maps of interaction between RNA and genomic DNA reveals that different classes of transcripts play a significant role in chromatin organization and regulation of gene expression. The results are published in Nature Communications by an international collaboration lead by researchers at RIKEN in […]
February 24, 2020

Brain cells protect muscles from wasting away

While many of us worry about proteins aggregating in our brains as we age and potentially causing Alzheimer’s disease or other types of neurodegeneration, we may not realize that some of the same proteins are aggregating in our muscles, setting us up for muscle atrophy in old age. University of […]
February 24, 2020

A promising new strategy to help broken bones heal faster

To improve how broken bones heal in people with diabetes, the School of Dental Medicine’s Henry Daniell, Sheri Yang, and colleagues are leading work to develop an affordable oral therapy—grown in plants. People with diabetes are at a higher risk of fracturing a bone than the general population. And if […]
February 24, 2020

Defects in Magnetic Nanoparticles May Improve Cancer Treatment

X-ray studies reveal atomic-level distortions that enhance generation of heat for killing tumor cells or improving response to chemotherapy/radiation Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have uncovered key details of magnetic nanoparticles that may improve their use in an innovative treatment known as magnetic hyperthermia—literally […]
February 21, 2020

Let there be 'circadian' light

Researchers said the wavelengths at sunrise and sunset have the biggest impact to brain centers that regulate our circadian clock and our mood and alertness. Their study, “A color vision circuit for non-image-forming vision in the primate retina,” published in Current Biology Feb. 20, identifies a cell in the retina, which […]
February 20, 2020

Nicotinamide Mononucleotide Supplementation Restores Lost Fertility in Aged Female Mice

Studies of the various approaches to raising NAD+ levels in aged mitochondria are a good illustration of the importance of the loss of mitochondrial function in degenerative aging. Researchers have studied this effect in numerous tissues and organs, with most such work examining muscle or the brain, both energy-hungry tissues and thus more dependent […]
February 20, 2020

A new way to assess male fertility

Current tests for male fertility include measuring the concentration and motility of spermatozoa. However, other characteristics of sperm, such as their ability to follow a chemical trail to the egg, can influence the likelihood of fertilization. Now, researchers reporting in Analytical Chemistry have devised a quick and convenient microfluidic chip to assess […]
February 20, 2020

Right Place, Right Time: Controlling Blood Flow in the Brain

The brain is a ravenous organ. A three-pound adult human brain consumes about a fifth of the body’s energy, yet it cannot store energy on its own and requires constant nourishment from the cardiovascular system. The organ’s energy needs fluctuate greatly depending on neural activity, and sufficient blood must be […]
February 20, 2020

Why Zika virus caused most harmful brain damage to Brazilian newborns

Due to Zika virus, more than 1,600 babies were born in Brazil with microcephaly, or abnormally small heads, from September 2015 through April 2016. The epidemic took health professionals by surprise because the virus had been known since 1947 and was not linked to birth defects. As scientists scrambled to […]
February 20, 2020

Could statins lower the risk of ovarian cancer?

In the UK, ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer in females*. A new study has found evidence to suggest that statins could lower the risk of women developing ovarian cancer. The research led by the University of Bristol, and funded by Cancer Research UK, is published in JAMA. […]
February 19, 2020

Difference in Breast Milk Concentrations Impacts Growth Up to Age 5

Researchers hope confirmation of association will lead to novel therapeutics for infants and adults. Breastfeeding affects infant growth and, researchers have found, helps prevent obesity, both in childhood and later in life. However, the components of breast milk responsible for these beneficial effects remain mostly a mystery. Human milk is […]
February 19, 2020

Controlling CAR T Cells with Light Selectively Destroys Skin Tumors in Mice

Bioengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a control system that could make CAR T-cell therapy safer and more powerful when treating cancer. By programming CAR T cells to switch on when exposed to blue light, the researchers controlled the cells to destroy skin tumors in mice […]
February 19, 2020

An Approach that Prevents Earlier than Expected Cell Death in Alzheimer's Disease

Researchers in a new study provide evidence for significant levels of cell death to occur in the brain earlier than expected in the development of Alzheimer's disease, during the stage of mild cognitive impairment thought to be driven by the aggregation of amyloid-β. The researchers identify some portions of a mechanism by which […]
February 19, 2020

Is it Possible to Slow or Even Reverse the Process of Aging?

There are many ongoing discussions about the possibility to reduce the effects of biological aging, or even eliminating/reversing it completely. Here, the video presented below briefly summarizes the main concepts and research trends in the field of aging, and provides interesting commentaries from two world-wide recognized scientists, professor David Sinclair […]
February 19, 2020

Cats get Alzheimer’s, too!?

Over 46 million people in the world suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, a common type of dementia named after the doctor who first identified it. It has been 110 years since the disease was first reported, but a fundamental treatment has yet to be discovered. One reason why could be that […]
February 19, 2020

Researcher focuses on preventing vision loss in patients with rare genetic disorder

Usher syndrome, a genetic condition that results in hearing and vision loss in childhood, affects about four out of every 100,000 Canadians and accounts for over 50 percent of the Deafblind community. Now, with new funding from Fighting Blindness Canada (FCB), Vincent Tropepe, professor and chair of the department of cell and systems biology in […]
February 18, 2020

DNA “Scissors” Could Cut Out the Alzheimer’s Causing Gene in Mice

Scientists at Dongguk University successfully treated Alzheimer’s disease in mice using the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9. They used the tool to edit out the Alzheimer’s causing gene in the mice, thereby improving their memory and other cognitive functions. While this is only a first step and much research remains to be […]
February 18, 2020

Study identifies risk factors for endometrial cancer

An analysis of 149 scientific studies has identified 24 genetic variants that predispose women to endometrial cancer. The systematic review, led by Emma Crosbie, Professor of Gynaecological Oncology from The University of Manchester, part of the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), could help scientists develop targeted screening and prevention […]
February 18, 2020

Origin of life: A Darwinian machine for non-living objects

Life is usefully defined on the basis of process: any set of entities that participates in the process of evolution by natural selection is alive. But how does evolution by natural selection – and thus life – get started? The answer is far from obvious. Lack of insight haunts origins […]
February 18, 2020

Gene therapy can protect against ALS and SMA-related cell death

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the University of Milan in Italy have identified a gene in human neurons that protects against the degeneration of motor neurons in the deadly diseases ALS and SMA. Gene therapy in animal models of these diseases was shown to protect against cell death […]
February 18, 2020

Biomarker for Parkinson's Disease May Originate in the Gut

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder, impairing the motor functions of millions of elderly people worldwide. Often, people with PD will experience disturbances in gastrointestinal function, such as constipation, years before motor symptoms set in. Postmortem examinations of the brains of people with PD have shown that their […]