Related Science News

August 26, 2019

Memory T cells shelter in bone marrow, boosting immunity in mice with restricted diets

Even when taking in fewer calories and nutrients, humans and other mammals usually remain protected against infectious diseases they have already encountered.  This may be because memory T cells, which are located throughout the body and required to maintain immune responses to infectious agents, according to scientists at the National […]
August 26, 2019

Genome screen uncovers new targets for cancer immunotherapy

Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of cancer in the last decade, yet many tumors do not respond to these new therapies. A new genome-wide screen of 20,000 human genes in T cells have turned up several new candidates to unleash the immune system’s ability to attack a variety of tumor […]
August 26, 2019

Link between brain immune cells and Alzheimer’s disease development identified

Scientists from the University of California, Irvine School of Biological Sciences have discovered how to forestall Alzheimer’s disease in a laboratory setting, a finding that could one day help in devising targeted drugs that prevent it. The researchers found that by removing brain immune cells known as microglia from rodent […]
August 26, 2019

Electronic records pin broad set of health risks on genetic premutation

It was long believed the FMR1 premutation — an excessive number of trinucleotide repeats in the FMR1 gene — had no direct effect on the people who carry it. Until recently, the only recognized effect on the carriers of the flawed gene was the risk of having offspring with fragile […]
August 23, 2019

Scientists probe how distinct liquid organelles in cells are created

The interior of a human cell consists, in part, of a complex soup of millions of molecules. One way these biological compounds stay organized is through membrane-less organelles (MLOs) — wall-less liquid droplets made from proteins and RNA that clump together and stay separate from the rest of the cellular stew. […]
August 23, 2019

Head to Head: Finding New Treatment Targets for Breast Cancer

Every year, more than 250,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with breast cancer. When detected early, patients with the most common form—which tests positive for hormone receptors (HR+) and negative for the HER2 receptor—usually respond well to treatment. But for those in advanced stages, few treatment options existed until […]
August 23, 2019

Can Pomegranate Juice Protect the Infant Brain?

When it comes to protecting the newborn brain, taking steps to mitigate risk before birth may be critical. Some newborns, such as those with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), are at heightened risk. Being able to intervene before birth to aid in protecting the newborn brain may prevent the often-devastating effects […]
August 23, 2019

Scientists uncover how cells kill themselves for the benefit of the organism

You are just billions of different cells interacting between themselves in order to maintain this big beautiful organism that is you. Sometimes this includes cells committing suicide – they have to vacate their place for the benefit of others. The self-destruction of cells in humans and plants, however, is not […]
August 23, 2019

Cyborg heart could help scientists better understand the human organ

In The Wizard of Oz, the Tin Man famously sang, “If I only had a heart . . . “ Although the Tin Man had to be satisfied with a heart-shaped clock, researchers reporting in ACS’ Nano Letters have now created a miniature cyborg heart that produces electrical signals like the human version. […]
August 22, 2019

UC San Diego Researchers Convert Pro-Tumor Macrophages into Cancer Killers

Epithelial cancers, such as cancers of the lung and pancreas, use the ανβ3 molecule to gain drug resistance to standard cancer therapies and to become highly metastatic. In a paper published in Cancer Research, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers identified a new therapeutic approach in mouse models […]
August 22, 2019

To divide or not to divide?

Cells in the body proliferate at different rates. Some divide constantly and throughout life, like the ones that line the gut. Others divide only rarely, sometimes resting for several years in a non-dividing state. Now, a study led by scientists at MIT's Whitehead Institute sheds light on the molecular mechanisms […]
August 22, 2019

Study links certain metabolites to stem cell function in the intestine

MIT biologists have discovered an unexpected effect of a ketogenic, or fat-rich, diet: They showed that high levels of ketone bodies, molecules produced by the breakdown of fat, help the intestine to maintain a large pool of adult stem cells, which are crucial for keeping the intestinal lining healthy. The […]
August 22, 2019

New biomarker may uncover uncontrolled asthma

Cytokines are a type of proteins that are important to the signaling between cells in the body's immune system, for example in the case of an infection or injury. A new study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Lund University, is now […]
August 22, 2019

Statins can prevent liver cancer

Fat-soluble statins can prevent liver cancer and reduce mortality in patients with chronic viral hepatitis. These are findings from a study conducted by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, among others. The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Chronic viral hepatitis (hepatitis B and C) are severe conditions […]
August 22, 2019

Protein’s role in inflammation-related cancer studied

It’s well established that chronic inflammation can lead to colon cancer, but the molecular mechanisms behind this association aren’t fully understood. Research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center into the role that the signaling protein SMAD4 plays in this process has received funding from the National Cancer Institute. The co-principal investigators […]
August 22, 2019

Low levels of vitamin D in elementary school could spell trouble in adolescence

Vitamin D deficiency in middle childhood could result in aggressive behavior as well as anxious and depressive moods during adolescence, according to a new University of Michigan study of school children in Bogotá, Colombia. Children with blood vitamin D levels suggestive of deficiency were almost twice as likely to develop […]
August 22, 2019

Innovative Investment Strategy Aids Search for New Cancer Drugs

Developing new medicines is notoriously challenging and expensive — especially in cancer. And for academic researchers, there’s limited funding available to advance new ideas to the point where they’re ready to compete for the large-scale federal or foundation funding needed to fully develop them. That’s why the University of Michigan […]
August 22, 2019

Changes associated with autism risk may be detected as early as the second trimester

Researchers at University of Utah Health have identified a link between autism and steroid hormone changes detected in the mother’s blood. These changes, which suggest increased estrogen activity, can be seen early in the second trimester. The pilot study, published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, opens a new direction in […]
August 22, 2019

Blocking Inflammatory Pathway Key to Preventing Brain Metastasis from Melanoma

Brain metastases are among the deadliest tumor metastases, with a median survival period of less than one year, and the incidence of brain metastasis is rising. A new Tel Aviv University study finds that melanoma brain metastasis occurs when tumor cells “hijack” an inflammatory pathway in the brain. Blocking this pathway could […]
August 22, 2019

Lung cell transplant boosts healing after the flu

Some cases of the flu are so severe they cause lasting injury to the lungs. New research from the University of Pennsylvania now points to a strategy that may one day offer protection against this damage. The scientists found that transplanting a certain type of lung cell from healthy mice to […]
August 22, 2019

Nursing researchers receive grants to develop smoking, sleep interventions

Researchers in the University at Buffalo School of Nursing have received two grants totaling more than $260,000 to develop interventions that help young adults quit smoking and improve sleep among people with multiple sclerosis. The projects, led by Eunhee Park, PhD, assistant professor, and Rebecca Lorenz, PhD, associate professor, are […]
August 22, 2019

New Clues on Stem Cell Transplant Rejection Revealed in Study

In 2006, scientists discovered a way to “reprogram” mature cells – adult skin cells, for example – into stem cells that could, in principle, give rise to any tissue or organ in the body. Many assumed it was only a matter of time until this groundbreaking technique found its way […]
August 22, 2019

Deep learning enables scientists to identify cancer cells in blood in milliseconds

Technique could allow cells to be extracted in real time, help prevent cancer from spreading. Researchers at UCLA and NantWorks have developed an artificial intelligence-powered device that detects cancer cells in a few milliseconds — hundreds of times faster than previous methods. With that speed, the invention could make it […]
August 21, 2019

UW Medicine, VA partner on 3D-print models for heart care

The University of Washington School of Medicine and VA Puget Sound Health Care System today announced a two-year partnership to develop new uses of 3D printing to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of complex heart conditions. The collaboration is expected to help cardiologists better visualize the complex anatomy unique […]
August 21, 2019

Brains age better among retirees with complex jobs

Retiring from your full-time job might not be the best thing for your brain as you age, according to a new study out of Florida State University. A team of researchers led by FSU Associate Professor of Sociology Dawn Carr found that people in so-called low-cognitive-complexity jobs, such as truck […]
August 21, 2019

Researchers show evidence of cellular clocks in cells

One of nature’s most familiar phenomena is collective behavior—fish swimming in schools, locusts marching together, birds flocking. The same thing happens in humans, with individual cells synchronizing into circadian rhythms, part of a biological clock that tells our bodies when to eat, sleep or reproduce. How this happens is something of […]
August 21, 2019

Moderate to Heavy Drinking During Pregnancy Alters Genes in Newborns, Mothers

Mothers who drink moderate to high levels of alcohol during pregnancy may be changing their babies’ DNA, according to a Rutgers-led study. “Our findings may make it easier to test children for prenatal alcohol exposure – and enable early diagnosis and intervention that can help improve the children’s lives,” said […]
August 21, 2019

Scientists reveal how a faulty gene leads to kidney disease

New insights into why a faulty gene involved in a devastating form of a kidney condition called nephrotic syndrome leads to disease in some patients have been identified in new Kidney Research UK-funded research led by the University of Bristol. The findings, published in the Journal of the American Society […]