Related Science News

A fundamental research study on microRNAs, tiny molecules that help control gene activity inside plants and animals, has made an unexpected connection to a molecule associated with multiple genetic diseases. Researchers at the Institute for Quantitative Biosciences discovered that a protein, VCP, known for its involvement in neurodegenerative diseases also […]

Moving to a new residence during the first three months of pregnancy is linked to a heightened risk of premature birth and low birthweight, as well as a slightly higher risk of a smaller-than-expected-size baby, according to new research from the University of Washington published online in the Journal of […]

We expect quality from our healthcare systems and institutions. We need to be sure that we are getting services of the highest order and we want consistency. However, we are certainly not getting it. Scientists from the University of Adelaide and Flinders University found that cardiac device complications vary widely […]

It is difficult to comprehend how many people are dealing with chronic pain every day. Studies have shown that 30 % of people involved in motor vehicle accidents will go on to develop a chronic pain. And then there are people with all kinds of conditions, injuries and illnesses causing […]

A large-scale, collaborative, systems biology approach is needed to expedite the discovery of treatments for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) – a leading cause of blindness among people 65 and older for which is there is no treatment— according to a report by a working group of scientists appointed by […]

A University of Saskatchewan medical research team will receive $987,000 from Western Economic Diversification (WD) towards a $4.55-million project aimed at producing and testing new imaging agents for diagnosing lung and colorectal cancers in humans. The federal investment will enable clinical development of first-of-their-kind imaging agents for molecular, non-invasive diagnosis […]

An antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) is comprised of an antibody connected to a cytotoxic agent with a linker. ADCs are designed to selectively target tumors via binding to specific markers found on the cell surface. Although many ADCs are in clinical development, only a few are FDA approved. To improve the […]

Weight loss can be difficult, but could intermittent fasting help? This eating pattern, which features cycles of fasting and eating, is making headlines as research confirms it’s not only what you eat, but when you eat, that matters in the struggle to lose weight. During intermittent fasting, individuals use specific periods of eating — […]

New research has found that a rare blood cancer can be simulated in the lab only by simultaneously infecting white blood cells with two viruses typically found in the tumors. The successful creation of stable, cancer-like cells in the lab opens up opportunities for understanding the progression of this and […]

Dexamethasone, a synthetic glucocorticoid, may be more effective in protecting the auditory system when delivered during the active phase. A novel study shows how the time of the day impacts on the treatment outcome. The study is published in Current Biology and has been conducted by researchers at Karolinska Institutet. […]

Scientist have identified a link between exposure to high levels of oestrogen sex hormones in the womb and the likelihood of developing autism. The findings are published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. The discovery adds further evidence to support the prenatal sex steroid theory of autism first proposed 20 years […]

Although psychiatric disorders can be linked to particular genes, the brain regions and mechanisms underlying particular disorders are not well-understood. Mutations or deletions of the SHANK3 gene are strongly associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and a related rare disorder called Phelan-McDermid syndrome. Mice with SHANK3 mutations also display some […]

In recent decades, scientists have successfully mapped the human genome, but it’s viewed in a way similar to viewing a screen without a sharp resolution picture. Now a new digital tool designed at the University of Missouri will allow scientists to study the detailed interactions between chromosomes within the human genome through […]

As we age, our eyes lose their ability to focus up close. It’s a condition called presbyopia, and it’s both extremely common and relatively easy to fix, with solutions like reading glasses, bifocals, or progressive lenses. Another common correction, called monovision, solves the problem with different lenses in each eye, […]

A team of Vanderbilt investigators has discovered how a DNA repair pathway protein shields sites of damage to avoid mutations and maintain genome integrity. “DNA repair is critical to prevent cancer. The loss of or inefficiencies in DNA repair cause mutations and changes in our chromosomes that lead to cancer […]

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals (UH) Cleveland Medical Center have enrolled their first participant in a new clinical research study evaluating the potential benefits of an investigational medicine for people with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. The Phase 1 research study, called “Efavirenz in Patients with […]

In a study using yeast cells and data from cancer cell lines, Johns Hopkins University scientists report finding a potential weak spot in cancer cells that have extra sets of chromosomes, the structures that carry genetic material. The vulnerability is rooted in a common feature among cancer cells — the high protein […]

A researcher at The University of Texas at Arlington’s College of Nursing and Health Innovation will use a $634,000 National Institutes of Health grant to study the role of T cells in cardiovascular disease among older people. The five-year NIH grant awarded to Daniel Wayne Trott, an assistant professor in the Department […]

Argonne National Laboratory’s storied Advanced Photon Source, home to thousands of experiments through the years, is currently aiding in a study of shark spines — one that could shed light on human bones. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory has facilitated tens of […]

Cuts, scrapes, blisters, burns, splinters, and punctures – there are a number of ways our skin can be broken. Most treatments for skin wounds involve simply placing a barrier over them (usually an adhesive gauze bandage) to keep it moist, limit pain, and reduce exposure to infectious microbes, but do […]

Cellular soldiers created using the body’s own defenses can track down and kill escaping cancer cells during surgeries, preventing metastasis and saving lives, a Vanderbilt University biomedical engineer has discovered, particularly in cases of triple negative breast cancer. Michael King, J. Lawrence Wilson Professor of Engineering and chair of the […]

After a cancer patient receiving an immunotherapy developed encephalitis and died 18 months into treatment, researchers at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) investigated why the complication occurred, performing a molecular analysis of the disease’s pathology and mining data to determine the incidence of similar occurrences. The molecular analysis revealed the presence […]

But often what ails us is inside the body and is not so easy to reach. In such cases, a treatment like surgery or chemotherapy might be called for. A pair of researchers in Caltech's Division of Engineering and Applied Science are working on an entirely new form of treatment—microrobots […]

For many older adults, resistance training may not be part of their daily routine, but a new position statement suggests it is vital to improving their health and longevity. “When you poll people on if they want to live to 100 years old, few will respond with a ‘yes’,” says Maren Fragala, […]

Many women have breast implants with no serious complications, but textured implants manufactured by Allergan are now considered too risky for patients. Allergen announced a global recall of the macro-textured implants that have been linked to a rare type of cancer, breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). The Food and […]

The tiny hydra, a freshwater invertebrate related to jellyfish and corals, has an amazing ability to renew its cells and regenerate damaged tissue. Cut a hydra in half, and it will regenerate its body and nervous system in a couple of days. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have […]

Using the zebra finch, a songbird, the researchers looked at the effects of short-term social isolation on measures related to long-term brain function and health. The results show that the experience of being alone has immediate consequences on brain gene activity. The researchers found that some of the changes are […]

It’s important to know one’s new cells are getting nourishment. Rice University scientists are working on a way to tell for sure. The Rice lab of bioengineer Jane Grande-Allen has invented soft microparticle sensors to monitor oxygen levels in hydrogels that serve as scaffolds for growing tissues. Hydrogels being developed at Rice’s Brown […]

As embryos develop, they follow predetermined patterns of tissue folding, so that individuals of the same species end up with nearly identically shaped organs and very similar body shapes. MIT scientists have now discovered a key feature of embryonic tissue that helps explain how this process is carried out so […]

Just by slowing their metabolism, mutant fruit flies can go from zero to hero. In a new Northwestern University study, researchers slowed mutant fruit flies’ metabolic rates by 50%, and the expected detrimental effects of many mutations never manifested. After experimentally testing fruit flies’ many different genetic mutations, the researchers […]