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The first few weeks after sperm meets egg still hold many mysteries. Among them: what causes the process to fail, leading to many cases of infertility. Despite the importance of this critical stage, scientists haven't had a good way to explore what can go wrong, or even what must go […]

Like much of the rest of the body, the brain loses flexibility with age, impacting the ability to learn, remember and adapt. Now, scientists at University of Utah Health report they can rejuvenate the plasticity of the mouse brain, specifically in the visual cortex, increasing its ability to change in […]

In the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, many of the genes required to form new memories are shut down by a genetic blockade, contributing to the cognitive decline seen in those patients. MIT researchers have now shown that they can reverse that memory loss in mice by interfering with the enzyme […]

Scientists report in a new study that by imitating a natural process of cells, they prevented the formation of protein clumps associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia. In lab cultures of human and yeast cells, the scientists stopped the harmful clumping of FUS proteins by exposing them […]

In a study that augurs well for the therapeutic potential of klotho – a life-extending protein hormone that a minority of people naturally produce at high levels – scientists at UC San Francisco have found that administering a fragment of the klotho protein to young, aging or impaired mice rapidly […]

A large, long-term study suggests that middle aged Americans who have vascular health risk factors, including diabetes, high blood pressure and smoking, have a greater chance of suffering from dementia later in life. The study, published in JAMA Neurology, was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). “With an […]

Growing older may not have to mean growing frail. A preclinical study has revealed that brief periods of intense physical activity can be safely administered at advanced age, and that this kind of activity has the potential to reverse frailty. Published in the Journal of Gerontology A in June by […]

Attaining independence from one’s parents is an enduring theme in the lives of many organisms. Birds must fly the nest, just as mammals must wean off their mother’s milk. Now a study from Princeton researchers sheds light on a similar sort of separation drama that unfolds almost from the moment […]

Diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease and determining a patient’s prognosis is an inexact business, and that stands in the way of better personalized care and advances in treatment. A new study from The Ohio State University has identified a potential new way of confirming the disease and predicting a patient’s outlook. First, […]

Cells within an injured mouse eye can be coaxed into regenerating neurons and those new neurons appear to integrate themselves into the eye’s circuitry, new research shows. The findings potentially open the door to new treatments for eye trauma and retinal disease. The study appears in the July 26 issue […]

A new study suggests that T cells, which help the body’s immune system recognize friend from foe, may play an important role in Parkinson’s disease (PD). The study, published in the journal Nature, was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes […]

When women reach “a certain age” they expect some typical symptoms that signal their journey through menopause. New research from the University of Michigan shows symptoms often cluster, and how they do so can suggest who is at risk for health problems and which women likely will experience healthy aging. […]

A stem cell-based method created by University of California, Irvine scientists can selectively target and kill cancerous tissue while preventing some of the toxic side effects of chemotherapy by treating the disease in a more localized way. Weian Zhao, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences, and colleagues have programmed human bone […]

Scientists have successfully regenerated cells in the retina of adult mice at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. Their results raise the hope that someday it may be possible to repair retinas damaged by trauma, glaucoma and other eye diseases. Their efforts are part of the UW […]

The study, published in Neuropsychopharmacology, also shows that bipolar patients treated with lithium – the main medication for the illness – have longer telomeres (a sign of slower biological ageing) compared to bipolar disorder patients not treated with lithium. This suggests that the drug may mask the ageing effects associated with bipolar […]

We've heard it before from our doctors and other health experts: Keep your weight down, don't smoke and cut back on the alcohol if you want to live longer. Now, research from the University of Michigan School of Public Health shows that people of fairly normal weight who never smoked […]

UAlberta researchers believe they now have a clearer picture of why people living with HIV so commonly suffer from dementia and other neurocognitive disorders. Researchers compared the brain tissue of 10 HIV patients with no neurological symptoms to the brain tissue of 20 patients suffering from HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), […]

Spinach and kale are favorites of those looking to stay physically fit, but they also could keep consumers cognitively fit, according to a new study from University of Illinois researchers. The study, which included 60 adults aged 25 to 45, found that middle-aged participants with higher levels of lutein – […]

Science reveals that meditation and yoga change molecular reactions in DNA that cause stress. According to a study by Coventry University and Radboud University Yoga, meditation, Tai Chi, relaxation response, breath regulation, mindfulness and other mind-body interventions (MBIs) produce various psychological benefits on health moreover these different techniques steer molecular […]

People who do not smoke, are not obese, and consume alcohol moderately can expect to live seven years longer than the general population, and to spend most of these extra years in good health, according to a new study published in Health Affairs. A new study published in Health Affairs shows that people who […]

Many diseases, including cirrhosis and hepatitis, can lead to liver failure. More than 17,000 Americans suffering from these diseases are now waiting for liver transplants, but significantly fewer livers are available. To help address that shortage, researchers at MIT, Rockefeller University, and Boston University have developed a new way to […]

Variants of a gene thought to be linked to longevity appear to influence aging into the 90s, but do not appear to affect exceptional longevity, or aging over 100, a new study has found. The research challenges previous findings that indicated some variants of the gene, FOXO3, played a role […]

Arteriogenesis is a critical event – not only during development but also in adult life. Cardiovascular life-threatening events, triggered by disease, could be overcome by alternatives to existing therapies, for example by inducing the formation of new arteries. However, the mechanisms of artery formation are not well understood. A team […]

Since highly versatile human stem cells were discovered at the University of Wisconsin–Madison nearly 20 years ago, their path to the market and clinic has been slowed by a range of complications. Both embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells are valued for their ability to form any cell […]

A University of Wisconsin–Madison spinoff that makes an innovative material designed to speed healing of serious burns has begun a large clinical trial for the “regenerative skin tissue” it has been developing since 2000. Stratatech, now a Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals company, aims to prove to the Food and Drug Administration that the material, […]

Hormone replacement therapies, or medications containing female hormones that substitute those no longer produced by the body, often are prescribed to reduce the effects of menopausal symptoms in women. Research has indicated that women who take hormone replacement therapies have a higher incidence of breast cancer. Now, researchers at the […]

Stem cell biologists have tried unsuccessfully for years to produce cells that will give rise to functional arteries and give physicians new options to combat cardiovascular disease, the world’s leading cause of death. But new techniques developed at the Morgridge Institute for Research and the University of Wisconsin–Madison have produced, […]

There is an old saying that being smart is bad for you. Smarter people are usually less social and more often suffer from depression and anxiety. However, there are many advantages of being more intelligent. Scientists from The University of Edinburgh have conducted a research, which showed that children with […]

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a cell culture method that generates three-dimensional bone-like tissues from mouse pluripotent stem cells—cells which can differentiate into various tissue types and have infinite growth potential—using only small molecules, in given conditions, as inducers. The current result serves as a step toward […]

Patients with dementia may actually die sooner if their family caregivers are mentally stressed, according to a new UC Berkeley study. From 2007 until 2016, UC Berkeley researchers tracked the mortality of 176 patients with neurodegenerative diseases that are corrosive to brain function. They also measured the mental health of […]