Ancient retroviruses played a key role in the evolution of vertebrate brains
Researchers report February 15 in the journal Cell that ancient viruses may be to thank for myelin — and, by extension, our large, complex brains. The team found that a retrovirus-derived genetic element or “retrotransposon” is essential for myelin production…
The brain is ‘programmed’ for learning from people we like
Our brains are “programmed” to learn more from people we like — and less from those we dislike. This has been shown by researchers in cognitive neuroscience in a series of experiments. Memory serves a vital function, enabling us to…
Targeting the microenvironment rather than a specific cell type could be the key to healing injured hearts
A groundbreaking scientific study published in Nature Cardiovascular Research has unveiled a remarkable discovery that may have far-reaching implications for the treatment of heart disease. The intensive investigations utilizing single-cell genomics and genetic experiments were conducted by a team of…
Cleaned surfaces may be germ-free, but they’re not bare
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, surfaces in public spaces are cleaned more often. While disinfectant solutions eliminate germs, they don’t leave behind a truly bare surface. They deposit a thin film that doesn’t get wiped up, even after giving the…
Blocking an essential nutrient inhibits malaria parasite growth
Living organisms often create what is needed for life from scratch. For humans, this process means the creation of most essential compounds needed to survive. But not every living thing has this capability, such as the parasite that causes malaria,…
Anabolic steroid use can increase heart disease risk, study finds
People using anabolic steroids could be increasing their underlying risk of a heart condition called atrial fibrillation, a new study has found. The new research published in the Journal of Physiology conducted by an interdisciplinary consortium of clinicians and researchers…
Can hydrogels help mend a broken heart?
You can mend a broken heart this valentine’s day now that researchers invented a new hydrogel that can be used to heal damaged heart tissue and improve cancer treatments. University of Waterloo chemical engineering researcher Dr. Elisabeth Prince teamed up…
An ultrasound sticker senses changing stiffness of deep internal organs
MIT engineers have developed a small ultrasound sticker that can monitor the stiffness of organs deep inside the body. The sticker, about the size of a postage stamp, can be worn on the skin and is designed to pick up…
Protein accumulation on fat droplets implicated in late-onset Alzheimer’s disease
UNC School of Medicine researcher Sarah Cohen, PhD, and Ian Windham, a former PhD student from the Cohen lab, have made a new discovery about apolipoprotein E (APOE) — the biggest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Older people…
From growing roots, clues to how stem cells decide their fate
It might look like a comet or a shooting star, but this time-lapse video is actually a tiny plant root, not much thicker than a human hair, magnified hundreds of times as it grows under the microscope. Researchers at Duke…
Language barriers could contribute to higher aggression in people with dementia
Immigrants living with dementia were more likely to present with agitation and aggression compared with their non-immigrant counterparts, a new study by Edith Cowan University (ECU) in collaboration with The Dementia Centre, HammondCare, found. Researchers from ECU’s Centre for Research…
Sensors made from ‘frozen smoke’ can detect toxic formaldehyde in homes and offices
Researchers have developed a sensor made from ‘frozen smoke’ that uses artificial intelligence techniques to detect formaldehyde in real time at concentrations as low as eight parts per billion, far beyond the sensitivity of most indoor air quality sensors. The…
Immune genes are altered in Alzheimer’s patients’ blood
A new Northwestern Medicine study has found the immune system in the blood of Alzheimer’s patients is epigenetically altered. That means the patients’ behavior or environment has caused changes that affect the way their genes work. Many of these altered…
How one type of lung cancer can transform into another
Lung tumors called adenocarcinomas sometimes respond to initially effective treatments by transforming into a much more aggressive small cell lung cancer (SCLC) that spreads rapidly and has few options for treatment. Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have developed a mouse…
Why politics bring out the worst in us
Tap into any social media platform, turn on the television or cue up a podcast, and it is easy to find examples of hypocrisy or bad behavior in political discourse, and new research from University of Nebraska-Lincoln political scientists may…
Faulty DNA disposal system causes inflammation
Cells in the human body contain power-generating mitochondria, each with their own mtDNA — a unique set of genetic instructions entirely separate from the cell’s nuclear DNA that mitochondria use to create life-giving energy. When mtDNA remains where it belongs…
Pregnant women should avoid ultraprocessed, fast foods, experts urge
If you’re pregnant, you may want to think twice before making a hamburger run or reaching for a prepackaged pastry, according to research published last month in the journal Environmental International. Oddly enough it’s not the food that the report…
New approach to tackling bacterial infections identified
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified a new approach to controlling bacterial infections.The findings were described in the February 6 online issue of Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. The team found a way to…
Improving quality of life and sleep in people with memory problems without using drugs
A groundbreaking study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing), recently published in Innovation in Aging, has shown promising results in improving the quality of life (QOL) and sleep quality in individuals living with memory problems. The…
Are body temperature and depression linked? Science says, yes
People with depression have higher body temperatures, suggesting there could be a mental health benefit to lowering the temperatures of those with the disorder, a new UC San Francisco-led study found. The study, publishing today in Scientific Reports, doesn’t indicate…
Virus ancestry could aid bid to predict next pandemic, study finds
Virus family history could help scientists identify which strains have potential to become the so-called Disease X that causes the next global pandemic. A study has identified 70 virus lineages — groups of related viruses — that pose the biggest…
Common food preservative has unexpected effects on the gut microbiome
Food manufacturers often add preservatives to food products to keep them fresh. A primary purpose of these preservatives is to kill microbes that could break down and otherwise spoil the food. Common additives like sugar, salt, vinegar and alcohol have…
Resistant bacteria can remain in the body for years
Fighting disease-causing bacteria becomes more difficult when antibiotics stop working. People with pre-existing conditions in particular can carry resistant germs and suffer from repeated infections for years, according to a study by the University of Basel and University Hospital Basel….
Scientists discover a potential way to repair synapses damaged in Alzheimer’s disease
While newly approved drugs for Alzheimer’s show some promise for slowing the memory-robbing disease, the current treatments fall far short of being effective at regaining memory. What is needed are more treatment options targeted to restore memory, said Buck Assistant…
Human cells building ‘molecular highways’ captured for first time
Researchers at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona and the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) in Madrid have captured the world’s first high-resolution images of the earliest moments of microtubule formation inside human cells. The findings, published today…
Researchers 3D-print functional human brain tissue
A team of University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists has developed the first 3D-printed brain tissue that can grow and function like typical brain tissue. It’s an achievement with important implications for scientists studying the brain and working on treatments for a…
Gene-editing offers hope for people with hereditary disorder
A group of patients with a hereditary disorder have had their lives transformed by a single treatment of a breakthrough gene-editing therapy, according to the lead researcher. The patients from New Zealand, the Netherlands and the UK have hereditary angioedema,…
Disrupted cellular function behind type 2 diabetes in obesity
Disrupted function of “cleaning cells” in the body may help to explain why some people with obesity develop type 2 diabetes, while others do not. A study from the University of Gothenburg describes this newly discovered mechanism. It is well…
Did dementia exist in ancient Greek and Rome?
You might think age-related dementia has been with us all along, stretching back to the ancient world. But a new analysis of classical Greek and Roman medical texts suggests that severe memory loss — occurring at epidemic levels today —…
Diabetes medication class tied to lower risk of kidney stones
Type 2 diabetes is associated with increased risk of kidney stones, but some forms of treatment for this condition may also have the benefit of lowering risk of kidney stones. In a study led by investigators from Mass General Brigham,…
Exposure to even moderate levels of radon linked to increased risk of stroke
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Now a new study has found exposure to this invisible, odorless gas is also linked to an increased risk of stroke. The study, which examined exposures in middle age to older…
Study suggests secret for getting teens to listen to unsolicited advice
A new study may hold a secret for getting your teenager to listen to appreciate your unsolicited advice. The University of California, Riverside, study, which included “emerging adults” — those in their late teens and early 20s — found teens…
How a mouse’s brain bends time
Life has a challenging tempo. Sometimes, it moves faster or slower than we’d like. Nevertheless, we adapt. We pick up the rhythm of conversations. We keep pace with the crowd walking a city sidewalk. “There are many instances where we…
Re-energizing mitochondria to treat Alzheimer’s disease
Nerve cells in the brain demand an enormous amount of energy to survive and maintain their connections for communicating with other nerve cells. In Alzheimer’s disease, the ability to make energy is compromised, and the connections between nerve cells (called…
People are inclined to hide a contagious illness while around others, research shows
A startling number of people conceal an infectious illness to avoid missing work, travel, or social events, new research at the University of Michigan suggests. The findings are reported in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science….
Old area in the brain turns out to be more important than expected
Researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have discovered that a brain area preserved through evolution, called the superior colliculus, is more crucial for vision than we thought. When we look at something, we can easily distinguish an object from…
New study reveals the profound impact of forced separation between humans and their pets
Pet owners forced to be separated from their animals in crisis situations, including those who are victims of domestic violence, are suffering from a lack of support services needed to protect them. These are the findings of a new review…
A long-lasting neural probe | ScienceDaily
Recording the activity of large populations of single neurons in the brain over long periods of time is crucial to further our understanding of neural circuits, to enable novel medical device-based therapies and, in the future, for brain-computer interfaces requiring…
How gene activity modulates the amount of immune cell production in mice
As people age or become ill, their immune systems can become exhausted and less capable of fighting off viruses such as the flu or COVID-19. In a new mouse study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and…
New tool helps predict progression of Alzheimer’s
About 55 million people worldwide are living with dementia, according to the World Health Organization. The most common form is Alzheimer’s disease, an incurable condition that causes brain function to deteriorate. In addition to its physical effects, Alzheimer’s causes psychological,…
Using fMRI, new vision study finds promising model for restoring cone function
In the retinas of human eyes, the cones are photoreceptor cells responsible for color vision, daylight vision, and the perception of small details. As vision scientists from the Division of Experimental Retinal Therapies at the University of Pennsylvania School of…
New signaling pathway uncovered, shedding fresh light on atherosclerosis
A team led by LMU researchers Christian Weber and Yvonne Döring has demonstrated new mechanisms that are involved in the development of inflammatory cardiovascular diseases. A chronic inflammatory disease of the inner walls of blood vessels, atherosclerosis is responsible for…
Ultrasounds can help predict the risk of preterm births
Researchers have developed a way to use ultrasound to predict whether a pregnant person is at risk of delivering a baby prematurely, which occurs in upward of 10% of pregnancies in the U.S. The new method — the result of…
The fountain of youth is … a T cell?
The fountain of youth has eluded explorers for ages. It turns out the magic anti-aging elixir might have been inside us all along. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Assistant Professor Corina Amor Vegas and colleagues have discovered that T cells…
Study in mice uncovers new protective benefit of breast milk
An immune component of breast milk known as the complement system shapes the gut environment of infant mice in ways that make them less susceptible to certain disease-causing bacteria, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins…
Popular diabetes drug may also reduce the risk of severe liver disease
Ozempic and other GLP1 agonists are associated with a reduced risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer in people with type 2 diabetes and chronic liver disease, according to a nationwide study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden published in the…
HIV: Early treatment, one key to remission
People living with HIV need to take antiretroviral treatment for life to prevent the virus from multiplying in their body. But some people, known as “post-treatment controllers,” have been able to discontinue their treatment while maintaining an undetectable viral load…
Good and bad news for people with low back pain
Low back pain is a major cause of disability around the globe, with more than 570 million people affected. In the United States alone, health care spending on low back pain was $134.5 billion between 1996 and 2016, and costs…
Mechanism linking anxiety to testosterone
A groundbreaking study has unveiled a significant link between anxiety disorders and a brain receptor known as TACR3, as well as testosterone. Prof. Shira Knafo, head of the Molecular Cognitive Lab at Ben-Gurion University, led the research published last month…
Simple and reliable early prediction of diabetes
Diabetes often remains undetected until it has already damaged organs or nerves. This is partly due to the fact that diagnosis at an early stage is time-consuming and difficult. An international team of researchers headed by Associate Professor Dr. Johannes…
Endless biotechnological innovation requires a creative approach
Scientists working on biological design should focus on the idiosyncrasies of biological systems over optimisation, according to new research. In a study, published today in Science Advances, researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Ghent have shown how exploring the…
Generative AI helps to explain human memory and imagination
Recent advances in generative AI help to explain how memories enable us to learn about the world, re-live old experiences and construct totally new experiences for imagination and planning, according to a new study by UCL researchers. The study, published…
How does materialism in social media trigger stress and unhappiness?
The researchers headed by Dr. Phillip Ozimek from the Faculty of Psychology at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, recruited 1,230 people for their online survey. In order to participate, respondents had to use at least one social media channel at least…
Bacterial meningitis injures one in three children for life
One in three children who suffer from bacterial meningitis live with permanent neurological disabilities due to the infection. This is according to a new epidemiological study led by Karolinska Institutet and published in leading medical journal JAMA Network Open. For…
DNA origami folded into tiny motor
Scientists have created the world’s first working nanoscale electromotor, according to research published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. The science team designed a turbine engineered from DNA that is powered by hydrodynamic flow inside a nanopore, a nanometer-sized hole in…
Engineering a more elegant deep brain stimulation therapy for Parkinson’s
A team of physicians, neuroscientists and engineers at Duke University has demonstrated two new strategies that use deep brain stimulation to improve the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. By simultaneously targeting two key brain structures and using a novel self-adjusting device,…
Tackling antibiotic resistance when treating pneumonia
New research has been published that identifies positive steps towards a better understanding of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), specifically in hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP). Antimicrobial, or antibiotic resistance, is a growing global issue, yet little is known about how to dose antibiotics…
Study identifies new findings on implant positioning and stability during robotic-assisted knee revision surgery
An innovative study at Marshall University published in ArthroplastyToday explores the use of robotic-assisted joint replacement in revision knee scenarios, comparing the pre- and post-revision implant positions in a series of revision total knee arthroplasties (TKA) using a state-of-the-art robotic…
HIV antibodies protect animals in proof-of-concept study
Three different HIV antibodies each independently protected monkeys from acquiring simian-HIV (SHIV) in a placebo-controlled proof-of-concept study intended to inform development of a preventive HIV vaccine for people. The antibodies — a human broadly neutralizing antibody and two antibodies isolated…
Amnesia caused by head injury reversed in early mouse study
A mouse study designed to shed light on memory loss in people who experience repeated head impacts, such as athletes, suggests the condition could potentially be reversed. The research in mice finds that amnesia and poor memory following head injury…
Method improves detection of potential therapeutic tumor targets in human biopsies
Many cancers, including some types of breast cancer, are driven by alterations in the activity of cellular enzymes called kinases. Therapies that directly inhibit these cancer-promoting activities have proven to be effective for patients in which individual driving kinases can…
Accelerating how new drugs are made with machine learning
Researchers have developed a platform that combines automated experiments with AI to predict how chemicals will react with one another, which could accelerate the design process for new drugs. Predicting how molecules will react is vital for the discovery and…
Vigilant monitoring is needed to manage cardiac risks in patients using antipsychotics, doctors say
The use of the antipsychotic drugs quetiapine and haloperidolis associated with an increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD) caused by drug-induced QT prolongation, reports a new study in Heart Rhythm, the official journal of the Heart…
Incurable autoimmune disease Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE): New genetic findings open up perspectives for future therapeutic approaches
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease, in which the immune system that normally protects the body from invading microbes, turns against the body´s own cells. This autoimmune attack can affect any organ and patients commonly develop skin rashes,…
For surgery patients, AI could help reduce alcohol-related risks
Using artificial intelligence to scan surgery patients’ medical records for signs of risky drinking might help spot those whose alcohol use raises their risk of problems during and after an operation, a new study suggests. The AI record scan tested…
Few older adults use direct-to-consumer health services; Many who do don’t tell their regular provider
Only a small percentage of older Americans have jumped on the rising trend of getting health care services and prescriptions directly from an online-only company, rather than seeing their usual health care providers in person or via telehealth, a new…
Innovative graphene-based implantable technology paves the way for high-precision therapeutic applications
A study published in Nature Nanotechnology presents an innovative graphene-based neurotechnology with the potential for a transformative impact in neuroscience and medical applications. This research, spearheaded by the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) together with the Universitat Autònoma…
A universal coronavirus vaccine could save billions of dollars if ready before next pandemic, study suggests
What if scientists had developed a universal coronavirus vaccine in the years prior to 2020 so that it was available at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic? A universal coronavirus vaccine targets parts of the virus that are common to…
Researchers discover potential microbiome links to skin aging
The effects of aging and external factors like UV exposure on skin are well documented. As people age or spend more time in the sun, their skin tends to become drier and more wrinkled, Recent findings have identified an exciting…
Prehistoric person with Turner syndrome identified from ancient DNA
Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, working with University of Oxford, University of York and Oxford Archaeology, have developed a new technique to measure the number of chromosomes in ancient genomes more precisely, using it to identify the first prehistoric…
Scientists identify how dietary restriction slows brain aging and increases lifespan
Restricting calories is known to improve health and increase lifespan, but much of how it does so remains a mystery, especially in regard to how it protects the brain. Buck scientists have uncovered a role for a gene called OXR1…
A beating biorobotic heart aims to better simulate valves
Combining a biological heart and a silicone robotic pump, researchers created a biorobotic heart that beats like a real one, with a focus on a valve on the left side of the heart. The heart valve simulator, presented on January…
Blood test distinguishes neuroendocrine subtype of advanced prostate cancer
Like a criminal entering a witness protection program, cancer cells can shed their past and take on a new identity. Detecting such an identity-switch is particularly challenging when metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) advances from adenocarcinoma to neuroendocrine prostate cancer…
Researchers developing AI to make the internet more accessible
In an effort to make the internet more accessible for people with disabilities, researchers at The Ohio State University have begun developing an artificial intelligence agent that could complete complex tasks on any website using simple language commands. In the…
Hospitalizations for scooter injuries nearly tripled in the US between 2016 and 2020, UCLA-led research finds
UCLA-led research finds that scooter injuries nearly tripled across the U.S. from 2016 to 2020, with a concurrent increase in severe injuries requiring orthopedic and plastic surgery over the same period. The study, which compared national trends in scooter and…
YAP and TAZ: Protein partners identified as potential key for fetal bone development
A pair of proteins, YAP and TAZ, has been identified as conductors of bone development in the womb and could provide insight into genetic diseases such as osteogenesis imperfecta, known commonly as “brittle bone disease.” This small animal-based research, published…
Study shows liraglutide results in increased insulin sensitivity independent of weight loss
A new study published in the journal Diabetes demonstrates that a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist, a member of a class of medication used to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity, can lead to a rapid improvement in insulin sensitivity….
More lives can be saved if ambulance staff receive AI-support
Assessing how seriously injured a person is, involves weighing up lots of different parameters fast. If healthcare professionals could get support making fast-paced, life-critical decisions from an AI tool, more lives could be saved. This is shown by research from…
The (wrong) reason we keep secrets
In and out of the workplace, people often keep adverse information about themselves secret because they worry that others will judge them harshly. But those fears are overblown, according to new research from the McCombs School of Business. In fact,…
Reprogrammed fat cells support tumor growth
Mutations of the tumor suppressor p53 not only have a growth-promoting effect on the cancer cells themselves, but also influence the cells in the tumor’s microenvironment. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Weizmann Institute in Israel…
Bacteria load their syringes | ScienceDaily
Many bacterial pathogens use small injection apparatuses to manipulate the cells of their hosts, such as humans, so that they can spread throughout the body. To do this, they need to fill their syringes with the relevant injection agent. A…
Combine mindfulness with exercise for mental health boost in 2024
For people looking to start 2024 with a new routine to feel fitter and happier, a new study from the University of Bath suggests that combining mindfulness with exercise could be your key to success. A study, published in the…
New AI tool brings precision pathology for cancer and beyond into quicker, sharper focus
A new artificial intelligence tool that interprets medical images with unprecedented clarity does so in a way that could allow time-strapped clinicians to dedicate their attention to critical aspects of disease diagnosis and image interpretation. The tool, called iStar (Inferring…
How do painful fibroids grow?
Insights into how uterine tumors grow could give hope to millions of women who deal with painful fibroids. Nearly 8 in 10 women develop fibroids, noncancerous tumors that develop in the uterus during child-bearing years. They can be extremely painful,…
GPCR structure: Research reveals molecular origins of function for a key drug target
Through an international collaboration, scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital leveraged data science, pharmacology and structural information to conduct an atomic-level investigation into how each amino acid in the receptor that binds adrenaline contributes to receptor activity in the…
Polymers that can kill bacteria
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have become a rapidly growing threat to public health. Each year, they account for more than 2.8 million infections, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Without new antibiotics, even common injuries and infections harbor…
Location, location, location: The hidden power of intracellular neighborhoods
Back in 2018, the lab of Christine Mayr, MD, PhD, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) introduced the world to a key cellular component that had been hiding in plain sight. Now the lab is back with important results…
Two types of CBT are equally effective in the treatment of fibromyalgia
There does not appear to be any profound differences between so-called exposure-based CBT and traditional CBT in the treatment of fibromyalgia, according to a study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet. Both forms of treatment produced a significant reduction in…
New type of antibody shows promise against multiple forms of flu virus
Researchers have identified a previously unrecognized class of antibodies — immune system proteins that protect against disease — that appear capable of neutralizing multiple forms of flu virus. These findings, which could contribute to development of more broadly protective flu…
Sniffing women’s tears reduces aggressive behavior in men, researchers report
New research, publishing December 21 in the open access journal in PLOS Biology, shows that tears from women contain chemicals that block aggression in men. The study led by Shani Agron at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, finds that…
Finding that statins could slow dementia stimulates further research
Blood fat-lowering statins could slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, at least for some patients. This is the result of a new study led by Karolinska Institutet published in Alzheimer Research and Therapy. But the researchers are cautious in their…
Large language models validate misinformation
New research into large language models shows that they repeat conspiracy theories, harmful stereotypes, and other forms of misinformation. In a recent study, researchers at the University of Waterloo systematically tested an early version of ChatGPT’s understanding of statements in…
Parents’ top resolutions: More patience, less time on phones
Among many parents’ top resolutions for the New Year: More patience, less time on phones, better consistency with discipline and healthier family habits. Their tweens and teens are setting goals too — including achievements related to grades and school, success…
Scientists might be using a flawed strategy to predict how species will fare under climate change
As the world heats up, and the climate shifts, life will migrate, adapt or go extinct. For decades, scientists have deployed a specific method to predict how a species will fare during this time of great change. But according to…
Study unveils a role of mitochondria in dietary fat processing
The maintenance of a balanced lipid homeostasis is critical for our health. While consumption of excessive amounts of fatty foods contributes to metabolic diseases such as obesity and atherosclerosis, fat is an indispensable component of our diet. Digested lipids supply…
Where you live matters: A first-of-its-kind study illustrates how racism is interrelated with poor health
A team of health equity researchers from several institutions has leveraged a complex web of data to test a hypothesis: That structural racism is associated with resources and structures at the neighborhood level that are closely associated with poor health….
Meet ‘Coscientist,’ your AI lab partner
In less time than it will take you to read this article, an artificial intelligence-driven system was able to autonomously learn about certain Nobel Prize-winning chemical reactions and design a successful laboratory procedure to make them. The AI did all…
Integrating research and clinical care to uncover secrets of brain development
The human brain continues to be built after we are born for far longer than previously recognized, suggests research by Shawn Sorrells, assistant professor of neuroscience in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. Sorrells’s research on postnatal…
New tool unifies single-cell data
A new methodology that allows for the categorisation and organisation of single-cell data has been launched. It can be used to create a harmonised dataset for the study of human health and disease. Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the…
New brain-like transistor mimics human intelligence
Taking inspiration from the human brain, researchers have developed a new synaptic transistor capable of higher-level thinking. Designed by researchers at Northwestern University, Boston College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the device simultaneously processes and stores information just…
A trillion scents, one nose
The mammalian nose is a work of evolutionary art. Its millions of nerve cells, each tailored with just one of thousands of specific odor-chemical receptors encoded in the genome, can collectively distinguish a trillion distinct scents. Those sensations, in turn,…
Researchers map how measles virus spreads in human brain
Mayo Clinic researchers mapped how the measles virus mutated and spread in the brain of a person who succumbed to a rare, lethal brain disease. New cases of this disease, which is a complication of the measles virus, may occur…
Strong connections found between vaccine hesitancy and support for vaccinating pets
Texas A&M University School of Public Health research on attitudes toward pet vaccination and how they may be linked with human vaccine hesitancy was the subject of a new study recently published in the journal Vaccine. Simon Haeder, Ph.D., associate…
Light color is less important for the internal clock than originally thought
Light in the evening is thought to be bad for sleep. However, does the color of the light play a role? Researchers from the University of Basel and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) compared the influence of different light…
Cells of the future: A key to reprogramming cell identities
The intricate process of duplicating genetic information, referred to as DNA replication, lies at the heart of the transmission of life from one cell to another and from one organism to the next. This happens by not just simply copying…
Air conditioning has reduced mortality due to high temperatures in Spain by one third
Air conditioning and heating systems have contributed considerably to reducing mortality linked to extreme temperatures in Spain, according to a study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the “la Caixa” Foundation. The findings,…
Night sweats reveal the severity of sleep apnea
A collaborative effort between the University of Córdoba and IMIBIC uses, for the first time, changes in sweat metabolism to diagnose the severity of sleep apnea In Greek, apnea (ἄπνοια) denotes the “absence of breathing.” Hence, obstructive sleep apnea is…
Childhood trauma increases risk of chronic pain in adulthood, research to-date highlights
Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, or neglect, either alone or combined with other types of childhood trauma, increases the risk of chronic pain and related disability in adulthood, according to new research. These new findings underscore the urgency of addressing…
Toothbrushing tied to lower rates of pneumonia among hospitalized patients
Researchers have found an inexpensive tool that may help reduce rates of pneumonia for hospitalized patients — and it comes with bristles on one end. A new study by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the…
Prone to abandoning New Year’s resolutions? Research suggests blaming money worries rather than being time-poor
People who abandon New Year’s resolutions or other commitments can maintain the respect of their peers by blaming external factors such as lack of money, new research suggests. Studies have found that people were more likely to be seen as…
Memory research: Breathing in sleep impacts memory processes
Researchers at LMU, the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, and the University of Oxford have investigated how sleep affects memory. They found a link between breathing and the emergence of certain brain activity patterns in sleep that are associated…
AI’s memory-forming mechanism found to be strikingly similar to that of the brain
An interdisciplinary team consisting of researchers from the Center for Cognition and Sociality and the Data Science Group within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) revealed a striking similarity between the memory processing of artificial intelligence (AI) models and the…
How the immune system fights to keep herpes at bay
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is extremely common, affecting nearly two-thirds of the world’s population, according to the World Health Organization. Once inside the body, HSV establishes a latent infection that periodically awakens, causing painful blisters on the skin, typically around…
Researchers discover first ever link between hemoglobin-like protein and normal heart development
In a landmark study led by the University of Maryland School of Medicine, researchers discovered for the first time that a certain kind of protein similar to hemoglobin, called cytoglobin, plays an important role in the development of the heart….
Revolutionary seaweed and carbonated water based hydrogel for treating skin wounds
Acting as the main interface between the internal and the external world, the skin is the largest and most important organ of the human body. It is frequently exposed to many types of physical injuries or wounds, including cuts, scrapes,…
Study shows exposure to household chemicals can lower odds of getting pregnant
Exposure to phthalates, a group of plasticizing and solvent chemicals found in many household products, was linked to a lower probability of getting pregnant, but not to pregnancy loss, according to research by a University of Massachusetts Amherst environmental and…
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in menstrual products
The average menstruator will use over 11,000 tampons or sanitary pads in their lifetime. Vaginal and vulvar tissue that touch pads and tampons is highly permeable. Through this permeable tissue chemicals are absorbed without being metabolized, which makes endocrine-disrupting chemicals…
‘Long flu’ has emerged as a consequence similar to long COVID
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, extensive research has emerged detailing the virus’s ability to attack multiple organ systems, potentially resulting in a set of enduring and often disabling health problems known as long COVID. Now, new research from Washington University…
Mothers and children have their birthday in the same month more often than you’d think — and here’s why
Do you celebrate your birthday in the same month as your mum? If so, you are not alone. The phenomenon occurs more commonly than expected — a new study of millions of families has revealed. Siblings also tend to share…
AI study reveals individuality of tongue’s surface
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and 3D images of the human tongue have revealed that the surface of our tongues are unique to each of us, new findings suggest. The results offer an unprecedented insight into the biological make-up of our tongue’s…
Newly discovered autoimmune disorder disrupts tooth enamel development
Enamel, the hardest and most mineral-rich substance in the human body, covers and protects our teeth. But in one of every 10 people — and in one third of children with celiac disease — this layer appears defective, failing to…
Scientists unveil complete cell map of a whole mammalian brain
For the first time ever, an international team of researchers has created a complete cell atlas of a whole mammalian brain. This atlas serves as a map for the mouse brain, describing the type, location, and molecular information of more…
Protein study could one day advance Parkinson’s, breast cancer care
New research from Oregon Health & Science University could one day lead to therapies that prevent or treat diseases and infections tied to a protein that’s found in all human cells. A study published today in the journal Molecular Cell…
Liquid biopsy predicts immunotherapy response and toxicity in patients with advanced lung cancer
Using a “liquid biopsy” to study genetic material from tumors shed into the bloodstream together with immune cells could help clinicians predict which patients with advanced lung cancers are responding to immunotherapies and which patients may develop immune-related side effects…
Clinical trial demonstrates that the ketogenic diet is effective at controlling polycystic kidney disease
It’s official: The ketogenic diet proved to be effective at controlling polycystic kidney disease (PKD) in the first randomized controlled clinical trial of ketogenic metabolic therapy for PKD. “I’m really happy about these clinical trial results,” said UC Santa Barbara…
Hodgkin lymphoma prognosis, biology tracked with circulating tumor DNA
A Stanford Medicine-led, international study of hundreds of samples from patients with Hodgkin lymphoma has shown that levels of tumor DNA circulating in their blood can identify who is responding well to treatment and others who are likely to experience…
Potential new drug treatment for multiple sclerosis
CAMH-led pre-clinical studies using a small molecule drug have shown promise as a potential new treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS). The results have been published today in the journal Science Advances. Expanding on Dr. Fang Liu’s earlier work that identified…
Zika’s shape-shifting machinery, and a possible vulnerability
Viruses have limited genetic material — and few proteins — so all the pieces must work extra hard. Zika is a great example; the virus only produces 10 proteins. Now, in a study published in the journal PLOS Pathogens, researchers…
Battle of the AIs in medical research: ChatGPT vs Elicit
The use of generative AI in literature search suggests the possibility of efficiently collecting a vast amount of medical information, provided that users are well aware that the performance of generative AI is still in its infancy and that not…
What happens when the brain loses a hub?
A University of Iowa-led team of international neuroscientists have obtained the first direct recordings of the human brain in the minutes before and after a brain hub crucial for language meaning was surgically disconnected. The results reveal the importance of…
Major breakthrough for severe asthma treatment
A landmark study has shown that severe asthma can be controlled using biologic therapies, without the addition of regular high-dose inhaled steroids which can have significant side effects. The findings from the multinational SHAMAL study, published in The Lancet, demonstrated…
Discrimination during pregnancy may alter circuits in infants’ brains
Racial discrimination and bias are painful realities and increasingly recognized as detrimental to the health of adults and children. These stressful experiences also appear to be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, altering the strength of infants’ brain circuits,…
Hydrogen sulfide regulates neural circuit for respiration
Hydrogen sulfide, recognized by its characteristic rotten egg smell, is synthesized in the respiratory center — an integral brain region governing respiration. Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have identified that hydrogen sulfide within the respiratory center plays a crucial…
Predicting which of our organs will fail first
Like any typical car or house or society, the pace at which parts of our bodies fall apart varies from part to part. A study of 5,678 people, led by Stanford Medicine investigators, has shown that our organs age at…
Fungus-fighting protein could help overcome severe autoimmune disease and cancer
A protein in the immune system programmed to protect the body from fungal infections is also responsible for exacerbating the severity of certain autoimmune diseases such as irritable bowel disease (IBS), type 1 diabetes, eczema and other chronic disorders, new…
Repeated blast exposures may harm the brain health of military personnel
The brains of special warfare community personnel repeatedly exposed to blasts show increased inflammation and structural changes compared with a control group, potentially increasing the risk of long-term, brain-related disease, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of…
Bacteria’s mucus maneuvers: Study reveals how snot facilitates infection
Sniffles, snorts and blows of runny noses are the hallmarks of cold and flu season — and that increase in mucus is exactly what bacteria use to mount a coordinated attack on the immune system, according to a new study…
A farsighted approach to tackle nearsightedness
As humans age, our eyes adjust based on how we use them, growing or shortening to focus where needed, and we now know that blurred input to the eye while the eye is growing causes myopia. It is so specific…
Survey finds Americans struggle to maintain healthy habits during the holiday season
The holiday season is a time for joy and celebration but many Americans admit the endless flurry of activities make it difficult to eat healthy, exercise and get adequate rest, according to a new survey from The Ohio State University…
A patch of protection against Zika virus
A simple-to-apply, needle-free vaccine patch is being developed to protect people from the potentially deadly mosquito-borne Zika virus. A prototype using The University of Queensland-developed and Vaxxas-commercialised high-density microarray patch (HD-MAP) has delivered a University of Adelaide-developed vaccine and elicited…
Scientists work to bring tissue regeneration to replace root canal treatment
Want to avoid a root canal? In the future, you might be able to opt for tissue regeneration instead. ADA Forsyth scientists are testing a novel technology to treat endodontic diseases (diseases of the soft tissue or pulp in your…
Human behavior guided by fast changes in dopamine levels
What happens in the human brain when we learn from positive and negative experiences? To help answer that question and better understand decision-making and human behavior, scientists are studying dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter produced in the brain that serves…
Pathogens use force to breach immune defenses, study finds
Similar to a burglar breaking a window to get into a house, Indiana University researchers have discovered a previously unknown process by which pathogens enter a cell with physical force, breaching the body’s immune defenses that prevent infection. The work,…
Can preeclampsia be prevented? | ScienceDaily
Preeclampsia is a mysterious condition that occurs in about one of 10 pregnancies without any early warning signs. After 20 weeks or more of normal blood pressure during the pregnancy, patients with preeclampsia will begin to experience elevated blood pressure…
To help autonomous vehicles make moral decisions, researchers ditch the ‘trolley problem’
Researchers have developed a new experiment to better understand what people view as moral and immoral decisions related to driving vehicles, with the goal of collecting data to train autonomous vehicles how to make “good” decisions. The work is designed…
Scientists build tiny biological robots from human cells
Researchers at Tufts University and Harvard University’s Wyss Institute have created tiny biological robots that they call Anthrobots from human tracheal cells that can move across a surface and have been found to encourage the growth of neurons across a…
Researchers discover new classes of RNA for learning and memory
Researchers from The University of Queensland have discovered a new way ribonucleic acid (RNA) impacts fear-related learning and memory. Professor Timothy Bredy from UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute said this is an exciting example of RNA’s role in fine-tuning the cellular…
Children who play baseball risk elbow injury
Youth baseball players are prone to elbow pain and injuries, including repetitive overuse changes and fractures, based on the maturity of their bones, according to a new study being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of…
Brittle stars can learn just fine — even without a brain
We humans are fixated on big brains as a proxy for smarts. But headless animals called brittle stars have no brains at all and still manage to learn through experience, new research reveals. Relatives of starfish, brittle stars spend most…
Researchers find connections between neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s disease
Study by Brigham investigators revealed how genetic changes in certain types of brain cells may contribute to the inflammatory response seen in Alzheimer’s disease Immune-regulating brain cells known as microglia are known to play a role in the progression of…
How to stay on task
Our ability to pay attention to tasks — a key component of our everyday lives — is heavily influenced by factors like motivation, arousal and alertness. Maintaining focus can be especially challenging when the task is boring or repetitive. “In…
Macaque trials offer hope in pneumonia vaccine development
The global impact of the coronavirus pandemic has ignited a renewed focus on emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University are making great strides in combating pneumococcal pneumonia, one of the leading causes of respiratory deaths worldwide….
Spike in premature births caused by COVID, halted by vaccines, study finds
COVID-19 caused an alarming surge in premature births, but vaccines were key to returning the early birth rate to pre-pandemic levels, according to a new analysis of California birth records. “The effect of maternal COVID infection from the onset of…
AI recognizes the tempo and stages of embryonic development
Animal embryos go through a series of characteristic developmental stages on their journey from a fertilized egg cell to a functional organism. This biological process is largely genetically controlled and follows a similar pattern across different animal species. Yet, there…
Decoding cell fate: Key mechanism in stem cell switch identified
Stem cells can differentiate to replace dead and damaged cells. But how do stem cells decide which type of cell to become in a given situation? Using intestinal organoids, the group of Bon-Kyoung Koo at IMBA and the Institute for…
Mice eating less of specific amino acid — overrepresented in diet of obese people — live longer, healthier
A new study in mice, published recently in the journal Cell Metabolism, shows that cutting down the amount of a single amino acid called isoleucine can, among other benefits, extend their lifespan, make them leaner and less frail as they…
Anti-rheumatic drugs could prevent thyroid disease
Anti-rheumatic drugs used for rheumatoid arthritis might prevent the development of autoimmune thyroid disease, according to a new observational study by researchers from Karolinska Institutet published in the Journal of Internal Medicine. It is well known that patients with rheumatoid…
A new diagnostic tool to identify and treat pathological social withdrawal, Hikikomori
Researchers at Kyushu University have developed a new tool to help clinicians and researchers assess individuals for pathological social withdrawal, known as Hikikomori. The tool, called Hikikomori Diagnostic Evaluation, or HiDE, can be a practical guide on collecting information on…
Drones enabled the use of defibrillators before ambulance arrival
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have evaluated the possibility of alerting drones equipped with automated external defibrillators (AED) to patients with suspected cardiac arrest. In more than half of the cases, the drones were ahead of the ambulance by an average…
From the first bite, our sense of taste helps pace our eating
When you eagerly dig into a long-awaited dinner, signals from your stomach to your brain keep you from eating so much you’ll regret it — or so it’s been thought. That theory had never really been directly tested until a…
Chemists use oxygen, copper ‘scissors’ to make cheaper drug treatments possible
Drugs to treat cancer are often very expensive to produce, resulting in high costs for the patients who need them. Thanks to pathbreaking research by UCLA chemists, led by organic chemistry professor Ohyun Kwon, the price of drug treatments for…
New clues into the head-scratching mystery of itch
Scientists at Harvard Medical School have shown for the first time that a common skin bacterium — Staphylococcus aureus — can cause itch by acting directly on nerve cells. The findings, based on research in mice and in human cells,…