General

A skin pigmentation mechanism that can darken the color of human skin as a natural defense against ultraviolet (UV)-associated cancers has been discovered by scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Mediating the biological process is an enzyme, NNT, which plays a key role in the production of melanin (a pigment […]

Biochemists at Emory are achieving insights into how an important regulator of the immune system switches its function, based on its orientation and local environment. New research demonstrates that the glucocorticoid receptor (or GR) forms droplets or “condensates” that change form, depending on its available partners. Understanding how the GR […]

Recovered COVID-19 patients retain broad and effective longer-term immunity to the disease, suggests a recent Emory University study, which is the most comprehensive of its kind so far. The findings have implications for expanding understanding about human immune memory as well as future vaccine development for coronaviruses. The longitudinal study, […]

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a cell culture test to detect substances that are directly or indirectly harmful to embryos. Based on an existing test used for developing new drugs and chemicals, the augmented version is designed to help reduce the number of animal experiments. Drugs must be safe […]

New research in humans and mice identifies a particular signaling molecule that can help modify inflammation and the immune system to protect against Alzheimer’s disease. The work, which was led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), is published in Nature. Cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease develops when neurons begin to die. “Neuron […]

As a newborn mammal opens its eyes for the first time, it can already make visual sense of the world around it. But how does this happen before they have experienced sight? A new Yale study suggests that, in a sense, mammals dream about the world they are about to […]

Magnetic field could boost blood vessel growth to regenerate damaged tissue. Magnetic field can be used to stimulate blood vessel growth, according to a study published in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials. The findings, by researchers at the Tecnico Lisboa and NOVA School of Science and Technology […]

Understanding the structure of proteins can help understand their function; however, existing computational methods fail to predict 3D structures of proteins with atomic accuracy. Thankfully, a recent paper on Nature introduces a redesigned version of a neural network-based model AlphaFold. It can predict protein structures with accuracy competitive with the experiment […]

The topic of vaping is subject to many ongoing discussions. Manufacturers often say this is 'less harmful' alternative to typical cigarettes which also helps quitting smoking. But there are lots of scientific studies contradicting this claim. Different research teams point to unique and undesirable side effects, such as increased susceptibility […]

As we age, our brains typically undergo a slow process of atrophy, causing less robust communication between various brain regions, which leads to declining memory and other cognitive functions. But a rare group of older individuals called “superagers” have been shown to learn and recall novel information as well as […]

A new study published in Nature Communications suggests that gene therapy delivered into the brain may be safe and effective in treating aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency. AADC deficiency is a rare neurological disorder that develops in infancy and leads to near absent levels of certain brain chemicals, serotonin […]

A new study published in JAMA Neurology suggests that certain features that appear on CT scans help predict outcomes following mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). Patterns detected on the scans may help guide follow up treatment as well as improve recruitment and research study design for head injury clinical trials. […]

Among 6- and 7-year-olds who were born extremely preterm — before the 28th week of pregnancy — those who had more than two hours of screen time a day were more likely to have deficits in overall IQ, executive functioning (problem-solving skills), impulse control and attention, according to a study […]

If you’re regularly out in the fresh air, you’re doing something good for both your well-being and your brain. This is the conclusion reached by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and the Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. During the Corona pandemic, walks became a popular and regular pastime. […]

High levels of glucose in the blood ‘reprogrammes’ stem cells, leading to a lasting increase in the risk of developing dangerous atherosclerosis, according to research funded by the British Heart Foundation published in Circulation. University of Oxford researchers found that high blood glucose, a hallmark of diabetes, alters stem cells […]

Adenovirus vaccine vectors, such as the ChAdOx1 nCov-19 construct which has risen to prominence as a major vaccine for COVID-19, may generate robust long-term immune system responses, according to scientists from the Universities of Oxford and the Cantonal Hospital St.Gallen, Switzerland. Writing in the journal Nature Immunology, they detail an investigation into one […]

Largest review of all large-scale studies to date finds red and processed meat increase the risk of heart disease. Globally coronary heart diseases (caused by narrowed arteries that supply the heart with blood) claim nearly nine million lives each year1, the largest of any disease, and present a huge burden […]

The genetic changes that underlie an especially lethal type of prostate cancer have been revealed in a new study by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine. Learning more about what causes this type of cancer, called neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC), could lead to new approaches for treating it. Most early stage […]

The specialized endothelial cells that line the blood vessels in the lung may hold the key to treating the common and often-fatal lung disease emphysema, according to a study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian. In the study, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, the researchers showed […]

Researchers at Michigan Medicine have discovered yet another functional autoantibody in COVID-19 patients that contributes to the disease’s development and the “firestorm” of blood clots and inflammation it induces. A growing body of studies suggests COVID-19 emulates many aspects of systemic autoimmune disorders, including the release of a flurry of […]

Children and young people whose mothers had a BMI greater than 30 during early pregnancy are at an increased risk of fatty liver disease. This is shown in a register-based study from Karolinska Institutet and Harvard University published in the journal Journal of Hepatology. As obesity rates increase also in […]

A Tufts scientist is testing senolytics to counter senescent cells that promote afflictions like arthritis and Parkinson's disease. It’s not the fountain of youth, but a fast-emerging class of drugs could bring us closer to achieving the age-old quest for longer life, better health, and greater vitality. The drugs, called […]

Diagnostic nanoparticles could be used to monitor tumor recurrence after treatment or to perform routine cancer screenings. Most of the tests that doctors use to diagnose cancer — such as mammography, colonoscopy, and CT scans — are based on imaging. More recently, researchers have also developed molecular diagnostics that can […]

In the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, deprived areas suffered more excess deaths than affluent areas, with a disproportionate impact on their younger age groups according to the early draft of a new study. In addition to the deaths from COVID-19, longstanding socioeconomic and geographical health inequalities for a […]

Bacteria’s role in gut health has received a lot of attention in recent years. But new research led by scientists at the University of Utah Health shows that fungi—another microorganism that lives within us—may be equally important in health and disease. Fungi thrive in the healthy gut, but they can also […]

University of Utah Health scientists have received a five-year, $7.5-million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to test whether a web-based intervention that resembles a video game can alleviate depression in older adults in the comfort and safety of their own homes. The University of Connecticut will also participate […]

More doesn’t necessarily mean better — including in cancer treatment. University of Wisconsin–Madison and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists report today in the journal Science Translational Medicine that combining targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy with immunotherapy significantly boosts eradication of metastatic cancer in mice, even when the radiation is given […]

Today's open access commentary is a good companion piece to a recent paper covering the use of mesenchymal stem cell therapies to suppress age-related chronic inflammation. These first generation stem cell therapies have proven to be unreliable when it comes to the original goal of regeneration of organ function, but […]

More doesn’t necessarily mean better — including in cancer treatment. University of Wisconsin–Madison and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists report today in the journal Science Translational Medicine that combining targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy with immunotherapy significantly boosts eradication of metastatic cancer in mice, even when the radiation is given […]

Proteostasis describes the steady state of a cell, maintaining an appropriate balance of various forms of protein machinery in order to enable continued normal function. With advancing age, proteostasis becomes disrupted in numerous complicated ways. This is a downstream outcome of underlying molecular damage, the reactions to that damage, and […]