June 21, 2021

Start-stop system of hunting immune cells

Neutrophils belong to the first responders of our immune system. They circulate in our bodies and hunt in infected tissues to ingest, kill, and digest harmful pathogens. To become such effective killers in the very complex situation of an inflamed tissue, they work together as a collective. They release chemical […]
June 21, 2021

First months decisive for immune system development

Many diseases caused by a dysregulated immune system, such as allergies, asthma and autoimmunity, can be traced back to events in the first few months after birth. To date, the mechanisms behind the development of the immune system have not been fully understood. Now, researchers at Karolinska Institutet show a […]
June 21, 2021

Unraveling the origin of Alzheimer’s disease

Case Western Reserve University researchers studying prions—misfolded proteins that cause lethal incurable diseases—have identified for the first time surface features of human prions responsible for their replication in the brain. The ultimate goal of the research is to help design a strategy to stop prion disease in humans—and, ultimately, to […]
June 21, 2021

Studying the preteen brain for insights into mental health disorders

University of Utah Health scientists and collaborators with the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Consortium have developed a rich resource for studying how the brain changes and matures during adolescence: a collection of functional MRI scans revealed patterns of brain activity in more than 6,000 9- and 10-year-old children. The […]
June 20, 2021

The Longest-Running Evolution Experiment

Evolution is hardly predictable. But it works. And works so well, that this efficiency of evolving is often underestimated by a large part of scientific community. Quick fact: in less than two weeks bacteria can evolve to resist antibiotics thousands of times stronger than what would have killed them at […]
June 20, 2021

New study on brain cooling turns treatment advice on its head

A large international study on the effects of cooling the brain after a cardiac arrest shows that contrary to current treatment recommendations, it doesn’t actually improve survival or recovery. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggests that a less intensive approach to temperature control in these patients […]
June 19, 2021

Electroconvulsive therapy: Peeling back the mystery

Christina often struggled to get through the average day. A former teacher diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression – along with OCD, bipolar disorder and Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) – was unable to work. At one point she was taking almost 60 different pills per day, with little to no effect […]
June 18, 2021

Intermittent fasting ‘no magic bullet for weight loss’ says new study

New research published challenges a popular belief that intermittent fasting diets such as alternate day fasting or the ‘5:2’ are the most effective ways to lose weight. Over recent years, diets that see people fast on a few days each week have increased in popularity, reinforced by images of people’s […]
June 17, 2021

Several persistent chemicals were found in fetal organs

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet found industrial chemicals in the organs of fetuses conceived decades after many countries had banned the substances. In a study published in the journal Chemosphere, the researchers urge decision-makers to consider the combined impact of the mix of chemicals that accumulate in people and nature. “These […]
June 17, 2021

Mitochondrial ribosome assembly in 3D

In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers at Karolinska Institutet provide insight into the sequence of events leading to the formation of functional mitoribosomes and sheds light on the mechanism of action of nine mitoribosome assembly factors involved in this process. The results may help yield novel opportunities for […]
June 17, 2021

Top U.S. cancer centers call for urgent action to get cancer-preventing HPV vaccination back on track

Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, a partnership of Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals and Cleveland Clinic, has joined with 71 other National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers and partner organizations to issue a joint statement urging the nation’s physicians, parents and young adults to get the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination back on […]
June 17, 2021

Scientists unravel the function of a sight-saving growth factor

Researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI) have determined how certain short protein fragments, called peptides, can protect neuronal cells found in the light-sensing retina layer at the back of the eye. The peptides might someday be used to treat degenerative retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The […]
June 17, 2021

Study sheds light on treatment options for devastating childhood brain cancer

Medulloblastoma is a rare but devastating childhood brain cancer. This cancer can spread through the spinal fluid and be deposited elsewhere in the brain or spine. Radiation therapy to the whole brain and spine followed by an extra radiation dose to the back of the brain prevents this spread and […]
June 17, 2021

Immune system protein may defend against deadly intestinal disease in babies

The intestinal disease necrotizing enterocolitis is a leading cause of death among premature infants born in the U.S. and across the globe. Characterized by excessive inflammation that can cause tissue decay in the bowels, the disease provides a pathway for infectious and deadly bacteria to enter the bloodstream. Despite four […]
June 17, 2021

Black and White Women Have Same Mutations Linked to Breast Cancer Risk

The prevalence of genetic mutations associated with breast cancer in Black and white women is the same, according to a new JAMA Oncology study of nearly 30,000 patients led by researchers in the Basser Center for BRCA at the Abramson Cancer Center. About five percent of both Black and white women have a genetic mutation […]
June 17, 2021

Sickle cell advance incorporates Rice lab’s tech

A Rice University professor involved in the search for a way to treat and perhaps cure sickle cell disease is available to comment on a major advance revealed today in Science Translational Medicine. Rice University bioengineer Gang Bao is a pioneer in sickle cell research and a co-author of the breakthrough study released led […]
June 17, 2021

Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Offers Modest Benefits over Standard Mammography

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breast cancer ranks as the most prevalent cancer among American women. For over 40 years, mammography was the standard of care for breast cancer screening and detection but recently the popularity and use of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), or 3D mammography, […]
June 16, 2021

Those breakfast foods are fortified for a reason

Adults who skip breakfast are likely to miss out on key nutrients that are most abundant in the foods that make up morning meals, a new study suggests. An analysis of data on more than 30,000 American adults showed that skipping breakfast – and missing out on the calcium in […]
June 16, 2021

A prescription to ward off cognitive decline – without medication

There’s a pill for many ailments, but ageing isn’t one of them. And while some mounting difficulty in thinking and processing is expected as you grow older, cognition experts say you can take steps to slow it down, no prescription required. Benjamin Hampstead, PhD, recently explained what we know about […]
June 16, 2021

Chatbots for dementia patients and caregivers need more work

Chatbots hold promise for dementia patient or caregiver support, but are still in their infancy, finds a paper published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. None of the interactive digital apps tested by medical researchers and a computer scientist performed well on all testing criteria, and all the apps […]
June 16, 2021

Studying the pre-teen brain for insights into mental health disorders

University of Utah Health scientists and collaborators with the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Consortium have developed a rich resource for studying how the brain changes and matures during adolescence: a collection of functional MRI scans revealed patterns of brain activity in more than 6,000 nine- and ten-year-old children. The […]
June 15, 2021

Osteoporosis: New Approach to Understanding Bone Strength Pays Dividends

Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have taken a new approach to understanding how our genes determine the strength of our bones, allowing them to identify several genes not previously known to influence bone density and, ultimately, our risk of fracture. The work offers important insights into […]
June 15, 2021

ALS: decoding its molecular mechanisms to improve treatment

Nearly 3,000 Canadians are living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease or Charcot's disease. Each year, close to 1,000 people are diagnosed with ALS and as many will die from it. ALS is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the selective loss of motor neurons. […]
June 15, 2021

A Frozen Leap Forward

Scientists at UC Santa Barbara, University of Southern California (USC), and the biotechnology company Regenerative Patch Technologies LLC (RPT) have reported new methodology for the preservation of RPT’s stem cell-based therapy for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The new research, recently published in Scientific Reports(link is external), optimizes the conditions to cryopreserve, […]