January 12, 2021

Nanomaterials for the Clearance of Senescent Cells

Senescent cell accumulation is a contributing cause of aging, and targeted destruction of senescent cells with senolytic therapies produces meaningful rejuvenation and reversal of age-related disease in animal models. First generation senolytics are largely repurposed small molecules. Second generation senolytics will include a range of more carefully designed strategies, including […]
January 11, 2021

Alpha-ray missile therapy: tumor cells attacked from intracellular region

Researchers at Osaka University have developed a technique of attacking cancer cells with lethal alpha rays from within by using a nutrient transporter to deliver radionuclides into malignant tumors A cancer-specific L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) is highly expressed in cancer tissues. Inhibiting the function of LAT1 has been […]
January 11, 2021

‘Virtual biopsies’ could replace tissue biopsies in future thanks to technique developed by Cambridge scientists

A new advanced computing technique using routine medical scans to enable doctors to take fewer, more accurate tumour biopsies, has been developed by cancer researchers at the University of Cambridge. This is an important step towards precision tissue sampling for cancer patients to help select the best treatment. In future […]
January 11, 2021

Magnets dim natural glow of human cells, may shed light on how animals migrate

Researchers in Japan have made the first observations of biological magnetoreception –  live, unaltered cells responding to a magnetic field in real-time. This discovery is a crucial step in understanding how animals from birds to butterflies navigate using Earth’s magnetic field and addressing the question of whether weak electromagnetic fields […]
January 11, 2021

U of M begins Phase I of first-in-human clinical trial for glioblastoma

Physicians and scientists at the University of Minnesota have opened a new brain cancer clinical trial and have treated their first patient. This Phase I, the first-in-human trial is enrolling patients with a specific type of brain cancer, glioblastoma. The development for this innovative treatment is based on years of […]
January 10, 2021

‘Invisible’ Stem Cells Evade Natural Killer Cells Using Immune ‘Off-Switch’

UC San Francisco scientists have discovered a new way to control the immune system’s “natural killer” (NK) cells, a finding with implications for novel cell therapies and tissue implants that can evade immune rejection. The findings could also be used to enhance the ability of cancer immunotherapies to detect and […]
January 10, 2021

FSU researcher examines ways cocaine alters gene expression

New research from Florida State University identifies a novel gene that plays a functional role in cocaine addiction.   In a new paper in the journal Biological Psychiatry, Assistant Professor of Biological Science Jian Feng and his colleagues reveal that cocaine use in mice resulted in changes to what’s called long noncoding RNA […]
January 9, 2021

Advances in research on the most general type of stem cells

Stem cell research is the prerequisite for regenerative medicine, which with the help of the body's cells recreates and heals important organs. Now, researchers at Karolinska Institutet, SickKids in Canada and KU Leuven in Belgium have found a method for defining the most general type of stem cells, that can […]
January 8, 2021

Functional seizures associated with stroke, psychiatric disorders in electronic health records study

In a large-scale study of electronic health records, Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigators have determined the prevalence of functional seizures and characterized comorbidities associated with them. Functional seizures are sudden attacks or spasms that look like epileptic seizures but do not have the aberrant brain electrical patterns of epilepsy. The research […]
January 8, 2021

Vanderbilt leads $1.5 million NSF project to develop advanced brain organoids

Vanderbilt engineers have received a $1.49 million National Science Foundation grant to advance the science of organoids with cells that organize themselves and mimic the development of human brain structures. Organoids are lab-produced groups of cells that serve as research models for human physiology in development and disease, including design […]
January 8, 2021

New approach needed for newborns with hearing loss

Parents are often struggling with hearing aid management for their newborn babies, according to research by the University of Manchester and NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) experts. The study of 81 babies, assessed at three to seven months and again at seven to 21 months, shows hearing aid use […]
January 8, 2021

RNA molecules are masters of their own destiny

Research suggests the products of transcription — RNA molecules — regulate their own production through a feedback loop. At any given moment in the human body, in about 30 trillion cells, DNA is being “read” into molecules of messenger RNA, the intermediary step between DNA and proteins, in a process […]
January 7, 2021

Antioxidants Vitamin C and Vitamin E Linked to Lower Risk of Parkinson’s

People who consume high levels of vitamin C and E in their diet may have a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease than people who get only small amounts of these nutrients, according to a new study from University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy, and Karolinska Institutet. The study was published in Neurology. […]
January 7, 2021

How an Embryo Tells Time

It is estimated that the majority of pregnancies that fail do so within the first seven days after fertilization, before the embryo implants into the uterus. In this time period, a complicated cascade of events occurs with precise timing. One particularly important process is called polarization, when the individual cells […]
January 7, 2021

Ginger Counters Certain Autoimmune Diseases in Mice

Naturopathic medicine, or herbal medicine, is all the rage, especially among young people. But how much of this is supported by science? Ginger is known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects, making it a popular herbal supplement to treat inflammatory diseases. And according to a Michigan Medicine led study published […]
January 7, 2021

DNA-editing method shows promise to treat mouse model of progeria

Researchers have successfully used a DNA-editing technique to extend the lifespan of mice with the genetic variation associated with progeria,  a rare genetic disease that causes extreme premature aging in children and can significantly shorten their life expectancy. The study was published in the journal Nature, and was a collaboration between the National Human Genome Research […]
January 7, 2021

Scientists capture the moving parts of the portal to the cell’s nucleus

The nucleus of a cell is well-shielded by a double membrane to protect its most sensitive possession—its DNA. Anything that enters or exits must pass through the nuclear pores, cylindrical structures made of hundreds of proteins. Scientists have made great advances in figuring out the architecture of the pore by reconstructing each […]
January 7, 2021

Cancer Metastasis is Target of New Research Initiative

Six UC San Francisco researchers have won an Endeavor Award to build a new research collaborative at the university focused on decoding the “rulebook” of metastatic cancer as a pathway to new treatments. The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research established the awards to support research challenges that are too far-reaching for a single […]
January 7, 2021

Can black tea help you maintain sharpness at the older age?

Tea is a cosy drink. It reduces stress, calms you down, helps concentrating and sleeping. Tea is especially delicious when it’s cold outside. And, as you may know, people in the UK drink a lot of tea, which is why scientists from the Newcastle University conducted a study to see […]
January 7, 2021

Seniors Living Alone with Cognitive Impairment Hit Hard by COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated isolation and fears for one very vulnerable group of Americans: the 4.3 million older adults with cognitive impairment, who live alone. As the coronavirus continues to claim more lives and upend others, researchers led by UC San Francisco are calling for tailored services and support for […]
January 7, 2021

A new way to help the immune system fight back against cancer

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health are breaking new ground to make cancer cells more susceptible to attack by the body’s own immune system. Working in mice, a team led by Jamey Weichert, professor of radiology, and Zachary Morris, professor of human oncology, is combining two […]
January 7, 2021

Focused Ultrasound Shows Promise for Treating Parkinson's Disease

A scalpel-free alternative to brain surgery has the potential to benefit people with Parkinson’s disease symptoms that are much more severe on one side of the body, new research suggests. More testing is needed, but the approach, which uses a technology called focused ultrasound, could offer a new option for […]
January 7, 2021

Designer protein patches boost cell signaling

A new class of protein material that interacts with living cells without being absorbed by them can influence cell signalling by binding and sequestering cell surface receptors, a new study shows. This breakthrough could have far-reaching implications for stem cell research and enable the development of new materials designed to […]
January 6, 2021

Researchers aim artificial intelligence at rising oral cancers with $3.3 million grant from National Cancer Institute

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University and partners in the United States and India are applying the investigative and predictive capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) to help physicians customize treatments for patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas. Research shows that oral squamous cell carcinomas cancer is already the eighth-most common […]
January 6, 2021

Study of 50,000 people finds brown fat may protect against many diseases

Brown fat is that magical tissue that you would want more of. Unlike white fat, which stores calories, brown fat burns energy and scientists hope it may hold the key to new obesity treatments. But it has long been unclear whether people with ample brown fat truly enjoy better health. […]
January 6, 2021

AI algorithms detect diabetic eye disease inconsistently

Although some artificial intelligence software tested reasonably well, only one met the performance of human screeners, researchers found. Diabetes continues to be the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults in the United States. But the current shortage of eye-care providers would make it impossible to keep up with the demand […]
January 6, 2021

Researchers use deep learning to identify gene regulation at single-cell level

Scientists at the University of California, Irvine have developed a new deep-learning framework that predicts gene regulation at the single-cell level. Deep learning, a family of machine-learning methods based on artificial neural networks, has revolutionized applications such as image interpretation, natural language processing and autonomous driving. In a study published […]
January 5, 2021

Turning microbiome research into a force for health

The microbiome comprises trillions of microorganisms living on and inside each of us. Historically, some researchers have guessed at its role in human health, but in the last decade or so genetic sequencing techniques have illuminated this galaxy of microorganisms enough to study it in detail. As researchers unravel the […]