General

More than three decades ago, scientists discovered that a chemical found in a synthetic opioid, MPTP, induced the onset of a form of Parkinson’s disease. In a new study led by scientists from the School of Veterinary Medicine, researchers found that an enzyme in the body can metabolize compounds formed […]

Researchers have discovered that a mysterious group of neurons in the amygdala – a key center for emotional processing in the brain – remain in an immature, prenatal developmental state throughout childhood. Most of these cells mature rapidly during adolescence, suggesting a key role in the brain’s emotional development, but some stay […]

A new study has found that variability in night-to-night sleep time and reduced sleep quality adversely affect the ability of older adults to recall information about past events. The study also found unexpected racial differences in the type of sleep patterns tied to lower memory performance across both younger and […]

Surgery prompted by automobile accidents, combat wounds, cancer treatment and other conditions can lead to bone infections that are difficult to treat and can delay healing until they are resolved. Now, researchers have a developed a double-duty hydrogel that both attacks the bacteria and encourages bone regrowth with a single […]

Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas that accounts for 275,000 hospitalizations in the United States annually. Patients who suffer from hereditary pancreatitis have a 40 to 50 percent lifetime risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Dannielle Engle, a former Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Cancer Center postdoctoral fellow who was recently appointed Assistant Professor […]

A low-carb diet may have benefits for people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes even if they don’t lose any weight, a new study suggests. Researchers at The Ohio State University wanted to know what happens to obese people with metabolic syndrome, a precursor to diabetes, when they eat […]

Some people are night owls. They stay up very late and then fail to wake up early. In fact, they don’t even wake up at the time that we consider to be morning. Being a night owl is associated with depression, worse health and even an early death, but there […]

Make a choice today – become healthier. Move more, eat better, drink plenty of water and lose weight. There is a number of reasons why you should do that, including health risks associated with being overweight. Scientists from UCL found that people who are obese from childhood through to middle […]

The quality of your life depends on many factors, including your upbringing. Your parents do their best to teach you well, but some choices they make themselves are not the best. Also, some genes you get from them also push you to a wrong direction. Scientists from the University of […]

A team of researchers from McMaster University has mapped at atomic resolution a toxic protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease, allowing them to better understand what is happening deep within the brain during the earliest stages of the disease.     The findings, published on the front cover of the current […]

The way energy is distributed throughout the body is by blood. It provides oxygen and nutrients to different parts of the body, including brain. Previous studies have shown that  the first change in Alzheimer’s disease is a decrease in cerebral blood flow. Now scientists from UCL confirmed that reduced blood […]

Geeta Mehta studies cancer not simply as masses of cells but as structured organs with multiple cell types that communicate with each other and interact with the body—much like your lungs or liver. “Tumors are not merely cancerous cells that undergo mindless proliferation. Rather, they are highly organized and interconnected organ […]

After decades of attempts by the scientific community, researchers at Harvard Medical School and Peking University have provided the first clear look at a protein implicated in a vast array of inflammatory conditions. The finding, published in Nature, lifts a blindfold that has hampered scientists' ability to intervene when the […]

Whether we like it or not, digital devices are everywhere. Some of us can barely put them down, even when we’re with cherished family and friends. While these devices can enhance learning and build community, they can also interfere with everything from sleep to creativity. Pediatrician Michael Rich, wants to […]

For patients with Parkinson’s disease, early signs of a certain part of the brain being broken down has been shown to have a negative impact on the course of the disease. The results of a study which researchers from Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital are behind can potentially alter […]

Our immune system is programmed to destroy cancer cells. Sometimes it has trouble slowing disease progression because it doesn’t act quickly or strongly enough. In a study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers from the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) revealed the genetic signature of this […]

For some people with Parkinson’s disease, Levodopa is a wonder drug, capable of eliminating almost overnight the tremors and movement difficulties that characterize the neurodegenerative disorder. Other patients are not so lucky – the drug is either much less effective, or its power seems to wane after just a few […]

A pioneering new study led by Florida State University biologists could fundamentally change our understanding of how embryonic stem cells differentiate into specific cell types. The research, published in the journal Stem Cell Reports, calls into question decades of scientific consensus about the behavior of embryonic stem cells as they […]

For many pregnant women, a diagnosis of preeclampsia can come as a shock. While more common among women carrying multiples and those with chronic high blood pressure, the condition can occur in healthy women without any symptoms. Preeclampsia resolves after a mother gives birth, but women who have had preeclampsia […]

In a study published in the journal Nature, researchers identified 27 new genomic variants associated with conditions such as blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cigarette use and chronic kidney disease in diverse populations. The team collected data from 49,839 African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Native Hawaiian, Native American and people who identified […]

University of Alberta-led research is revolutionizing the way health professionals assess the decision-making capacity of seniors in Edmonton and across the province. The model led to a 60 per cent drop in referrals to geriatricians and an 80 per cent drop in the number of capacity interviews required when it […]

Excessive napping may be an early warning sign of age-related cognitive decline in older men, according to a 12-year study by UC San Francisco scientists. The researchers used wrist-mounted sensors to track sleep–wake habits over five days in nearly 3,000 men over the age of 65 living in community housing […]

Researchers at Oregon State University and Oregon Health & Science University have found a possible counterpunch to the drug resistance of melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. The findings, published in the journal Molecular Carcinogenesis, are important because in the United States alone, almost 100,000 new melanoma cases will […]

Genetically engineered trees that provide fire-resistant lumber for homes. Modified organs that won’t be rejected. Synthetic microbes that monitor your gut to detect invading disease organisms and kill them before you get sick. These are just some of the exciting advances likely to emerge from the 20-year-old field of engineering […]

Using the genome-editing system CRISPR, researchers at MIT and in China have engineered macaque monkeys to express a gene mutation linked to autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders in humans. These monkeys show some behavioral traits and brain connectivity patterns similar to those seen in humans with these conditions. Mouse studies […]

Having diabetes is a risk factor for many other health conditions, including stroke. “Every 40 seconds an American has a stroke,” says Frederick Korley, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Michigan Medicine. “To be successful at preventing strokes from occurring, we first need to accurately identify those who […]

Higher levels of a customary gut bacteria enhanced by breastfeeding in early infancy were found to be coupled with an improved response to vaccines in infants through two years of age, according to a first-of-its-kind study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their colleagues. Infants in the study, who […]

Research supported by the Accelerating Medicines Partnership (AMP) on Rheumatoid Arthritis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (RA/SLE) provides new insights into tissue damage for these autoimmune conditions. Findings include the identification of novel molecular signatures related to immune system signaling in kidney cells that may reflect their active role in disease process; […]

The human immune system relies on a delicate balance of finely tuned cell types that keep germs and cancerous cells in check. In cancer and chronic infections this balance can be disrupted, resulting in immune system dysfunction or “exhaustion.” An important protein called TOX, which varies in amount in different […]

It is likely that in the not-distant future wounds will heal faster with the help of an electrical pulse that promotes rapid cell growth. The same type of pulse may be used for more efficient and effective delivery of drugs to fight disease. Such treatments rely on a process known […]