General

As spring arrives in the northern hemisphere, many people are cursing ragweed, a primary culprit in seasonal allergies. But scientists might have discovered a promising new use for some substances produced by the pesky weed. In ACS’ Journal of Natural Products, researchers have identified and characterized ragweed compounds that could help […]

A new way to cleanly separate out cancer cells from a blood sample enables comprehensive genetic profiling of the cancer cells, which could help doctors target tumors and monitor treatments more effectively. It is a dramatic improvement over current approaches because it also encompasses the variation among cancer cells within […]

If a tumour is made up of cells with many different genomes, a single drug might not kill them all. A technique developed by a team of DTU researchers makes it possible to identify cancer cells on the genetic level—potentially paving the way for tailored and more effective treatments. “The […]

Ever cracked a joke about old people? It might seem funny, but in a world where the population aged 60 or over is growing faster than all younger age groups, ageism is no laughing matter, says a University of Alberta researcher. “Ageism is now thought to be the most common […]

Not all cells are destined for greatness. Deemed unfit to serve in the body, some are killed off during early development through a process called cell competition. This phenomenon has previously been documented in flies and is now turning out to occur in mammals as well. In a recent study, […]

University at Buffalo researchers have identified the first human-specific fusion gene—a hybrid of two genes—implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. The finding suggests that a neurotransmitter receptor, previously successful in animal studies but that failed in human trials for Alzheimer’s, might still turn out to be a valuable therapy. In a paper published in […]

Machine Learning Tool Automates Pathologists’ Work to Identify Disease Markers. Researchers at UC Davis and UC San Francisco have found a way to teach a computer to precisely detect one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease in human brain tissue, delivering a proof of concept for a machine-learning approach capable […]

A jawless parasitic fish could help lead the way to more effective treatments for multiple brain ailments, including cancer, trauma and stroke. One major challenge in treating cancers and other disorders of the brain is ensuring that medicines reach their targets. A team of biomedical engineers and clinician-scientists at the […]

The average Dane will gain a health benefit from substituting part of the red and processed meat in their diet with fish, according to calculations from the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark. Men over 50 and women of childbearing age in particular would benefit from such a change […]

According to researchers at Yale Cancer Center, a cancer drug thought to be of limited use possesses a superpower of sorts: It is able to stop certain cancer cells from repairing their DNA in order to survive. The study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, suggests that combining this drug, cediranib, […]

In its role as a unique orbiting laboratory, the International Space Station provides a broad range of equipment for conducting health and life sciences research. However, the equipment available for cellular and molecular biology is limited compared to capabilities found in laboratories on Earth. To address this limitation, the Canadian […]

By studying a rare form of dementia, researchers might have found a way to detect neurodegeneration before brain cells are lost for good. Earlier detection could provide therapeutic drug treatments a chance to work. Scientists might have found an early detection method for some forms of dementia, according to new […]

By injecting cells that support blood vessel growth into muscles depleted by inactivity, researchers say they are able to help restore muscle mass lost as a result of immobility. The research, conducted in adult mice, involved injections of cells called pericytes (PERRY-sites), which are known to promote blood vessel growth […]

Babies exposed to opioids while their mothers were pregnant with them may need special care even before they start to experience withdrawal symptoms, according to Penn State research. Researchers from Penn State College of Medicine found that as soon as 24 and 48 hours after birth, babies who were exposed […]

The human gut microbiome is a complex microbial ecosystem that plays an important role in our health. For example, these microbes — bacteria, viruses, fungi — help regulate metabolism, fend off infections, produce essential vitamins and break down dietary fiber. They may also be biomarkers of health and disease. A […]

By the time type 1 diabetes is diagnosed, most of the insulin-producing beta cells have already been destroyed. Now, using an innovative transplantation technique, researchers at Karolinska Institutet and University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have been able to intervene to save the beta cells in mice by discovering […]

The same sources thought to inflict oxidative stress on cells—pollution, diesel exhaust, smoking and obesity—also are associated with shorter telomeres, the protective tips on the ends of the chromosomal shoelace. A new study from the University of Pittsburgh, published in Molecular Cell, provides the first smoking gun evidence that oxidative […]

Though much of the human genome has been sequenced and assembled, scientists have hit road blocks trying to map unassembled regions of DNA that consist mostly of repetitive sequences. One of these regions, found in every cell, is the centromere. Researchers from the University of Rochester, along with their colleagues […]

These days, scientists can collect a few skin or blood cells, wipe out their identities, and reprogram them to become virtually any other kind of cell in the human body, from neurons to heart cells.   The journey from skin cell to another type of functional cell involves converting them into induced pluripotent […]

Obesity is a growing problem among toddlers, children and adolescents in the United States. Gaining weight and fat mass rapidly during the first six months of life is one risk factor that can lead to obesity in children. A University of Minnesota School of Public Health study, recently published in the journal Nutrients, […]

The relative risk of a recurrence of cancer is reduced by 60% in dogs whose tumors are completely removed, a new analysis by Oregon State University researchers has found. The researchers reviewed published veterinary studies and found a recurrence of less than 10% in dogs where the soft tissue sarcoma […]

Radiation therapy against cancer can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease much later in life, as the radiation causes chronic inflammation of the exposed blood vessels. In a new study published in the European Heart Journal, researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have shown that these inflammations can be treated with […]

In just a few short weeks, tens of thousands of newly minted doctors will start the most intense year of their training: the first year of residency, also called the intern year. A new study suggests that between now and next summer, that experience will make their DNA age six […]

An International study which the Danish iPSYCH project has contributed to has now brought us one step closer to understanding why some people suffer from bipolar disorder. After six years of work, researchers from Denmark and abroad have succeeded in uncovering genes which play an important role in the development […]

Cells missing a certain protein on their surface can’t move normally, UConn researchers reported in Science Signaling. The research could give insight into how cells move and repair wounds in normal tissue, as well as how cancer spreads through the body. Cells are the body’s workers, and they often need to […]

A molecule that helps blood clot may also play a role in multiple sclerosis relapses, researchers reported in the journal PNAS. The new research may help answer the mystery of why remissions happen, as well as find early markers of the disease. The research also shows a new way to […]

How do bones heal, and how could they heal better? The answer to these questions may lie in a newly discovered population of “messenger” cells, according to an USC Stem Cell study published in the journal eLife. “With nearly half a million patients in the U.S experiencing failed bone repair every […]

Although much of the human genome has been sequenced and assembled, scientists have hit roadblocks trying to map unassembled regions of DNA that consist mostly of repetitive sequences, including the centromere. Now, for the first time, researchers from the University of Connecticut and University of Rochester have sequenced all the […]

Scientists from Trinity have discovered a potential new target for regulating inflammation, which drives a range of diseases including diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s.  The potential target is an ancient immune protein – SARM – that has been conserved throughout evolution and thus is very similar in humans, other mammals, flies and worms. […]

The discovery of a new way to target and treat the leading genetic contributor to Parkinson's may open the way for a potential new clinical treatment. Researchers from Oxford’s Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics (DPAG) have identified how the dysfunction of a key protein, LRRK2, causes the neurons affected […]