General

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 […]

Researchers have developed a method that could drastically accelerate the search for new drugs to treat mental health disorders such as schizophrenia. Mental health disorders are the leading cause of disability worldwide, accounting for 31% of total years lived with disability. While our understanding of the biology behind these disorders […]

Most human cells have 23 pairs of chromosomes. Any deviation from this number can be fatal for cells, and several genetic disorders, such as Down syndrome, are caused by abnormal numbers of chromosomes. For decades, biologists have also known that cancer cells often have too few or too many copies […]

Children with their first or early adult set of teeth that stick out have an increased chance of damaging them, but the risk can be easily reduced without being prohibitively costly. A study undertaken at the University of Adelaide of more than 50,000 children aged under 19 years published in […]

UW Medicine researchers are recruiting pregnant women to study whether prenatal marijuana use – in the absence of alcohol, tobacco, and any illicit drug consumption – affects their infants’ brain development, cognitive and motor development, medical health, and social behavior. The “Moms + Marijuana” study is co-led by Drs. Natalia Kleinhans and Stephen […]

U-M is looking for families with a child or children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder to take part in a national study aimed at speeding up research and insight into the disorder. Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is associated with a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, […]

Long-term stress has been linked with cardiovascular disease, but for people with depression, researchers say small, everyday stressors may be enough to diminish blood vessel function in otherwise healthy adults. A team of researchers led by Penn State found that among adults with depression, those who had experienced stress in […]

In 2017, nearly 37 million people were living with HIV worldwide, according to the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Current treatments for the virus, which becomes AIDS in its most advanced stage, involve a combination of drugs known as antiretroviral therapy (ART). For those who know they have […]

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the most common causes of vision loss in people over age 65. The exact cause is unknown, but the fact that a family history of AMD increases a person’s risk for the condition suggests genetics play an important role. Using stem cells derived […]

A new algorithm developed by MIT researchers takes cues from panoramic photography to merge massive, diverse cell datasets into a single source that can be used for medical and biological studies. Single-cell datasets profile the gene expressions of human cells — such as a neurons, muscles, and immune cells — to […]

Some risk factors for osteoporosis such as being older and female or having a family history of the condition cannot be avoided. But others can, like smoking cigarettes, consuming alcohol, taking certain medications, or being exposed to environmental pollutants. But until now researchers haven’t gained a firm picture of how […]

A common chronic skin condition affecting 125 million people worldwide, psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, a class of disorders in which the immune system attacks the body’s own healthy cells. In recent years, new medications—known as biologics, which inhibit the overactive immune system by targeting specific inflammatory pathways—have revolutionized the […]

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have developed a stem cell based model in order to study the resilience and vulnerability of neurons in the neurodegenerative disease ALS. The results are published in the journal Stem Cell Reports and can aid in the identification of new genetic targets for treatments protecting sensitive […]

In pursuit of a novel tool for the research and treatment of celiac disease, Harvard Medical School scientists at the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center (MIBRC) at Massachusetts General Hospital have validated the use of intestinal organoids. These three-dimensional tissue cultures are miniature, simplified versions of the intestine produced in vitro. […]

Scientists have discovered how mutations in DNA can cause neurodegenerative disease. The discovery is an important step towards better treatment to slow the progression or delay onset in a range of incurable diseases such as Huntington’s and motor neurone disease – possibly through the use, in new ways, of existing […]

Cavity-conscious mothers can rest assured their children will not be at increased risk of tooth decay if they can’t breastfeed or they want to breastfeed their children for longer – as long as they have access to fluoridated water, research from the University of Adelaide has found. The new research, […]

Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of death worldwide, and treating it isn’t easy.  The disease wreaks havoc on patients’ blood vessels and can require complex bypass surgery. Scientists at the Morgridge Institute for Research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are working toward a dream of creating artery banks — […]

The intestinal linings of monkeys with inflamed bowels show chemical alterations similar to abnormal protein deposits in the brains of Parkinson’s patients, lending support to the idea that inflammation may play a key role in the development of the degenerative neurological disorder. A study published by University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers […]

Nerve cells, or neurons — specifically the “workhorse cells” involved in walking, breathing and chewing — can adjust to changes in the body, but they never stop working unless there is an fatal injury. What exactly signals neurons to keep acting and operating normally has not been known until now. […]

Could a blood cell type responsible for scarring and diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis be repurposed to help engineer healthy tissue? A new study by a University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health researcher shows that someday, fibrocytes may be used for regenerative therapies for people who need […]

Adults with lupus who report having had adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as abuse, neglect and household challenges, report higher disease activity, depression and poorer overall health compared to those without such experiences, according to a study by researchers at UC San Francisco. “Our results support the notion that stress […]

Penn doctoral student Michael Barnett admits he was “obsessed” with Pokémon as a child, spending hours with Pikachu and the gang. So, as he and former Stanford colleague Jesse Gomez discussed a paper about which brain regions light up when young macaques view letters, cartoons, and Tetris pieces, they had an idea. “We […]

Earth’s atmosphere shields life on the ground from cosmic radiation that can damage DNA.  Astronauts in space have no such protection, and that puts them at risk. An investigation on the International Space Station examines DNA damage and repair in space in order to help protect the long-term health of […]

In 2009, disagreement in the health community arose following a recommendation from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) against routine mammogram screening for women ages 40-49 who are at average risk for breast cancer. Then, in 2015, the American Cancer Society (ACS) updated its 2003 breast cancer screening […]

Technology reveals previously undetectable protein signaling activity in diabetes, cancer Proteins are the workhorses of the cell. Their activity is often controlled by adding or removing chemicals called phosphates, like switching an electrical current on or off. Measuring how many proteins are phosphorylated, or turned on, has been a roadblock […]

Some research suggests that one reason people with obesity overeat is because they don’t enjoy food—especially sweets—as much as lean people. But it’s not understood if obesity itself or eating certain foods causes taste changes, or how those changes impact appetite and obesity. For clues, University of Michigan researchers turned […]

Several years ago, MIT neuroscientists showed that they could dramatically reduce the amyloid plaques seen in mice with Alzheimer’s disease simply by exposing the animals to light flickering at a specific frequency. In a new study, the researchers have found that this treatment has widespread effects at the cellular level, […]

A new algorithm developed by MIT researchers takes cues from panoramic photography to merge massive, diverse cell datasets into a single source that can be used for medical and biological studies. Single-cell datasets profile the gene expressions of human cells — such as a neurons, muscles, and immune cells — to […]

MIT researchers have performed the first comprehensive analysis of the genes that are expressed in individual brain cells of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The results allowed the team to identify distinctive cellular pathways that are affected in neurons and other types of brain cells. This analysis could offer many potential […]

Research into an intricate toxin delivery system found in bacteria could overcome the problem of pesticide resistance in insects, and might even lead to new cancer treatments. An international team led by Dr Michael Landsberg at The University of Queensland has revealed the detailed inner workings of the newest member of a […]