General

When researchers want to understand a gene’s function, they silence or disable that gene in a model organism, such as a fruit fly, and then look for unusual effects on the fly. This is referred to as creating loss-of-function, or “knocking out” a gene. A study published in the journal […]

Early onset menstruation linked to high blood pressure in late adulthood, UGA study finds. The age a woman begins menstruation is associated with having high blood pressure later in her life, according to a team of researchers at the University of Georgia. Specifically, researchers found that early onset menstruation significantly increased […]

Children whose mothers were hospitalized with an infection during pregnancy may be at increased risk for autism, depression and suicide later in life, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, Washington, and the Sahlgrenska Academy in Gothenburg, Sweden. Previous research […]

Rice University scientists have found significant differences between the methods signaling pathways use to prompt cells to differentiate – that is, whether to become organs, bone, blood vessels, nerves or skin. Rice bioscientist Aryeh Warmflash and alumnus Idse Heemskerk led a team that discovered stem cells are sensitive not only to the signals that […]

A team led by Harvard Medical School researchers based at Massachusetts General Hospital has found that activity of an important signaling pathway increases with aging and with heart failure. In a report published in Science Translational Medicine, the team describes evidence from both humans and animal models that increased activin type II […]

According to a new study published in the journal Neurology, eating patterns rich in fruits and vegetables, moderate in nuts, fish and alcohol, and low in meat and full-fat dairy may confer significant cognitive benefits in middle age if following since early adulthood. “Our findings indicate that maintaining good dietary […]

The Cardiff researchers say that the test could now be a ‘game changer’ in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). It also has the potential to change how other cancers, including myeloma and breast cancer, are treated. While previous versions of the test had taken a week to process, […]

A large multi-centre study of more than 1,200 patients provides important predictors of Parkinson’s disease progression, which will allow better candidate selection for clinical trials and more effective therapy development. The study, led by Dr. Ron Postuma at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital) and the Montreal General Hospital […]

Pancreatic cancer is a grim diagnosis, with a five-year survival rate of less than 9 percent. To improve those odds, researchers at UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine sought genetic signatures in the largest study of its kind that could be used to better match drugs to patients and for early […]

A diet containing compounds found in green tea and carrots reversed Alzheimer’s-like symptoms in mice genetically programmed to develop the disease, USC researchers say. Researchers emphasize that the study, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, was in mice, and many mouse discoveries never translate into human treatments. Nevertheless, the findings […]

The International Genomic Alzheimer’s Project (IGAP) analyzed information from more than 94,000 individuals and found new information on the underlying causes of Alzheimer disease (AD), including five new genes that increase risk for the disease. Their findings were published in Nature Genetics. The study, which was funded in part by the […]

We’ve known for some time that sleep can affect a person’s risk for developing mental health problems. New research from Penn Medicine and a host of other institutions and organizations shows that whether you stay up until the wee hours or bound out of bed with the first rays of sunshine matters, […]

Melanoma is the deadliest forms of skin cancer, but people can significantly improve their chances of survival by checking themselves regularly. You should always look at your moles and other skin structures to spot cancer early in its development. Now scientists from the University of British Columbia have developed a […]

Researchers at the San Diego branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at University of California San Diego, with colleagues around the country, report that inhibiting activity of a specific protein in glioblastomas (GBM) boosts their sensitivity to radiation, thus improving treatment prospects for one of the most common […]

Researchers at the San Diego branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at University of California San Diego have identified an entirely new mechanism underlying the development and structure of the nervous system during embryogenesis. The findings, publishing in the journal Developmental Cell, focus on the dynamic coupling of microtubule […]

Surrounded by high-voltage electrical boxes, foot pedal controls and sleek computers, UCI Health’s new kidney stone pulverizer is both a step into the future and a blast from the past. “It’s a thing of beauty,” says Dr. Jaime Landman, chair of UCI’s Department of Urology, after watching a demonstration of […]

The study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, was carried out by the University’s Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group (TARG) part of the School of Psychological Science and MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (MRC IEU). High-levels of alcohol use in pregnancy is known to affect a child’s physical health.   However, less is known about the association of […]

As David Cortez, PhD, tells the story of his research team’s latest discovery, he shakes his head in disbelief. “I’m just astounded,” said Cortez, Ingram Professor of Cancer Research and professor of Biochemistry. The investigators, led by postdoctoral fellow Kareem Mohni, PhD, have discovered a new DNA repair mechanism. “DNA repair is […]

Dementia is one of the leading causes of death in Australia, but University of Queensland research has found the disease affects men and women differently. UQ health biostatistician Dr Michael Waller said the collaborative study with the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health examined 1.1 million Australian death certificates for any mention of […]

Reporting in the journal Nature ten years (almost to the day) since the first confirmed case of an HIV-infected person (dubbed the “Berlin patient” and later revealed to be an American named Timothy Brown) being rid of the disease, a group of physicians claim to have successfully cured the second-ever […]

A team of researchers from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory Health Data Sciences Institute have harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to better match cancer patients with clinical trials.The researchers were one of ten teams to develop a digital tool to address complex challenges relevant to medical […]

The International Genomic Alzheimer’s Project (IGAP), which is a collaboration of four consortia, including the Genetic and Environmental Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease (GERAD) consortia led by Cardiff University, analysed data from more than 94,000 individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. “This work emphasizes the need for collaborative science,” said Dr Rebecca Sims, […]

When it comes to cardiovascular health, men and women have many of the same risks. After all, everyone faces the challenges of managing weight, blood pressure and cholesterol, among other factors — and heart disease remains the No. 1 cause of death in both sexes. But as women have unique heart […]

Using the power of computer science, physics and biology, scientists are attempting to mimic what took millions of years of evolution to refine: the creation of new proteins. The human body contains at least tens of thousands of different proteins, which act as workhorses driving many of the functions that […]

Chemotherapy drugs are lifesaving to cancer patients, but these toxic drugs are hazardous to the health care workers who come into contact with them. Despite the risks, many health care workers do not use recommended personal protective equipment such as gloves or gowns when handling chemotherapy. A study from the University […]

Analysis of genetic data from more than 94,000 individuals has revealed five new risk genes for Alzheimer’s disease, and confirmed 20 known others. An international team of researchers also reports for the first time that mutations in genes specific to tau, a hallmark protein of Alzheimer’s disease, may play an […]

The human body is made up of 30 to 40 million cells, a large and complex network of blood cells, neurons, and specialized cells that make up organs and tissues. Until now, figuring out which mechanisms control communication between them has proven a significant challenge for the field of cell […]

While virtually all cells in an animal’s body communicate with their neighbors in one way or another, many scientists thought that only neurons — the specialized cells that comprise much of the brain and nervous system — produce structures that allow signals to be delivered to specific locations over long […]

Princeton University researchers are gaining new insights into the causes and characteristics of diseases by harnessing machine learning to analyze molecular patterns across hundreds of diseases simultaneously. Demonstrating a new tool now available to researchers worldwide, the team of computer scientists and biologists has already uncovered and experimentally confirmed previously […]

U.S. rates of sexually transmitted infections (STI) are soaring to such an extent that public health officials are posting billboards that exhort sexual partners to use condoms. But who is championing male circumcision as a mechanism to protect women? Researchers, that’s who. A recent systematic review of 81 published studies and abstracts […]