General

In experiments using mice, a team of UC San Francisco researchers has discovered a gene that plays an essential role in noise-induced deafness. Remarkably, by administering an experimental chemical—identified in a separate UCSF lab in 2013—that acts on the pathway linking this gene to hearing loss, they found that they […]

A pioneer in the study of neural cells revealed how a single mutation affecting the most common protein in a supporting brain cell produces devastating, fibrous globs. These, in turn, disturb the location of cellular processing units, harm the flow of energy and signals through the brain, and reduce the […]

“Bees have complex social behaviors, and with this species of bee, we can directly compare individuals that live in social groups to those that don’t live in social groups,” said Sarah Kocher, an assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics at Princeton University, who led the research. “We […]

The school has named three initial teams, two in emerging areas of biotechnology and one in robotics and “cyber-physical” systems. Each will receive $250,000 per year for three years, after which they will be evaluated to determine whether the initiative should continue, evolve into a larger effort or conclude. “The […]

Pioneering research into the mechanisms controlling gene activity in the brain could hold the key to understanding Alzheimer’s disease and might help identify effective treatments in the future. An international research team led by scientists at the University of Exeter and the University of Essex have uncovered a link between […]

The entrainment of theta brain waves with a commercially available device not only enhances theta wave activity, but also boosts memory performance. That’s according to new research from the Center for Neuroscience at the University of California, Davis, published in the journal Cognitive Neuroscience. Electrical activity in the brain causes different […]

Using a novel biomarker panel to track and measure kidney function, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and University of California San Francisco School of Medicine report that lowering systolic blood pressure to less than 120 mm Hg does not damage the kidney organ itself. Instead, […]

CU Boulder engineers have developed a 3D printing technique that allows for localized control of an object’s firmness, opening up new biomedical avenues that could one day include artificial arteries and organ tissue. The study, which was recently published in the journal Nature Communications, outlines a layer-by-layer printing method that features […]

While exercise has been known to be an effective means to improve mood for a long time now, the effects of specifically aerobic exercise (AE) in the context of treating major depression have not been clearly supported by the literature. A new systematic review and meta-analysis of the research, published […]

Using already tested and approved drugs for a new purpose is a new and growing trend. It allows saving time and introducing new therapies quicker and cheaper. Now scientists from the University of Waterloo have discovered that antidepressant medications can be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease. While antidepressants, of course, […]

The Michelson Prizes are scientific awards of $150,000 given annually to young investigators who are applying disruptive research concepts and inventive processes to advance vaccine and immunotherapy research for major global diseases. The 2019 Michelson Prizes have been expanded to include three focus areas: Human Immunology, Computational Biology and Protein Engineering, andNeglected Parasitic […]

The New Idea Award is a concept award to support innovative approaches that may fundamentally change the understanding, diagnosis and/or treatment of blood cancers and related pre-malignant conditions. This grant program is designed to identify novel research strategies with a potential for high impact on blood cancer. Specifically, this program supports the […]

Scientists have revealed the intricate process that bone cells use to repair themselves after mechanical injury, according to a study in the open-access journal eLife. The research provides new insight on how the body adapts to all kinds of mechanical stresses – from pressure placed on bones during simple walking, […]

Of the 80 per cent of women who develop symptoms during menopause, many will experiment with complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) as well as lifestyle changes to treat their symptoms, said Tami Shandro, a University of Alberta family physician, Women and Children’s Health Research Institute member and menopause clinic team […]

Computational modeling shows promise as a tool for probing this question, a study finds. The architecture of each person’s brain is unique, and differences may influence how quickly people can complete various cognitive tasks. But how neuroanatomy impacts performance is largely an open question. To learn more, scientists are developing […]

A bump to the head from slipping on the stairs, falling off a skateboard, or running into an open cupboard door has long been seen as a temporary injury, something resolved with a little rest. But a growing body of research suggests that, for some people, even concussions that seem […]

A new innovation in cancer research will enable scientists to understand the complex causes of the disease with unprecedented speed and sophistication. This will accelerate the development of new and better treatments, and it will help researchers find ways around roadblocks that now stand in their path. Rather than looking […]

An unhealthy population of microbes in the mouth triggers specialized immune cells that inflame and destroy tissues, leading to the type of bone loss associated with a severe form of gum disease, according to a new study in mice and humans. The research, led by scientists from the National Institute […]

One question that scientists and fitness experts alike would love to answer is whether exercise or nutrition has a bigger positive impact on bone strength. University of Michigan researchers looked at mineral supplementation and exercise in mice, and found surprising results––nutrition has a greater impact on bone mass and strength […]

Biomedical engineers from Duke University and Washington University in St. Louis have demonstrated that, by injecting an artificial protein made from a solution of ordered and disordered segments, a solid scaffold forms in response to body heat, and in a few weeks seamlessly integrates into tissue. The ability to combine […]

For the first time, researchers have developed a way to determine how many cancer cells it takes to initiate a tumor in another part of the body. The findings, made by a team of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists, are published in the journal, Scientific Reports. “We think this […]

Pioneering research has given a fascinating fresh insight into how animal nervous systems evolved from simple structures to become the complex network transmitting signals between different parts of the body. The new study used simple multicellular organisms called Placozoa to reveal the beginnings of the nervous systems found in more complex […]

Neurons in the human brain receive electrical signals from thousands of other cells, and long neural extensions called dendrites play a critical role in incorporating all of that information so the cells can respond appropriately. Using hard-to-obtain samples of human brain tissue, MIT neuroscientists have now discovered that human dendrites […]

A new Tel Aviv University study finds that certain environmental conditions may precipitate structural changes that take place in myelin sheaths in the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS). Myelin sheaths are the “insulating tape” surrounding axons; axons carry electrical impulses in neurons. The research demonstrates that myelin sheaths undergo structural transitions when […]

A team from the University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison are launching a project to develop new strategies for treating vision disorders using cells implanted in the retina. The work is one of five initiatives newly funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Eye Institute (NEI) Audacious Goals Initiative. The program’s […]

Using the CURATE.AI artificial intelligence (AI) platform, a research team led by the National University of Singapore (NUS) managed to halt the progression of advanced prostate cancer in a patient by delivering optimal doses of medication. In a clinical study published in the journal Advanced Therapeutics, the researchers deployed the […]

Researchers from the University of Georgia have discovered that timing of exposure is a key factor in how certain contaminants affect the reproductive system—information that may help scientists understand the causes of reproductive disorders in wildlife and women. Scientists observed many of the negative effects of estrogen-mimicking contaminants on the reproductive […]

Using a combination of computational modeling and experimental techniques, a research team has developed new information about how intercellular communication affects the differentiation of an embryonic stem cell colony over time. By providing new information about the role of communication among cells, the research could lead to a better understanding […]

The discovery, published in Nature Materials, is the first chemically programmed approach to producing an artificial tissue. The findings, which could have major health applications in the future, could see chemically programmed synthetic tissue being used to support failing living tissues and to cure specific diseases. The development of synthetic tissue […]

Almost eight years ago, Stanford University bioengineer Manu Prakash was looking for a way to watch every cell in an adult living, behaving animal in elaborate detail. He searched the catalog of life and happened upon the simple marine animal Trichoplax adhaerens – or Tplax, as Prakash has come to call it. This ultra-flat […]