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Some of the world’s most common allergy-inducing critters, from dust mites to fungi to shellfish, have one thing in common: chitin, the polymer that makes tough cell walls in mushrooms, fungal spores and crunchy lobster exoskeletons. A whiff of chitin triggers an immune response in the lungs, likely to prepare […]

CT scans for patients with concussions provide critical information about their risk for long-term impairment and potential to make a complete recovery – findings that underscore the need for physician follow-up. In a study led by UC San Francisco, researchers looked at the CT scans of 1,935 patients, ages 17 […]

In the largest study of its kind, an investigation by UC San Francisco has found no evidence that moderate coffee consumption can cause cardiac arrhythmia. In fact, each additional daily cup of coffee consumed among several hundred thousand individuals was associated with a 3 percent lower risk of any arrhythmia […]

New research adds to a body of evidence indicating decisions about withdrawing life-sustaining treatment for patients with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) should not be made in the early days following the injury. In the study published in JAMA Neurology, researchers led by UC San Francisco, Medical College of Wisconsin […]

When we are exposed to a pathogen, the immune system’s B cells swarm to our lymph nodes, spleens, and tonsils. There, those cells mutate in germinal centers—microscopic boot camps that rush the B cells through volleys of mutations to produce the most potent antibodies for neutralizing the infectious agent. As […]

Developing drugs to combat tuberculosis, or TB, can be frustrating business. A gene essential to the bacteria’s lifecycle is discovered, scientists rush to develop drugs that inhibit the target, and then—disappointment. Volleys of compounds hurled at the essential gene target have little impact on microbial growth. The bacteria live on. […]

Unique development is biocompatible and does not require electricity, wires, or batteries. Tel Aviv University (TAU) researchers have developed a technology that involves a tiny sensor implanted in the nerve of an injured limb and is connected directly to a healthy nerve. Each time the limb touches an object, the sensor […]

The body’s so-called good cholesterol maybe even better than we realize. New research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that one type of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) has a previously unknown role in protecting the liver from injury. This HDL protects the liver by blocking inflammatory signals […]

According to research supported by NIH's National Eye Institute, a form of gene therapy protects optic nerve cells and preserves vision in mouse models of glaucoma. The findings suggest a way forward for developing neuroprotective therapies for glaucoma, a leading cause of visual impairment and blindness. The report was published […]

Elevated levels of three specific circulating proteins are associated with protection against kidney failure in diabetes, according to new research from Harvard Medical School researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center published in Science Translational Medicine. “As well as acting as biomarkers for advancing kidney disease risk in diabetes, the proteins may also […]

Over the last decade, investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have been at the forefront of the effort to identify the small population of neurons deep within the brain that causes hunger. But precisely how these cells and the unpleasant feeling of hunger they cause actually drive an animal to […]

No amount of lead in drinking water is safe for people with kidney disease, study shows Despite advances in reducing the amount of lead in drinking water, low levels of contamination remain widespread throughout the United States. This may be especially dangerous for the 30 to 40 million Americans living […]

By implementing a long-term, prospective approach to the development of celiac disease, a collaborative group of researchers has identified substantial microbial changes in the intestines of at-risk infants before disease onset. Using advanced genomic sequencing techniques, MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC) researchers, along with colleagues from institutions in Italy and […]

T-cells play a crucial role in how the body responds to infection – and have become a key focus for scientists during the COVID-19 pandemic as they hunt for ways to kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In this study, the researchers uncovered more about how these cells and their receptors work, […]

The six-month campaign will target parts of South Wales with poor cancer survival rates and highlight six possible symptoms, including unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea, persistent fatigue, abdominal pain and “not feeling yourself”. The initiative aims to encourage adults in the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board area […]

A new study, led by University of Minnesota Twin Cities engineering researchers, shows that the stiffness of protein fibers in tissues, like collagen, are a key component in controlling the movement of cells. The groundbreaking discovery provides the first proof of a theory from the early 1980s and could have […]

One of the greatest mysteries of the COVID-19 pandemic is why some people fall severely ill while others suffer nary a sniffle. Now, after compiling data from around the world, researchers have determined that the answer seems to lie, in part, in genetics. Through an international meta-analysis of studies from more than […]

For much of human history, animals and plants were perceived to follow a different set of rules than rest of the universe. In the 18th and 19th centuries, this culminated in a belief that living organisms were infused by non-physical energy or “life force” that allowed them to perform remarkable […]

The study, carried out by researchers at the Universities of Bristol, Oxford and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, was designed to measure how tsetse offspring health is influenced by their mothers’ age, and how factors such as the mother’s nutrition and mating experience might come into play. In many […]

With the application of a novel three-dimensional imaging technology, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered that one portion of the autonomic nervous system in the liver undergoes severe degeneration in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The study, which is conducted in mice and human liver tissue, shows that the degeneration of […]

A skin pigmentation mechanism that can darken the color of human skin as a natural defense against ultraviolet (UV)-associated cancers has been discovered by scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Mediating the biological process is an enzyme, NNT, which plays a key role in the production of melanin (a pigment […]

Biochemists at Emory are achieving insights into how an important regulator of the immune system switches its function, based on its orientation and local environment. New research demonstrates that the glucocorticoid receptor (or GR) forms droplets or “condensates” that change form, depending on its available partners. Understanding how the GR […]

Recovered COVID-19 patients retain broad and effective longer-term immunity to the disease, suggests a recent Emory University study, which is the most comprehensive of its kind so far. The findings have implications for expanding understanding about human immune memory as well as future vaccine development for coronaviruses. The longitudinal study, […]

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a cell culture test to detect substances that are directly or indirectly harmful to embryos. Based on an existing test used for developing new drugs and chemicals, the augmented version is designed to help reduce the number of animal experiments. Drugs must be safe […]

New research in humans and mice identifies a particular signaling molecule that can help modify inflammation and the immune system to protect against Alzheimer’s disease. The work, which was led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), is published in Nature. Cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease develops when neurons begin to die. “Neuron […]

As a newborn mammal opens its eyes for the first time, it can already make visual sense of the world around it. But how does this happen before they have experienced sight? A new Yale study suggests that, in a sense, mammals dream about the world they are about to […]

Magnetic field could boost blood vessel growth to regenerate damaged tissue. Magnetic field can be used to stimulate blood vessel growth, according to a study published in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials. The findings, by researchers at the Tecnico Lisboa and NOVA School of Science and Technology […]

Understanding the structure of proteins can help understand their function; however, existing computational methods fail to predict 3D structures of proteins with atomic accuracy. Thankfully, a recent paper on Nature introduces a redesigned version of a neural network-based model AlphaFold. It can predict protein structures with accuracy competitive with the experiment […]

The topic of vaping is subject to many ongoing discussions. Manufacturers often say this is 'less harmful' alternative to typical cigarettes which also helps quitting smoking. But there are lots of scientific studies contradicting this claim. Different research teams point to unique and undesirable side effects, such as increased susceptibility […]

As we age, our brains typically undergo a slow process of atrophy, causing less robust communication between various brain regions, which leads to declining memory and other cognitive functions. But a rare group of older individuals called “superagers” have been shown to learn and recall novel information as well as […]