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One of the most powerful tools available to biologists these days is CRISPR-Cas9, a combination of specialized RNA and protein that acts as a molecular scalpel, allowing researchers to precisely slice and dice pieces of an organism's genetic code. But even though CRISPR-Cas9 technology has offered an unprecedented level of […]

Follow-up data from the landmark SPRINT study of the effect of high blood pressure on cardiovascular disease have confirmed that aggressive blood-pressure management—lowering systolic blood pressure to less than 120 mm Hg—dramatically reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke and death from these diseases, as well as death from all […]

Scientists from the University of Bristol have pioneered a new approach to help biological engineers both harness and design the evolutionary potential of new biosystems. Their concept of the ‘evotype’ lays a foundation for the next generation of stable, safe and self-improving biotechnologies. A defining characteristic of all life is […]

A new study comparing different ways of encouraging people to reduce their alcohol intake has found telling people alcohol causes cancer makes them want to drink less, and encouraging them to count their drinks helps them do it. Lead author Professor Simone Pettigrew from The George Institute for Global Health said that […]

Virtual care provided through telephone or videoconference has been broadly implemented in recent months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A new analysis of published studies has examined the accuracy and reliability of virtual compared with in-person cognitive assessments for diagnosing dementia or mild cognitive impairment. The analysis, which is published […]

New research at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and ANZAC Research Institute has uncovered a mechanism that helps lung cancer cells resist standard chemotherapies. A team led by Associate Professor David Croucher and Associate Professor Andrew Burgess found that individual lung adenocarcinoma cells, the most common form of lung […]

A study led by researchers at the Universities of Manchester and York published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe has revealed strong disparities in rates of excess deaths in England and Wales during the first 30 weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the research team, deaths compared with […]

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have investigated how a newly developed algorithm in connection with gene analysis can be used to improve the possibilities of preventing premature vascular disease and death in individuals with the hereditary lipid disorder, familial hypercholesterolemia. The findings, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, show how […]

The immune system is the brain’s best frenemy. It protects the brain from infection and helps injured tissues heal, but it also causes autoimmune diseases and creates inflammation that drives neurodegeneration. Two new studies in mice suggest that the double-edged nature of the relationship between the immune system and the […]

A revolutionary new urine screening test that utilizes a novel Keratin 17 (K17) cancer biomarker can detect the presence of new bladder cancer in patients with hematuria, or blood in the urine, according to a study led by researchers at Yale Cancer Center, Stony Brook University, and KDx Diagnostics, Inc. The findings also […]

An odor-based test that sniffs out vapors emanating from blood samples was able to distinguish between benign and pancreatic and ovarian cancer cells with up to 95 percent accuracy, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine. The findings suggest that the Penn-developed […]

Hydrogels are polymer materials made mostly from water. They can be used in a wide range of medical and other applications. However, previous incarnations of the materials suffered from repeated mechanical stress and would easily become deformed. A novel crystal that can reversibly form and deform, allows hydrogels to rapidly […]

A team of researchers led by diabetes specialists and biomedical engineers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Cornell University has demonstrated that using a miniscule device, they can implant insulin-secreting cells into diabetic mice. Once implanted, the cells secrete insulin in response to blood sugar, reversing […]

The human brain is the most interesting object in neuroscience. Recently, researchers from Harvard University and Google released a 1.4-petabyte dataset of a small sample of the human cerebral cortex (a surface layer of the brain, responsible for higher-level cognitive functions). The sample has been imaged at 4nm-resolution using electron […]

About a third of the corneal transplant surgeries in the United States involve people with diabetes who donate their corneas after death. The number of corneal transplants has grown over the last decade, but through continuous research, the medical community has learned that not all corneal tissue from diabetics may […]

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have discovered a new genetic disease that causes a severe form of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension, a rapid drop in blood pressure upon standing that can cause fainting. The rare condition, which they named familial autonomic ganglionopathy, is caused by variations in the CHRNA3 gene, […]

By studying guppies, scientists at the University of Toronto and Florida State University found that behaviours affected by methylphenidate hydrochloride (MPH) – the active ingredient in stimulants such as Ritalin and Concerta used to treat ADHD – can be passed along to several generations of descendants. “We exposed male and female Trinidadian […]

A new model by University of Manchester researchers has proposed a way to prevent hearing loss in older people by addressing socioeconomic inequalities encountered while young. Published in Trends in Hearing the team hope the model could impact the estimated 466 million people worldwide who have disabling hearing loss, mostly affecting […]

Women may have a stronger immune response to a common form of skin cancer than men, according to early research on mice and human cells. Led by University of Manchester scientists at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, the team publish their findings in Clinical Cancer Research. The study is funded by The Wellcome […]

Neurons result from a highly complex and unique series of cell divisions. For example, in fruit flies, the process starts with stem cells that divide into mother cells (progenitor cells), which then divide into precursor cells that eventually become neurons. A team from the University of Michigan, spearheaded by graduate […]

The University of Michigan is one of eight sites around the country that will enroll patients in a clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a technology that uses ultrasound to treat liver tumors. The #HOPE4LIVER trial will employ the noninvasive technique to mechanically destroy primary and metastatic liver tumors. […]

It’s long been known that people living with HIV experience a loss of white matter in their brains. As opposed to grey matter, which is composed of the cell bodies of neurons, white matter is made up of a fatty substance called myelin that coats neurons, offering protection and helping […]

A lot of people are trying to lose some weight. Some just want to look better for the summer, others are fighting for better health and well-being. Losing weight is not easy and many people find themselves gaining weight soon after losing it. What makes it difficult to maintain a […]

Meningiomas are the most common type of primary brain tumor. Found in the meninges– or the tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, meningiomas are often benign. However, some can behave more aggressively and recur. These tumors can affect critical neurovascular structures, such as arteries and cranial nerves, impacting […]

While some people find it unsightly, scarring is actually quite an interesting thing. Scar tissue is harder and more resilient and its formation is one of the body’s natural functions. However, scars can also be quite uncomfortable or even painful. Now scientists at the University of Queensland have found a […]

Researchers have developed antibodies that can bind to phosphohistidine, an unstable molecule that’s linked to cancer. To learn how the two bind together, the team turned to the powerful X-rays at Argonne’s Advanced Photon Source. Scientists are harnessing hard X-rays in the fight against cancer. A team of researchers, in […]

The goal of modern cancer treatments is to kill off cancer cells while causing the least amount of damage to the surrounding tissue. This is not easy to do with current therapies, which often cause significant side effects. Now researchers at the University of Edinburgh have tested new light-activated drugs […]

We are trying to see the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. It feels like it’s been so long since we could gather and partake in our usual social activities without the fear of spreading this dangerous disease. Maybe summer will help lift some of the burden of COVID-19 spread? Scientists […]

To analyze the genome or the genetic characteristics of a living organism, scientists typically rely on samples of millions of cells. The problem is that the DNA in each of our cells is not identical. Until recently, the amount of DNA that could be extracted from a single cell couldn’t […]

Human cell has 46 chromosomes. From your school biology class you know that they contain instructions for life – your DNA is in them. And while we know about chromosomes for 130 years there are still many details that have escaped scientists’ eyes for decades. For example, scientists at UCL […]