Related Science News

February 2, 2021

Suppression of Tyrosine Degradation Modestly Extends Life Span in Flies

There are a great many ways to influence cellular metabolism to modestly slow the pace of aging, but few of them are of lll that much interest from a practical point of view, as a basis for therapies that might meaningfully extend human life spans. If an approach involves improvements […]
February 2, 2021

Faster tracking of treatment responses

Biological sensors developed by MIT spinout Glympse Bio could help clinicians make decisions for individual patients. In the fight against severe diseases like cancer, patients often endure a discomforting, weekslong gap between when treatment begins and when doctors can tell if it’s working. The problem often stems from an inability […]
February 2, 2021

Deep Vision: Near-Infrared Imaging and Machine Learning Can Identify Hidden Tumors

Near-infrared hyperspectral imaging combined with machine learning can visualize tumors in deep tissue and covered by a mucosal layer, scientists show Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are tumors of the digestive tract that grow underneath the mucus layer covering our organs. Because they are deep inside the tissue, these “submucosal tumors” are […]
February 2, 2021

Unusual mutation causes defective sperm in boars

ETH researchers have found a gene mutation that causes the sperm of boars to immobilize. Their discovery will help pig breeders to exclude animals with this genetic defect from breeding in future. In pig farming, natural mating between a boar and a sow has become rare. It is much more […]
February 2, 2021

Study offers hope of new treatment for accelerated aging in children

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Gothenburg University have investigated a potential new drug target for the rare genetic disorder Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome that causes accelerated aging in children. The findings in mice are published in the scientific journal eLife and may aid in the development of more effective treatments for […]
February 2, 2021

New technology allows 3D printing bone tissue directly in patients' bodies

3D printing is the way of the future. Someday our houses may be 3D printed. 3D printers are already used in medicine as well, mostly to print tailored implants. Now scientists at UNSW Sydney have developed a new ceramic-based ink, which enables 3D printing of bone parts complete with the […]
February 2, 2021

Pregnant Mothers’ Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 Transfer Efficiently to their Fetuses

Findings hint that vaccination of pregnant women might also protect their newborns. Antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in the blood of pregnant women cross the placenta efficiently and are were found at similar concentrations in the blood of their newborns, according to a large study from researchers at the Perelman […]
February 2, 2021

Researchers develop injection to treat skin cancer

Yale researchers are developing a skin cancer treatment that involves injecting nanoparticles into the tumour, killing cancer cells with a two-pronged approach, as a potential alternative to surgery. The results are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “For a lot of patients, treating skin cancer is […]
February 2, 2021

Trans-institutional collaboration receives $2 million BRAIN Initiative grant, developing brain organoids to map neurological development

Vivian Gama, assistant professor of cell and developmental biology, and Leon Bellan, associate professor of mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering, have won a $2.3 million, three-year grant from the National Institutes of Health Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies Initiative.  The researchers will be developing three-dimensional brain organoids and related tissue—miniaturized and simplified versions produced in vitro—that resemble a human brain at 24 to 25 weeks post-conception. These will provide an unparalleled window […]
February 2, 2021

Gut bacteria predict weight loss

More than half of all Danes are overweight, and being overweight increases the risk of developing a wide range of diseases, including type 2 diabetes, strokes, various types of cancer, and, currently, an enhanced risk of serious complications resulting from COVID-19 infection. Globally, more than four million people die from […]
February 2, 2021

NIH study shows hyaluronan is effective in treating chronic lung disease

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health and their collaborators found that inhaling unfragmented hyaluronan improves lung function in patients suffering from a severe exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Hyaluronan, a sugar secreted by living tissue that acts as a scaffold for cells, is also used in cosmetics […]
February 2, 2021

NIH networks to advance emotional well-being research

Five new research networks totaling $3.13 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health will allow investigators to refine and test key concepts that advance the study of emotional well-being. Emotional well-being has been defined as an overall positive state of one’s emotions, life satisfaction, sense of meaning and […]
February 1, 2021

Request for Startups in the Rejuvenation Biotechnology Space, 2021 Edition

For a few years now, I've suggested areas of opportunity in rejuvenation biotechnology in which either (a) it seems quite viable to start a company, given what I've seen going on in industry and academia, or (b) it would be very helpful should someone step up with an approach that […]
February 1, 2021

Bleeding gums may be a sign you need more vitamin C in your diet

Current advice from the America Dental Association tells you that if your gums bleed, make sure you are brushing and flossing twice a day because it could be a sign of gingivitis, an early stage of periodontal disease. And that might be true. So if you are concerned, see your dentist. However, […]
February 1, 2021

Inherited immune condition reversed by random DNA change

Researchers have revealed how a rare DNA change rebalanced the immune system of patients with a life-threatening genetic immunodeficiency. Researchers at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research have discovered that three patients with a severe genetic immunodeficiency spontaneously repaired the harmful variants in their DNA and restored normal immune function […]
January 31, 2021

Aging is Contagious within the Body

In the midst of a discussion regarding the limitations of life span studies, in that the use of death as an endpoint fails to capture all of the variances in health due to aging, the authors of this paper offer up the thought that aging is contagious within the body. […]
January 31, 2021

Robust artificial intelligence tools to predict future cancer

To catch cancer earlier, we need to predict who is going to get it in the future. The complex nature of forecasting risk has been bolstered by artificial intelligence (AI) tools, but the adoption of AI in medicine has been limited by poor performance on new patient populations and neglect to racial minorities. […]
January 31, 2021

Scientists ‘Farm’ Natural Killer Cells in Novel Cancer Fighting Approach

Building on the promise of emerging therapies to deploy the body’s “natural killer” immune cells to fight cancer, researchers at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center and U-M College of Engineering have gone one step further. They’ve developed what is believed to be the first systematic way to catch natural killer cells and get […]
January 31, 2021

Theory of Mind

The ability to understand others’ hidden thoughts and beliefs is an essential component of human social behaviour. Now, neuroscientists have for the first time identified specific neurons critical for social reasoning, a cognitive process that requires individuals to acknowledge and predict others’ hidden beliefs and thoughts. The findings, published in Nature, […]
January 31, 2021

New research on hagfish provides insight into evolutionary origin of the eye

The answer to the age-old mystery of the evolutionary origins of vertebrate eyes may lie in hagfish, according to a new study by biologists at the University of Alberta. “Hagfish eyes can help us understand the origins of human vision by expanding our understanding of the early steps in vertebrate […]
January 31, 2021

Our gut-brain connection

In many ways, our brain and our digestive tract are deeply connected. Feeling nervous may lead to physical pain in the stomach, while hunger signals from the gut make us feel irritable. Recent studies have even suggested that the bacteria living in our gut can influence some neurological diseases. Modelling […]
January 31, 2021

A high-resolution glimpse of gene expression in cells

Using a novel technique for expanding tissue, MIT and Harvard Medical School researchers have devised a way to label individual molecules of messenger RNA within a tissue sample and then sequence the RNA. This approach offers a unique snapshot of which genes are being expressed in different parts of a […]
January 31, 2021

How a Cancer Drug Carrier's Structure Can Help Selectively Target Cancer Cells

Porphyrins are interesting drug delivery vehicles that can specifically accumulate in cancer cells. However, how the structure of the drug-conjugated porphyrin affects its ability to penetrate and accumulate within cancer cells is not well understood. Researchers from Tokyo University of Science now investigate the correlation between the structure and tumor […]
January 30, 2021

AGEs Contribute to Disc Degeneration via Interaction with RAGE

Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) are a form of metabolic waste, sugary compounds that can interact harmfully with structures and cells in the body. A few forms of persistent AGE can form lasting cross-links in the extracellular matrix that change the structural properties of tissues, contributing to the loss of elasticity […]
January 30, 2021

How a Little-Known Glycoprotein Blocks a Cancer Cell’s Immune Response

It was an unexpected discovery that started with an analysis of more than 1,000 genes. The question: why game-changing cancer immunotherapy treatments work for only a fraction of patients. The analysis shone a light on one that popped up repeatedly in patients and mouse models that did not respond to […]
January 30, 2021

‘Smart’ cartilage cells programmed to release drugs when stressed

Working to develop new treatments for osteoarthritis, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have genetically engineered cartilage to deliver an anti-inflammatory drug in response to activity similar to the bending of a knee or other motions that put stress on joints. Among the early symptoms of […]
January 30, 2021

Risk-taking behavior has a signature in the brain, big data shows

What makes one person drive above the speed limit while another navigates steadily in the right lane? What motivates someone to leave a job with a steady paycheck to launch their own business while the other sticks to one employer for an entire career? “People have different tendencies to engage […]
January 30, 2021

Losing weight before knee surgery may not be beneficial for people with arthritis: study

A new University of Alberta study shows that losing weight before knee replacement surgery doesn’t lead to better outcomes for patients. In a systematic review published in Joint Bone Spine, researchers in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine found that weight loss before surgery may not be beneficial for people with advanced knee osteoarthritis. Medical practitioners have long advised […]