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Repeated measurements of the biomarker FIB-4 in the blood every few years can predict the risk of developing severe liver disease, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the Journal of Hepatology. The risk of liver cirrhosis increases if the levels of this biomarker rise between two […]

A new study reveals that the common asthma drug salbutamol may offer potential as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting 47 million people worldwide and its prevalence is expected to triple to more than 130 million cases by 2050. No effective […]

The article, published in Brain Pathology, describes how SAFB1 expression occurs in both spinocerebellar ataxias and Huntington's disease and may be a common marker of these conditions, which have a similar genetic background. SAFB1 is an important protein controlling gene regulation in the brain and is similar in structure to other […]

USC researchers peering deep inside a living cell have discovered something surprising: Its system for preventing genetic damage linked to diseases can fail so badly that the cell would be better off without it. It’s a paradoxical finding because it challenges the idea that tiny protein guardians of cell division […]

Scientists from the USC Stem Cell laboratories of Neil Segil and Justin Ichida are whispering the secrets of a simpler way to generate the sensory cells of the inner ear. Their approach uses direct reprogramming to produce sensory cells known as “hair cells,” due to their hair-like protrusions that sense sound waves. The study was published […]

Aging sucks. Your entire body starts deteriorating and it’s sad. There is nothing good about aging. But probably the worst part is the decline of cognitive abilities. Losing the sharpness of your mind is truly heartbreaking, but millions and millions of people are facing the inevitability of dementia. However, scientists […]

Companies often outsource some of their activities. It means that some parts of their work are done by other organizations, typically where labour is cheaper or there are other incentives. But humans outsource some of their activities too. Scientists from the University of Queensland found that children begin outsourcing thinking […]

Pretty much half of us is going to get cancer. This is part and parcel of our stressful lifestyle as well as aging. Some substances around us are very efficient in causing cancer. But why is that? Why some chemicals are able to cause cancer, which occurs when errors happen […]

In a series of experiments co-funded by the National Science Foundation, scientists at Johns Hopkins have used light as a trigger to make quick, precise cuts in the genomic material of human cancer cell lines. The researchers cut the DNA within seconds using a molecular scalpel known as CRISPR and were able to […]

Using an enzyme inhibitor in meniscus cells, a Penn team was able to soften their nucleus and promote access to previously impassible areas. By softening a cell’s nucleus so that it can squeeze its way through dense connective tissues, a group of researchers believes they’ve demonstrated a new way to […]

Exercise can slow or prevent the development of macular degeneration and may benefit other common causes of vision loss, such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, new research suggests. A study from the University of Virginia School of Medicine found that exercise reduced the harmful overgrowth of blood vessels in the eyes of […]

A new approach in ophthalmology that offers a revolutionary alternative to corneal transplantation has just been developed by researchers and clinicians in North America, Europe, and Oceania. The team was co-led by May Griffith, a researcher at Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Centre, which is affiliated with Université de Montréal and is […]

Powdered sugar is the special ingredient in a Rice University recipe for mimicking the body’s intricate, branching blood vessels in lab-grown tissues. In research published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, Rice bioengineers showed they could keep densely packed cells alive for two weeks in relatively large constructs by creating complex blood vessel […]

A new polymeric heart valve with a life span potentially longer than current artificial valves that would also prevent the need for the millions of patients with diseased heart valves to require life-long blood thinning tablets has been developed by scientists at the universities of Bristol and Cambridge. The team's […]

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide, affecting an estimated one-quarter of the global population. It is a progressive condition that, in worst cases, can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure and death. In a new paper published online in Cell Metabolism, […]

Cambridge-led study discovers new genetic causes of rare diseases, potentially leading to improved diagnosis and better patient care. A research programme pioneering the use of whole genome sequencing in the NHS has diagnosed hundreds of patients and discovered new genetic causes of disease. Whole genome sequencing is the technology used […]

Ribonucleic acid, or RNA, is part of our genetic code and present in every cell of our body. The best known form of RNA is a single linear strand, of which the function is well known and characterized. But there is also another type of RNA, so-called “circular RNA”, or […]

Most traditional cancer therapies target either the tumor cells themselves or indiscriminately kill any rapidly dividing cell. New findings by researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine indicate that manipulating macrophages, a type of immune cell found abundantly in the tissues surrounding a tumor, could also be […]

Xiang-Dong Fu, PhD, has never been more excited about something in his entire career. He has long studied the basic biology of RNA, a genetic cousin of DNA, and the proteins that bind it. But a single discovery has launched Fu into a completely new field: neuroscience. For decades, Fu […]

Researchers at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute studying embryonic development have identified a mechanism that helps explain how cells choose to become different types. The researchers previously made the surprising discovery that changes in metabolism influence how cells communicate with each other, which in turn affects […]

Researchers have discovered that Mediterranean populations may be more susceptible to an autoinflammatory disease because of evolutionary pressure to survive the bubonic plague. The study, carried out by scientists at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health, determined that specific genomic variants that cause […]

University of Alberta-led team develops synthetic molecule that stops production of toxic muscle-killing protein. Researchers have designed a potential new treatment for one of the most common forms of muscular dystrophy, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Toshifumi Yokota, professor of medical genetics […]

When Alzheimer’s disease strikes, the entire brain doesn’t crumble at once. Instead, the mind unravels like grim clockwork, beginning with the telltale degradation of a group of brain cells in the entorhinal cortex. These so-called vulnerable neurons are responsible for shuttling experiences into memories. They are always the first to […]

Light to moderate drinking may preserve brain function in older age, according to a new study from the University of Georgia. The study examined the link between alcohol consumption and changes in cognitive function over time among middle-aged and older adults in the U.S. “We know there are some older […]

Researchers at Yale have identified a molecule that plays a key role in the body’s inflammatory response to overeating, which can lead to obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic diseases. The finding suggests that the molecule could be a promising therapeutic target to control this inflammation and keep metabolic diseases in […]

It’s common knowledge that the human body consists of trillions of cells. The cell nucleus, which houses DNA, is under attack every second of every day by environmental and behavioral factors. Researchers from Harvard University and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) recently used the Comet supercomputer at the San Diego […]

A method known as CAR-T therapy has been used successfully in patients with blood cancers such as lymphoma and leukemia. It modifies a patient’s own T-cells by adding a piece of an antibody that recognizes unique features on the surface of cancer cells. In a new study, researchers report that […]

When animal, insect or human embryos grow in a malnourished environment, their developing nervous systems get first pick of any available nutrients so that new neurons can be made. In this process, called organ sparing, resources are preferentially delegated to the nervous system at the cost of less important organs […]

Genetic deletions associated with neurodevelopmental disorders also important for development elsewhere in the body. Genes located in “copy number variants” (CNVs) — parts of chromosomes that are missing in some individuals and duplicated in others — that are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders affect more than just brain development, according to […]

Aging is no fun. Your entire body is getting worn out and it might pose certain health risks. One of the worst parts of aging is declining vision. Once you hit 40, your colour sensing ability and general sharpness of your eyes starts declining rapidly. But scientists from UCL say […]