A layer of cells that look like normal stomach lining on top of sites of stomach cancer can make it difficult to spot after removal of a Helicobacter pylori infection. In a recent study, researchers from Hiroshima University have uncovered the origin of this layer of cells: it is produced by the cancer tissue itself. […]
Could better tests help reverse the rise of drug-resistant infections? Modeling study says yes in theory; now comes a reality check
A growing number of infections — such as pneumonia, gonorrhea and tuberculosis — are becoming harder to treat, as bacteria evolve defenses against antibiotics faster than we can develop new drugs to replace them. Duke University game theorist David McAdams says faster, more accurate tests for drug-resistant infections are being developed that could, at least […]
Ultrasound used to trigger insulin release in mice shows promise for diabetes therapy
The World Health Organization ranks Type 2 diabetes among the most common causes of death in the world. Current treatments can help the body use insulin at various stages of the disease, but they can also be expensive and subject patients to lifelong medication regimens and side effects. Thanks to new therapeutic ultrasound technology, one […]
Scientists restore some functions in a pig’s brain hours after death
Circulation and cellular activity were restored in a pig’s brain four hours after its death, a finding that challenges long-held assumptions about the timing and irreversible nature of the cessation of some brain functions after death, Yale scientists report April 18 in the journal Nature. The brain of a postmortem pig obtained from a meatpacking […]
How a common oral bacteria makes colon cancer more deadly: Findings may help predict aggressive colon cancer and identify new treatment targets
Researchers at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine have determined how F. nucleatum — a common oral bacteria often implicated in tooth decay — accelerates the growth of colon cancer. The study was published online in the journal EMBO Reports. Why it matters The findings could make it easier to identify and treat more […]
Altered brain activity patterns of Parkinson’s captured in mice
The tell-tale tremors of Parkinson’s disease emerge from abnormal activity in a brain region crucial for voluntary movement. Using a mouse model of the disease, researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) identified unusual patterns of brain activity that appear to underlie its signature symptoms. Parkinson’s disrupts the basal ganglia, […]
Single CRISPR treatment provides long-term benefits in mice
Researchers at Duke University have shown that a single systemic treatment using CRISPR genome editing technology can safely and stably correct a genetic disease—Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)—for more than a year in mice, despite observed immune responses and alternative gene editing outcomes. The study appears online on February 18 in the journal Nature Medicine. In […]
Uncovering the evolution of the brain: Scientists compare the development of brain cells between humans and nonhuman primates in a novel way
What makes us human, and where does this mysterious property of “humanness” come from? Humans are genetically similar to chimpanzees and bonobos, yet there exist obvious behavioral and cognitive differences. Now, researchers from the Salk Institute, in collaboration with researchers from the anthropology department at UC San Diego, have developed a strategy to more easily […]
Common food additives may promote anxiety-related behavior and reduce social behavior in mice, research shows
Food additives known as dietary emulsifiers, commonly found in processed foods to improve texture and extend shelf life, may adversely affect anxiety-related and social behaviors in mice, Georgia State researchers have found. The scientists also observed sex differences in the mice’s behavioral patterns, suggesting that emulsifiers affect the brain via distinct mechanisms in males and […]
Drug that clears out dead cells left mice more active
Could this be the fountain of youth? Drug that clears out dead cells left mice more active with lower levels of inflammation Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel investigated how the immune system clears away ageing cells These cells are not completely dead but are irreparably damaged They administered a drug that […]