Researchers from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), UK and Japan have developed a neurologically acting protein and tested it in laboratory studies. In mice, the experimental compound ameliorated symptoms of certain neurological injuries and diseases, while on the microscopic level it was able to establish and repair connections between neurons. This proof-of-principle study […]
Study debunks myth that Vitamin D protects against mood disorders
Vitamin D will not protect you from depression: Large study debunks myth that the ‘sunshine supplement’ reduces the risk of mood disorders Previous studies have linked low blood levels of vitamin D with higher risk for depression in middle-age and old age Researchers gave half of a group of 18,000 men and women vitamin D3 […]
Researchers identify microRNA that shows promise for hair regrowth
Researchers from North Carolina State University have identified a microRNA (miRNA) that could promote hair regeneration. This miRNA—miR-218-5p—plays an important role in regulating the pathway involved in follicle regeneration, and could be a candidate for future drug development. Hair growth depends on the health of dermal papillae (DP) cells, which regulate the hair follicle growth […]
5 COVID-19 myths politicians have repeated that just aren’t true
The number of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. has jumped to around 50,000 a day, and the virus has killed more than 130,000 Americans. Yet, I still hear myths about the infection that has created the worst public health crisis in America in a century. The purveyors of these myths, including politicians who have […]
Researchers identify protein that causes epithelial cancers to spread
Cancer is complex and unpredictable. Despite successful treatment or years of remission, there is always a chance that a patient’s cancer can return. It usually happens in the form of metastasis, which is when remaining cancer cells in the body spread to another location and grow. Moffitt Cancer Center researchers are working to better understand […]
Premature epigenomic aging acts like a ‘sleeper cell’ that is awakened by Western-style diet
The epigenome is sometimes referred to as the “software” or “operating system” of the genome. It comprises small chemical modifications to DNA and the proteins that make up our chromosomes, and controls the activity of all the genes within the genome. During early life, as our organs develop, the epigenome guides and changes along with […]
Super Cute Baking Tools That Are Designed for Little Hands
If your little one is inquisitive and always asking questions about the process of making cupcakes, they might enjoy their own baking tools. It’ll give them a sense of responsibility and ownership of what they’re making—even if it is with your help and supervision. They have their own tools and don’t need to use all […]
Shifts in chemical rhythms may cause eating behaviors that lead to obesity
Obesity is a common health problem affecting over 90 million adults in the United States, However, how different chemical signals in the body respond to this disease continues to remain unclear. A new study from researchers at the University of Chicago published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism helps to untangle how part […]
Scientists pinpoint a brain region that stops breathing in pediatric epilepsy
University of Iowa neuroscientists have identified a specific area of the brain involved in the loss of breathing that occurs during a seizure. The findings, published in JCI Insight on March 12, could have important implications for predicting, or even treating and preventing sudden unexpected death due to epilepsy (SUDEP). Although it has been known […]
Flickering light mobilizes brain chemistry that may fight Alzheimer’s
For over a century, Alzheimer’s disease has confounded all attempts to treat it. But in recent years, perplexing experiments using flickering light have shown promise. Now, researchers have tapped into how the flicker may work. They discovered in the lab that the exposure to light pulsing at 40 hertz—40 beats per second—causes brains to release […]