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Light-activated protein restores mitochondrion function in fruit fly model of Parkinson’s disease

A light-sensitive protein can restore mitochondria function in fruit flies bearing a gene mutation associated with Parkinson’s disease and relieve its symptoms, report researchers at Juntendo University in the journal Communications Biology.

13 Feb 2020

Half the air pollution deaths in the U.S. linked to out-of-state emissions

Over half the deaths due to poor air quality occurring in the U.S. are because of emissions from outside the state in which the deaths occur, according to a new study published in February 2020 in the journal Nature.

12 Feb 2020

New approach for organic synthesis may apply to drug discovery

After helping develop a new approach for organic synthesis -- carbon-hydrogen functionalization -- scientists at Emory University are now showing how this approach may apply to drug discovery

12 Feb 2020

Vapers exhibit similar chemical changes in their genome as smokers

Biologically important changes in DNA seen in smokers are also being found in people who vape, according to a new study published in the journal Epigenetics.

12 Feb 2020

Synthetic chemicals are migrating through the soil like a ticking time bomb

A growing health crisis fueled by synthetic chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in groundwater has garnered much attention in the last few years.

11 Feb 2020

Age of puberty in girls the world over becoming lower

A new study on the age of initial breast development as the first sign of puberty in girls shows that over the last 40 years, this has come down by an average of 3 months per decade. The study is published in the journal Pediatrics.

11 Feb 2020

Free radicals from immune cells linked to salt-sensitive hypertension

In salt-sensitive hypertension, immune cells gather in the kidneys and shoot out free radicals, heightening blood pressure and damaging this pair of vital organs, scientists report.

11 Feb 2020

Migraine sufferers appear to have hyper-excitable visual cortex, study suggests

Individuals who suffer from migraine headaches appear to have a hyper-excitable visual cortex researchers at the Universities of Birmingham and Lancaster suggest.

10 Feb 2020

Protein Data Bank archive releases new coronavirus protease structure

The Protein Data Bank archive, which contains more than 160,000 3D structures for proteins, DNA, and RNA, this month released a new Coronavirus protease structure following the recent coronavirus outbreak, an ongoing viral epidemic primarily affecting mainland China that now threatens to spread to populations in other parts of the world.

10 Feb 2020

Chemical in veggies help heal fatty liver

A new study shows that a compound naturally occurring in a variety of commonly used vegetables as well as being produced by gut microbes is very useful in melting fat away from a fatty liver.

9 Feb 2020

Biological toolkit will help researchers design new functions in mammalian cells

A new synthetic biology toolkit developed at Northwestern University will help researchers design mammalian cells with new functionalities.

9 Feb 2020

George Mason researcher to study link between endometriosis and endocrine disruptors with NIH grant

Dr. Anna Pollack, associate professor at the George Mason College of Health and Human Services has received a $1.6M grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to study the link between endometriosis and endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

9 Feb 2020

Longer commute time associated with greater exposure to carcinogens in car seats

The longer your commute, the more you're exposed to a chemical flame retardant that is a known carcinogen and was phased out of furniture use because it required a Proposition 65 warning label in California.

7 Feb 2020

New technology captures CO2 from the atmosphere for use in beverage carbonation

It won’t tackle global carbon emissions yet, but a new technology from Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, has found a way to pull carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the atmosphere and put it into beer and other beverages.

From CSIRO 6 Feb 2020

Genetic fingerprints could help identify cancer-causing culprits

Causes of cancer are being cataloged through an international study revealing the genetic fingerprints of DNA-damaging processes that drive cancer development.

6 Feb 2020

Cedars-Sinai researchers to study role of fat in promoting cancer spread to liver

A diagnosis of pancreatic or colon cancer often sparks dread about the disease's likely next destination: the liver. That's because liver metastasis is a leading cause of death in these patients.

6 Feb 2020

Natural antioxidant reverses reproductive harms caused by BPA exposure in worms

From plastics to pesticides, it seems like every week delivers fresh news about the dangers of endocrine disruptors--chemicals in the environment that alter the body's hormones and can lead to reproductive, developmental, neurologic and immune problems and cancer.

6 Feb 2020

Many household filters are only partially effective at removing PFAS from drinking water

The water filter on your refrigerator door, the pitcher-style filter you keep inside the fridge and the whole-house filtration system you installed last year may function differently and have vastly different price tags, but they have one thing in common.

5 Feb 2020

Age-linked cognitive decline could be slowed by immune activation

A new study published in February 2020 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), reports that activating a specific type of immune cell found in the brain could delay reduced cognition often found in older people, and even prevent neurologic degeneration of age.

5 Feb 2020

Tanning study results often depend on funding source

A new study shows that industry-funded studies on the health impacts of indoor tanning have a greater probability of favorable results, compared to those funded by other sources. The study, published in the the British Medical Journal on February 2020, raises the possibility of biased scientific reporting which could potentially be harmful to patients and to medical science, in the long run.

4 Feb 2020