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Scientists implicate hidden genes in the severity of autism symptoms

Scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have implicated a largely hidden part of the human genome in the severity of autism symptoms, a discovery that could lead to new insights into the disorder and eventually to clinical therapies for the condition.

15 Feb 2019

Immune checkpoint molecule protects against future development of cancer

A research team at the University of Louisville has discovered that an immune checkpoint molecule they developed for cancer immunotherapy, also protects against future development of multiple types of cancer when administered by itself.

15 Feb 2019

High-protein and low-calorie diet helps older adults lose weight safely, shows study

A high-protein, low-calorie diet helps older adults with obesity lose more weight, maintain more muscle mass, improve bone quality and lose "bad" fat, according to results from a new randomized controlled trial led by Wake Forest University researcher Kristen Beavers.

15 Feb 2019

HDL proteome behaves like a tiny Velcro ball that is rolling on surfaces

Cholesterol carried in high-density lipoprotein particles, or HDL cholesterol, has been dubbed the good cholesterol, because people whose HDL levels are high have a lower risk of developing heart disease. That link was first established in 1977 and has been confirmed over and over in epidemiological studies.

15 Feb 2019

New mechanism for lateral inhibition of cells discovered

"The winner takes it all, the loser standing small" - that's not just true in the famous ABBA song, but also in animal development. Frequently, a group of cells starts out all being the same. But then one cell puts the brake on its neighbors, sending inhibitory signals that stop their differentiation. The "winning" cell, in the end, is different from its neighbors.

15 Feb 2019

Researchers study animal venoms to identify new medicines for treating diseases

Animal venoms are the subject of study at research center based at the Butantan Institute in São Paulo. But in this case, the idea is not to find antidotes, but rather to use the properties of the venoms themselves to identify molecular targets of diseases and, armed with that knowledge, develop new compounds that can be used as medicines.

15 Feb 2019

Researchers use optogenetic tool to control, visualize receptor signals in neural cells

Using a novel optogenetic tool, researchers have successfully controlled, reproduced and visualized serotonin receptor signals in neural cells. To this end, they modified a photosensitive membrane receptor in the eye, namely melanopsin.

15 Feb 2019

Inflammation in middle age may indicate increased risk of dementia in later life

New research indicates that people suffering chronic inflammation during middle age show a greater decline in cognitive function as they get older.

14 Feb 2019

Study shows how neuroactive steroids inhibit activity of pro-inflammatory proteins

For the first time, scientists discovered how neuroactive steroids naturally found in the brain and bloodstream inhibit the activity of a specific kind of protein called Toll-like receptors, which have been known to play a role in inflammation in many organs, including the brain.

14 Feb 2019

New method detects potentially disease-causing forms of proteins using fluorescence

A new method uses fluorescence to detect potentially disease-causing forms of proteins as they unravel due to stress or mutations.

14 Feb 2019

Study identifies protein regulator that induces Th17 cells to cause multiple sclerosis

Inflammatory and autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis (MS) are a major healthcare burden worldwide and are life-altering conditions for afflicted patients.

14 Feb 2019

New research explains presence of ‘natural’ magnetism in human cells

Although magnetic nanoparticles are being used more and more in cell imaging and tissue bioengineering, what happens to them within stem cells in the long term remained undocumented.

13 Feb 2019

Study discovers new therapy for aggressive blood cancer

Acute myeloid leukemia is the most common form of acute leukemia. It is characterized by an increase of malignant myeloid progenitor cells at the expense of mature blood cells.

13 Feb 2019

Cell membrane complexes may be new target for drugs to kill cancer cells

Old molecules and new complexes: researchers at Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina have discovered cell membrane complexes called ceramidosomes that may be a new target for drugs to kill cancer cells.

13 Feb 2019

New method produces hydrogels that have properties similar to cells’ environment

Scientists at Linköping University have developed a new method to produce hydrated materials, hydrogels, that have properties similar to the natural environment of cells in the body.

13 Feb 2019

Microbiologists identify enzyme that makes Helicobacter so adaptable

The bacterial pathogen Helicobacter pylori owes its worldwide distribution to its genetic adaptability. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Munich microbiologists have identified an enzyme that plays a vital role in the flexible control of global gene expression in the species.

13 Feb 2019

New mouse model replicates development and progression of Type I diabetes

Researchers at The University of Toledo have found a new way to replicate in lab mice the development and progression of Type I diabetes, a breakthrough that has the potential to reshape how the chronic disease is studied.

13 Feb 2019

Researchers uncover new mechanism of how Ebola viruses escape immune system

A research team from Tübingen and Göttingen has described in the renowned journal Cell Reports a new mechanism how the Ebola virus escapes the immune system.

12 Feb 2019

New diagnostic technique reveals key protein biomarker for bladder cancer

Label-free digital pathology using infrared imaging with subsequent proteomic analysis for bladder cancer has revealed the first protein biomarker for BC. AHNAK2 differentiates between chronic cystitis (inflammation of the bladder) and a non-muscle invasive-type BC (carcinoma in situ) which is challenging to diagnose.

12 Feb 2019

Lactate activates multiple genes that modulate neuronal activity

A genome-wide study led by Dean Pierre Magistretti sheds light on the mechanisms through which lactate regulates long-term memory formation and neuroprotection.

12 Feb 2019