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Study uncovers genetic changes linked to leukemia risk in people with Down's syndrome

People with Down's syndrome face a higher risk of developing Leukemia. Now researchers from the University of Copenhagen and Stanford University explain why, by identifying specific changes in blood cells of people with Down's syndrome.

25 Sep 2024

Researchers gain new understanding of how immune cells respond to heat during fever

The study reveals that moderate fever enhances CD4 T cell activity while reducing regulatory T cell suppression, highlighting temperature's immune effects.

25 Sep 2024

New insights into the mechanism of autophagy activation

24 Sep 2024

Scientists identify new trigger for autophagy

An international research team led by Osaka University has identified a new mechanism crucial for the initiation of autophagy, a self-degradation process cells use to eliminate unneeded or damaged components. In recent years, autophagy has also been recognized for its roles in aging and lifespan regulation.

24 Sep 2024

Space conditions disrupt rhythmic function of bioengineered heart tissues

Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists who arranged for 48 human bioengineered heart tissue samples to spend 30 days at the International Space Station report evidence that the low gravity conditions in space weakened the tissues and disrupted their normal rhythmic beats when compared to earth-bound samples from the same source.

23 Sep 2024

Scientists develop new method for relocating misplaced proteins

Cells are highly controlled spaces that rely on every protein being in the right place. Many diseases, including cancers and neurodegenerative disorders, are associated with misplaced proteins.

20 Sep 2024

Fever enhances immune cell activity and induces mitochondrial stress

Fever temperatures rev up immune cell metabolism, proliferation and activity, but they also - in a particular subset of T cells - cause mitochondrial stress, DNA damage and cell death, Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers have discovered.

20 Sep 2024

STING protein plays new role in cellular stress clearance and survival

A protein called STING, previously shown to control a pathway that contributes to antiviral signaling, also plays an important role in cellular stress clearance and cell survival, according to a new paper published in Molecular Cell.

20 Sep 2024

Novel drug molecule offers hope for early Parkinson's disease treatment

A novel drug molecule could potentially lead to new treatments to prevent Parkinson's disease in younger patients, according to new research.

20 Sep 2024

The importance of mitochondrial function in health and disease

The World Mitochondria Society (WMS) is preparing for its annual Targeting Mitochondria 2024 conference, which will focus on innovative strategies to "charge" cells by supplying them with extra mitochondria to enhance cellular function and combat diseases.

18 Sep 2024

Researchers uncover how brown fat cells increase metabolic activity

Special fat cells known as brown adipocytes help maintaining body temperature by converting calory-rich nutrients into heat.

16 Sep 2024

Review highlights mitochondrial dysfunction in cholestatic liver injury

Bile acids are essential signaling molecules derived from cholesterol metabolism in the liver and are crucial for the digestion and absorption of fats.

16 Sep 2024

How stress reduces sperm motility by altering mitochondria

Researchers investigate the effects of perceived stress on sperm motility and maturation.

16 Sep 2024

Scientists develop novel technique to combat T cell exhaustion

Fighting cancer is exhausting for T cells. Hostile tumor microenvironments can drain their mitochondrial activity, leading to a condition known as T cell exhaustion. This phenomenon also hinders adoptive cell therapies, in which healthy, tumor-targeting T cells are infused into patients with cancer. A novel method to boost mitochondrial activity and charge up T cells is needed.

14 Sep 2024

Study unveils potential treatment for chronic brain damage following traumatic injury

Violent blows or jolts to the head can cause traumatic brain injury (TBI), and there are currently about five million people in the U.S. living with chronic neurodegeneration and related impairments due to TBI.

11 Sep 2024

Disrupted glucose transport in oligodendrocytes linked to myelin thinning and aging in new research

This study uncovers how oligodendroglial lipid metabolism supports myelin homeostasis and axonal function under metabolic stress, crucial for neurodegeneration.

11 Sep 2024

Long-term exercise leads to healthier fat storage in obese individuals

People with obesity who are long-time exercisers have healthier belly fat tissue and can store fat there more effectively than nonexercisers with obesity, according to a new study from a team of researchers at the University of Michigan.

10 Sep 2024

Cannabidiol shown to extend lifespan and improve symptoms in Leigh syndrome models

A study led by the UAB Institut de Neurociències and published in the journal Nature Communications demonstrates in animal models how daily administration of cannabidiol (CBD), a substance obtained from the cannabis plant, extends lifespan and improves symptoms associated with Leigh syndrome.

6 Sep 2024

Studies uncover mechanisms behind micronuclear instability and cancer progression

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) from mitochondria are key drivers of genetic chaos in cancer by causing the collapse of micronuclear envelopes, a process that fuels the chromosomal instability (CIN) often observed in aggressive tumor behavior.

29 Aug 2024

A novel approach to photosynthetic production of high-value compounds

Using evolution as a guiding principle, researchers have successfully engineered bacteria-yeast hybrids to perform photosynthetic carbon assimilation, generate cellular energy and support yeast growth without traditional carbon feedstocks like glucose or glycerol. By engineering photosynthetic cyanobacteria to live symbiotically inside yeast cells, the bacteria-yeast hybrids can produce important hydrocarbons, paving new biotechnical pathways to non-petroleum-based energy, other synthetic biology applications, and the experimental study of evolution.

27 Aug 2024