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Researchers reconstruct the evolutionary history of metabolism

By analyzing how metabolic enzymes are built and organized, researchers have reconstructed the evolutionary history of metabolism. Their study shows how metabolic networks - which drive every cellular process from protein building to DNA repair - became less random, more modular and more hierarchical over time, the researchers say.

29 Oct 2019

Novel antibodies could provide a universal flu vaccine

Now, a new study published in the journal Science on October 25, 2019, reports on a set of three novel antibodies that bind to another type of viral cell surface antigen called neuraminidase (NA) that is necessary for viral replication.

28 Oct 2019

Discovery of causal link between hydrogen sulfide and schizophrenia

Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan have found certain chemical markers that are associated with schizophrenia. They worked with lab mice with models of schizophrenia as well as post mortem brain specimens of persons with schizophrenia. The study titled, “Excess hydrogen sulfide and polysulfides production underlies a schizophrenia pathophysiology,” was published in the latest issue of the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine.

28 Oct 2019

MPST enzyme levels in hair could be a good biomarker for schizophrenia

Working with model mice, post-mortem human brains, and people with schizophrenia, researchers at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan have discovered that a subtype of schizophrenia is related to abnormally high levels hydrogen sulfide in the brain.

28 Oct 2019

How the SETD1A gene produces schizophrenia in mice

A new study published in the journal Neuron on October 9, 2019 reports that scientists have unlocked part of the secrets of the SETD1A gene – how mutations in the gene put the individual at risk for the condition.

26 Oct 2019

Large gap between norms and actual quality of primary care in Canadian kidney patients

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition commonly encountered in primary health care the world over. However, a new study published in JAMA Network on September 4, 2019, shows that the standard of primary care is quite variable.

26 Oct 2019

New cellular immunotherapy for cancers

A new study published in the journal Nature Communications on 22 October 2019 reports a new approach to cancer treatment that increases the immune capability of T lymphocytes against malignant cancers. This allows the T cells to successfully infiltrate and destroy these tumors. Animal trials have been completed and the researchers are planning clinical trials in human beings next.

26 Oct 2019

Some plant foods causing paralysis, death, in malnourished populations

There are a lot of plants eaten for food that may also contain toxins that harm the brain and the nervous system, when present in amounts that cross the limit of individual tolerance. This happens when such toxin-containing foods are the chief or only source of nutrition.

26 Oct 2019

Study compares safety and effectiveness of first-line antihypertensive drug classes

For those with extremely high blood pressure, or hypertension, there are many initial medication options -- so many that it can be hard to know which one to use.

25 Oct 2019

New nanoenzyme may help increase anti-tumor immunity

Theoretically, our immune system could detect and kill cancer cells. Unfortunately, tumors are well armed to fight these attacks. Despite modern cancer treatments, metastases and relapses remain a major problem.

25 Oct 2019

Protein mutation that causes inflammatory bowel diseases becomes dysfunctional

A new study led by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital and the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Canada and Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China has uncovered why a protein mutation that causes inflammatory bowel diseases is dysfunctional.

24 Oct 2019

Gene linked to schizophrenia likely confers risk for illness

Researchers have discovered in mice how one of the few genes definitively linked to schizophrenia, called SETD1A, likely confers risk for the illness. Mice genetically engineered to lack a functioning version of the enzyme-coding gene showed abnormalities in working memory, mimicking those commonly seen in schizophrenia patients.

24 Oct 2019

Newly discovered protein is key to recycling aging mitochondria

Aging, and the mechanics behind it, remains one of the most closely guarded secrets of life.

24 Oct 2019

Acetate derived from alcohol metabolism directly influences epigenetic regulation in the brain

Triggers in everyday life such as running into a former drinking buddy, walking by a once-familiar bar, and attending social gatherings can all cause recovering alcoholics to "fall off the wagon."

24 Oct 2019

High levels of dietary salt can activate a brain pathway to cause cognitive impairment

High levels of dietary salt can activate a pathway in the brain to cause cognitive impairment, according to a new study. The paper, which was published in Nature, shows that this effect is not due to a loss in blood flow to the brain as originally thought, but rather to clumps of a protein linked to several forms of dementia in humans.

23 Oct 2019

E. coli superbug spreading by poor toilet hygiene, not through food

A new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases on October 22, 2019, says that one common superbug that causes more than 5,000 cases of food poisoning in England every year is spread not through contaminated food but through contaminated toilet surfaces.

23 Oct 2019

Pacifier-based biosensor could help diagnose, treat diabetes in infants

Wearable biosensors that non-invasively monitor health and fitness are growing in popularity among adults. But adapting this technology for use with babies is difficult because the devices are often bulky or have rigid surfaces that could harm infants' delicate skin.

23 Oct 2019