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Rice University bioscientists reveal danger of vitamin B12 deficiency

Using roundworms, one of Earth's simplest animals, Rice University bioscientists have found the first direct link between a diet with too little vitamin B12 and an increased risk of infection by two potentially deadly pathogens.

14 Mar 2019

Researchers develop new way to analyze mucus binding

The human body is full of mucus. This viscous goo isn't just a nuisance that gets coughed up or sneezed out -- it can bind to drugs, toxins or microbes, potentially impacting human health. However, relatively little is known about such interactions.

14 Mar 2019

Researchers identify first genetic defect linked to biliary atresia

A nationwide consortium of researchers has identified the first genetic defect linked to biliary atresia, a mysterious liver disease that is the leading cause for liver transplantation in children.

5 Mar 2019

Pesticides, other environmental pollutants advance progression of ALS

While exact causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remain unknown, new research shows pesticides and other environmental pollutants advance the progression of the neurodegenerative disease.

28 Feb 2019

Researchers uncover how Gram-negative bacterium delivers toxins that make us sick

Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York have uncovered the unique way in which a type of Gram-negative bacterium delivers the toxins that make us sick. Understanding this mechanism may help design better ways to block and eventually control those toxins.

25 Feb 2019

New forms of older anti-cancer agent appear to enhance immune response to fight melanoma

Researchers at the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Johns Hopkins and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine report two new forms of an older anti-cancer agent they developed appear to enhance the immune system's ability to fight melanoma in mice.

20 Feb 2019

Researchers identify suicide toxin in the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis

The bacteria responsible for tuberculosis can be killed by a toxin they produce unless it is neutralized by an antidote protein. The European team of scientists behind this discovery is coordinated by researchers from the Institute of Pharmacology and Structural Biology and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory.

18 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

Whole-genome sequencing and sharing real-time data could limit spread of foodborne bacteria

Employing advanced genetic-tracing techniques and sharing the data produced in real time could limit the spread of bacteria -- Bacillus cereus -- which cause foodborne illness, according to researchers who implemented whole-genome sequencing of a pathogen-outbreak investigation.

14 Feb 2019

Early human testing of iron chelation after brain bleed shows mixed results

A drug that removes excess iron and toxins from the body after a brain bleed did not show significant improvement in recovery or neurological function at three months after intracerebral hemorrhage (stroke), but showed some benefits at six months, according to late breaking science presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2019, a world premier meeting for researchers and clinicians dedicated to the science and treatment of cerebrovascular disease.

11 Feb 2019

Researchers identify blood-based biomarkers of Parkinson's disease

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Arizona State University have received funding from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research to launch a multi-year, $1.7-million effort to identify blood-based biomarkers of Parkinson's disease, which could improve care and accelerate new treatments for the neurodegenerative disorder, which affects nearly 1 million Americans, with 60,000 new cases diagnosed annually.

5 Feb 2019

Tumor-fighting protein also promotes cancer growth, shows study

Search for a description of "p53" and it becomes clear that this human protein is widely known for its cancer-fighting benefits, leading to its renown as "the guardian of the genome."

1 Feb 2019

Megaphages detected in the intestinal tract of humans who eat high-fiber, low-fat diet

Viruses plague bacteria just as viruses like influenza plague humans. Some of the largest of these so-called bacteriophages have now been found in the human gut, where they periodically devastate bacteria just as seasonal outbreaks of flu lay humans low, according to a new study led by University of California, Berkeley, scientists.

29 Jan 2019

Rutgers researchers discover cause of bone loss in people with joint replacements

Rutgers researchers have discovered the long-sought reason that many people with joint replacements experience harmful inflammation and bone loss.

22 Jan 2019

New antibiotic discovery heralds breakthrough in the fight against drug-resistant bacteria

A new antibiotic developed by a Flinders University researcher is being heralded as a breakthrough in the war against a drug resistant superbug.

18 Jan 2019

Researchers find new class of blood pressure-regulating peptides in vampire bat venom

Vampire bats could hold the key to new treatments for a range of serious medical problems, but researchers have hit a snag accessing the specimens needed to advance their work.

17 Jan 2019

Defective astrocytes linked to alpha-synuclein accumulation in Parkinson's

Researchers have found that defects in brain glial cells called astrocytes are linked to the accumulation of alpha-synuclein in Parkinson's disease.

10 Jan 2019

Microbial metabolite from pomegranates can reduce and protect against IBD

Scientists at the University of Louisville have shown that a microbial metabolite, Urolithin A, derived from a compound found in berries and pomegranates, can reduce and protect against inflammatory bowel disease.

10 Jan 2019

Metabolite from berries and pomegranates can mitigate inflammatory bowel disease

Millions of people suffer from inflammatory bowel disease worldwide, either in the form of ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, and few effective long-term treatments are available. Chronic intestinal inflammation is a hallmark of IBD.

9 Jan 2019

Study: Rutin found in fruits and vegetables protect mice against snake venom

Rutin, a bioflavonoid found in certain vegetables and fruits, protects mice against snake venom by minimizing bleeding and inflammation, according to a study performed at the Butantan Institute, a research institution belonging to the government of São Paulo State in Brazil.