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Maternal behavior in mice linked to oxytocin-sensitive cells in the female brain

A startling new study shows that cells that are exquisitely sensitive to oxytocin are found in a tiny region in the brains of female but not male mice. This could be of great importance in explaining maternal behavior in females and eventually in treating social disorders like postpartum depression and autism spectrum disorder.

25 Jul 2019

Using zebrafish to discover and identify new drugs to treat spinal cord lesions

A research team led by Leonor Saúde, Principal Investigator at Instituto de Medicina Molecular, in partnership with the company Technophage, SA, has designed a simple and efficient platform that uses zebrafish to discover and identify new drugs to treat spinal cord lesions.

22 Jul 2019

Researchers report how a popular antidepressant drug could rewire the brain

Prozac, the trade name for the drug fluoxetine, was introduced to the U.S. market for the treatment of depression in 1988.

10 Jul 2019

Researchers synthesize artificial cells to detect histamine

Baking a cake from scratch is a task deemed difficult for many. Constructing an artificial cell-like system from scratch, well that's another story.

3 Jul 2019

Researchers gain insight into possible origins of 'ancient' immunological memory

Natural killer cells are part of the innate immune system. Their role is to detect virus-infected cells and destroy them.

4 Jun 2019

Researchers develop simple, quick technique for gene editing in rice blast fungus

CRISPR/Cas9 is now a household name associated with genetic engineering studies.

24 May 2019

Fruit fly study shows role of unexplored neural circuit in modulating memory strength

Learning to avoid negative experiences requires an interplay of two distinct brain circuits, one to interpret "Yikes!" and drive learning, and the other, unexpectedly, to dial in the strength of that memory, a new fruit fly study shows.

15 May 2019

Researchers gain new insight into Alzheimer's using organoids that resemble mini brains

In the majority of cases, dementia can be traced back to Alzheimer's disease. Its causes are not really understood yet. What is known is that plaques form from misfolded proteins and that there is an increase in neuronal cell death levels in the brain. However, the plaques don't necessarily go hand in hand with any symptoms.

30 Apr 2019

Researchers find presence of Aire gene in lymph nodes

The thymus is the organ in which T cells differentiate. T cells express various T cell receptors for reacting with various pathogenic microbes and viruses.

11 Apr 2019

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

Newly developed bioluminescence sensors pave way for drug discovery

Canadian researchers, working in partnership with Brazilian colleagues, have developed 13 bioluminescence sensors for use in testing the effectiveness of new medical drugs in the laboratory.

2 Mar 2019

New intracellular delivery system using gold nano-stars

Researchers from Russian Academy of Sciences developed a new method for star-shaped nanoparticles synthesis based on laser irradiation.

21 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

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

Novel protein sensor allows researchers to observe nicotine's movements in cells

When a person takes a puff on a cigarette, nicotine floods into the brain, latching onto receptors on the surface of neurons and producing feelings of happiness. But nicotine does not simply stay on the surface of cells--the drug actually permeates into neural cells and alters them from the inside out.

8 Feb 2019

Cloning-free Nested CRISPR uses long DNA fragments for efficient gene editing

CRISPR is a technique that is revolutionizing biomedical research through high-precision genome editing. However, even though it allows the creation or correction of mutations consisting of a single or few nucleotides with relative ease, it still possesses limitations upon introducing larger fragments of DNA in the genome.

8 Feb 2019

New 'WormJam model' could provide valuable insights into human aging

What can worms tell us about human aging? A lot more than you'd think; as research led by the Babraham Institute but involving researchers from multiple disciplines drawn together from across the world has shown.

7 Feb 2019

Using bivalves as model organisms offers promising avenues for medical research

Shellfish like oysters and mussels have the potential to revolutionize human health research, according to a new paper in Developmental and Comparative Immunology.

30 Jan 2019

Researchers develop powerful new tool to create concrete cortical blueprint

With a bit of light, a few photo sensitive compounds and specialized paper, the blueprint was born. As the favored type of technical drawing for over a century, architects used this crucial tool for its fast reproducibility as well as its capacity for detailed documentation.

29 Jan 2019

Breast cancer cells in mice coaxed to turn into harmless fat cells

As cancer cells respond to cues in their microenvironment, they can enter a highly plastic state in which they are susceptible to transdifferentiation into a different type of cell.

16 Jan 2019