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Changes in TRPV3 genes may have helped mammoths withstand lower temperatures

Columbia University biomedical researchers have captured close-up views of TRPV3, a skin-cell ion channel that plays important roles in sensing temperature, itch, and pain.

25 Aug 2018

Harvard scientists end 40-year-quest for elusive identity of 'hearing' protein

Scientists at Harvard Medical School say they have ended a 40-year-quest for the elusive identity of the sensor protein responsible for hearing and balance.

23 Aug 2018

Microscopic insect odour detecting mechanisms discovered

Researchers at Rockefeller have used an ultra sensitive device to detect the olfactory systems of insects that help them smell out food and danger. The study titled, “Cryo-EM structure of the insect olfactory receptor Orco,” on the ion channels that form the basis of the odour detecting systems of insects was published in the latest issue of the journal Nature.

16 Aug 2018

New study explains why women get more migraines than men

Research published today reveals a potential mechanism for migraine causation which could explain why women get more migraines than men.

14 Aug 2018

UAB study shows how ion channel differentiates newborn and mature neurons in the brain

The dentate gyrus of the hippocampus is part of the brain that helps form memories. It is also one of just two areas in the adult brain where new neurons are continuously formed.

13 Aug 2018

Scientists find genetic marker that indicates a person's risk for tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy

Scientists in Japan have found a potential marker to identify which people with abnormally fast heartbeats are at high risk of developing heart failure.

9 Aug 2018

Major genome science study offers insights into cardiac electrical diseases

New knowledge about biological processes related to the heart's electrical activity has been gained through a major genome science study. The research had the largest sample size ever of a project of this type.

28 Jul 2018

New finding may hold key to better understand the complexities of neurological disorders

A team of bioengineers at UC San Diego has answered a question that has long puzzled neuroscientists, and may hold a key to better understanding the complexities of neurological disorders: Why are axons, the spindly arms extending from neurons that transmit information from neuron to neuron in the brain, designed the way they are?

12 Jul 2018

Study could help explain how synapses may be made weaker or stronger

To work at all, the nervous system needs its cells, or neurons, to connect and converse in a language of electrical impulses and chemical neurotransmitters.

11 Jul 2018

Scientists discover protein crucial for activating inflammation

Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago have identified a protein that is crucial for activating inflammation -; both the good kind of inflammation that leads to healing wounds and fighting infection, as well as excessive inflammation where the immune system can damage tissues and organs.

27 Jun 2018

Newly developed model of retina can predict outcome of perturbation with high precision

Our eye hosts a powerful biological computer, the retina. Understanding how the retina transforms images from the outside world into signals that the brain can interpret would not only result in insights into brain computations, but could also be useful for medicine.

25 Jun 2018

AbCellera and Denali collaborate to discover new antibodies to fight neurodegenerative diseases

AbCellera Biologics Inc. today announced the successful completion of the first phase of its collaboration with Denali Therapeutics Inc.

12 Jun 2018

UCI research team uncovers new unexpected mode of neurotransmitter-based communication

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine have discovered the first example of a novel mode of neurotransmitter-based communication.

22 May 2018

Researchers reveal mechanisms of periodic paralysis in people with rare genetic disorder

A rare genetic disorder in which people are suddenly overcome with profound muscle weakness is caused by a hole in a membrane protein that allows sodium ions to leak across cell membranes, researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle have found.

21 May 2018

Flow of cerebrospinal fluid found to be key signal for neural stem cell renewal

Stem cells in the brain can divide and mature into neurons participating in various brain functions, including memory.

21 May 2018

Researchers to take 'unprecedented look' into protein behind hypertension, epilepsy, and overactive bladder

The seemingly unrelated conditions of hypertension, epilepsy and overactive bladder may be linked by electrical activity in a protein long studied by a biomedical engineer at Washington University in St. Louis.

15 May 2018

Genomic science can help healthcare professionals to identify, treat inherited cardiac conditions

The family history questions asked during patient assessments are becoming even more important with the rise of precision medicine and genetic testing.

11 May 2018

Stops and starts in CIN activity may be a mechanism for controlling animals’ response to unexpected stimuli

Changing our behavior based on unexpected cues from our environment is an essential part of survival. The ability to drop what you're doing when circumstances demand it could mean the difference between avoiding a speeding vehicle or getting hit by it.

10 May 2018

Researchers discover how key brain receptor can function in hostile environment

During a stroke or an epileptic seizure, neurons in affected parts of the brain fire at an abnormally rapid rate.

7 May 2018

Innovative research could lead to new ways to treat, prevent cancer

Research into cancer can provide new insight into how this disease works and how it can be stopped. The Experimental Biology 2018 meeting will showcase innovative research that could lead to new ways to treat and prevent cancer.

23 Apr 2018