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New research sheds light on the causes of diabetes

The main cause of all forms of diabetes is pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction. Beta cells, found in the pancreatic islets, store and release insulin.

14 Sep 2018

New night vision mechanism related to motion detected

When lights are dim or absent, animals tend to use their night vision to adjust to the low light and visualize their path and their prey. They need this to escape predators and protecting themselves. The little amounts of photons available are picked up by the eyes to detect what lies in front of them.

14 Sep 2018

Rare antibodies could be key ingredients in therapeutics capable of neutralizing many Ebola types

Two new studies by scientists at Scripps Research are bringing Ebola virus's weaknesses into the spotlight, showing for the first time exactly how human and mouse antibodies can bind to the virus and stop infection--not only for Ebola virus, but for other closely related pathogens as well.

13 Sep 2018

New wearable ultrasound device tracks blood pressure deep inside the body

A new wearable ultrasound patch that non-invasively monitors blood pressure in arteries deep beneath the skin could help people detect cardiovascular problems earlier on and with greater precision. In tests, the patch performed as well as some clinical methods to measure blood pressure.

12 Sep 2018

Drug combination targets pre-leukemia stem cells

Your body's blood cells are manufactured by hematopoietic stem cells in bone marrow. But just as regular, mature cells can become cancerous, so too can stem cells.

12 Sep 2018

Highly personalized approach may help immune cells to eliminate melanoma

With new immunotherapy treatments for melanoma, recovery rates have risen dramatically, in some cases to around 50%.

12 Sep 2018

Cellular environment affects type of tumor development

Liver cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Two different forms of primary liver cancer cover the majority of cases: About 10 to 20 percent of those affected develop a bile duct carcinoma within the liver (intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma; ICC), the far higher proportion of liver cancers are hepatocellular carcinomas.

12 Sep 2018

Cocaine-addicted rats show long-lasting increases in number of orexin neurons

A study in cocaine-addicted rats reports long-lasting increases in the number of neurons that produce orexin—a chemical messenger important for sleep and appetite—that may be at the root of the addiction.

12 Sep 2018

New dopamine sensors could improve our understanding of Parkinson’s Disease

Researchers have developed a sensor that can measure dopamine in the brain for more than a year. The tech could help us understand Parkinson's and depression.

12 Sep 2018

Research shows novel approach for treatment of myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction - commonly known as a heart attack - is still one of the main causes of death. According to the Federal Statistical Office, more than 49,00 people died of its consequences.

12 Sep 2018

Study provides insight into how the brain decides what to do in the face of danger

Though it has been many millennia since human lives were regularly threatened by predatory wild animals, the brain circuits that ensured our survival then are still very much alive within us today.

12 Sep 2018

Researchers develop mathematical model for monitoring, controlling spread of melioidosis

An international research team from the University of Leicester, Lomonosov Moscow State University, and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology from Russia has developed a mathematical model for monitoring and controlling the spread of melioidosis in Southeast Asia.

12 Sep 2018

Tiny sensors can measure dopamine levels in the brain for more than a year

Dopamine, a signaling molecule used throughout the brain, plays a major role in regulating our mood, as well as controlling movement. Many disorders, including Parkinson's disease, depression, and schizophrenia, are linked to dopamine deficiencies.

12 Sep 2018

Scientists identify how viral protein promotes fatal disease caused by Nipah and Hendra viruses

Researchers have identified how a viral protein, which plays a major role in causing deadly Nipah and Hendra virus infections, targets a critical function in human cells to suppress immune responses and promote fatal disease.

12 Sep 2018

Study uncovers four neuron types in the peripheral auditory system

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified four types of neurons in the peripheral auditory system, three of which are new to science.

12 Sep 2018

Genetic variants influence heart rate and blood pressure responses to exercise

Your genes can determine how your heart rate and blood pressure respond to exercise – and may act as an early warning of future problems with your heart or blood vessels – according to new research published in The Journal of Physiology.

12 Sep 2018

Researchers untangle mysteries of 'evil' protein in ER-positive breast cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States, striking 1 out of 8 women. About 80 percent of all breast cancers are estrogen receptor-positive, in which cancer growth is fueled by estrogen.

12 Sep 2018

Research shows neural link between altruism and empathy for the pain of strangers

Giving up a kidney to a stranger requires a certain sense of selflessness, what's come to be known in social science as extraordinary altruism. University of Pennsylvania psychologist Kristin Brethel-Haurwitz wanted to understand the connection between this trait and empathy, specifically empathy for distress emotions.

12 Sep 2018

Particular immune cell seems to play key role in determining male or female characteristics

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have made a surprising discovery: during fetal development, a particular immune cell seems to play a key role in determining the male or female characteristics of the brain.

12 Sep 2018

Using stem cells extracted from baby teeth to regrow dental tissues

Sometimes kids trip and fall, and their teeth take the hit. Nearly half of children suffer some injury to a tooth during childhood. When that trauma affects an immature permanent tooth, it can hinder blood supply and root development, resulting in what is essentially a "dead" tooth.

12 Sep 2018