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New research shows how toxic Alzheimer's protein spreads through the brain

A toxic Alzheimer's protein can spread through the brain--jumping from one neuron to another--via the extracellular space that surrounds the brain's neurons, suggests new research from Columbia University Medical Center.

19 Jul 2016

Study finds no increased risk for parkinsonism linked to use of gadolinium in MRIs

A new study from Lawson Health Research Institute and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences has cast doubt on the clinical significance of brain deposits of gadolinium.

19 Jul 2016

Postmenopausal estrogen supplement may not affect memory of healthy women

Contrary to popular belief, taking estrogen after menopause may not affect the memory and thinking abilities of healthy women no matter when the treatment is started.

19 Jul 2016

Intranasal vaccine may provide long-term protection against multiple flu strains

Intranasal flu vaccines may be able to provide long-lasting protection against pandemic flu strains, according to a new study from immunologists at Columbia University Medical Center.

19 Jul 2016

Study finds new data about dMMR's hereditary basis in rectal cancer

Up to 15 percent of colorectal cancers show a genetic mutation known as DNA mismatch repair deficiency, or dMMR.

19 Jul 2016

Novel method of mindfulness meditation can improve emotional and cognitive performance

Meditation has long been promoted as a way to feel more at peace. But research from a Texas Tech University faculty member shows it can significantly improve attention, working memory, creativity, immune function, emotional regulation, self-control, cognitive and school performance and healthy habits while reducing stress.

18 Jul 2016

Researchers identify gene-based treatment that works against fungus

Fungal infections pose a major threat to hospital patients and have proven difficult to combat, but scientists have unlocked evidence that could lead to more effective treatment.

18 Jul 2016

All brain training protocols do not return equal benefits, study reveals

Cognitive brain training improves executive function whereas aerobic activity improves memory, according to new Center for BrainHealth research at The University of Texas at Dallas.

18 Jul 2016

Mutations in STN1 gene cause Coats plus syndrome

A team of Israeli researchers has discovered that mutations in STN1, a gene that helps maintain the ends of chromosomes, cause the rare, inherited disorder Coats plus syndrome.

18 Jul 2016

Modifications to RUNX3 protein may promote cancer progression

Scientists from the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore at the National University of Singapore have discovered that modifications to a protein called RUNX3 may promote cancer progression.

18 Jul 2016

Biochemists design genetic poison pill to thwart coxsackievirus B3

It has a funny name - coxsackievirus - but there's nothing funny about how this tiny germ and its close relatives sicken their hosts.

18 Jul 2016

Study produces most detailed picture to date of genetics underlying type 2 diabetes

The largest study of its kind into type 2 diabetes has produced the most detailed picture to date of the genetics underlying the condition.

18 Jul 2016

New method helps characterize immune cells in tumor tissues

Despite recent achievements in the development of cancer immunotherapies, only a small group of patients typically respond to them. Predictive markers of disease course and response to immunotherapy are urgently needed.

18 Jul 2016

Biologists develop new method for analyzing brain regions

Using the example of the fruit fly, a team of biologists led by Prof. Dr. Andrew Straw has identified patterns in the genetic activity of brain cells and taken them as a basis for drawing conclusions about the structure of the brain.

18 Jul 2016

Bone marrow transplantation may one day be beneficial to subset of ALS, say researchers

Harvard Stem Cell Institute researchers at Harvard University and the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT have found evidence that bone marrow transplantation may one day be beneficial to a subset of patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disorder more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

18 Jul 2016

Scientists capture new images of calcium-shuttling molecule linked to aggressive cancers

Scientists have captured new images of a calcium-shuttling molecule that has been linked to aggressive cancers. The three-dimensional structure could help researchers develop novel therapies and diagnostic tools for diseases that are caused by a malfunction in calcium adsorption.

18 Jul 2016

New mass spectrometry imaging protocol allows analysis of metabolite composition of tissues

In biomedical research, working with tissue samples is indispensable because it permits insights into the biological reality of patients, for example, in addition to those gained from Petri dishes and computer simulations.

18 Jul 2016

Immune system signaling can directly affect social behavior

Using a systems-biology approach, scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School made a startling discovery that immune system signaling can directly affect, and even change, social behavior in mice and other model animals.

18 Jul 2016

Rare antibiotic compound detected in fungi for first time

Besides mushrooms such as truffles or morels, also many yeast and mould fungi, as well as other filamentous fungi belong to the Ascomycota phylum. They produce metabolic products which can act as natural antibiotics to combat bacteria and other pathogens. Penicillin, one of the oldest antibiotic agents, is probably the best known example.

18 Jul 2016

Japanese researchers suggest link between stimulus response and consciousness

Japanese researchers centered at Nagoya University reveal a role for orexin neurons of the hypothalamus when mice respond to painful stimuli, and suggest a link between stimulus response and consciousness.

18 Jul 2016