Health & Medical

Study links UV exposure to increased energy expenditure and reduced weight gain in mice

by

Obesity and metabolic disorders are increasingly significant global public health issues. In a novel study, a team of dermatologists has evaluated the effect of ultraviolet (UV) exposure on appetite and weight regulation. They found that UV exposure raises norepinephrine levels, decreases leptin levels, and induces the browning of subcutaneous fat, thereby increasing energy expenditure. These … Read more

Scientists design drug-like molecules to block early stage influenza infection

by

Currently available flu medications only target the virus after it has already established an infection, but what if a drug could prevent infection in the first place? Now, scientists at Scripps Research and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have designed drug-like molecules to do just that, by thwarting the first stage of influenza infection. … Read more

Bilingual exposure in the womb leads to heightened neural sensitivity in newborns

by

It is well-established that fetuses, especially in the third trimester, can hear and learn about speech. For instance, research shows that newborns already prefer their mother’s voice, recognize stories read to them in utero, and can differentiate their mother’s native language from others. However, recent studies have begun to explore how fetuses respond to bilingual … Read more

The Role of Sweet Taste Receptors in Metabolic Regulation

by

The Monell Chemical Senses Center has long been at the forefront of research into sweet taste, tracing back to 2001 when Monell scientists were among the first to identify and describe the mammalian sweet taste receptor, TAS1R2-TAS1R3. Over the past two decades, Monell researchers have significantly advanced our understanding of the genetics and functionality of … Read more

Study shows witnessing injustice under stress triggers altruistic brain response

by

Being stressed while witnessing injustice may push your brain towards altruism, according to a study published on May 14 in the journal PLOS Biology by Huagen Wang from Beijing Normal University, China, and colleagues. It takes more cognitive effort to punish others than it does to help them. Studies show that when witnessing an act … Read more

Researchers discover new cell death pathway in response to DNA damage

by

Chemotherapy kills cancer cells. But the way these cells die appears to be different than previously understood. Researchers from the Netherlands Cancer Institute, led by Thijn Brummelkamp, have uncovered a completely new way in which cancer cells die: due to the Schlafen11 gene. “This is a very unexpected finding. Cancer patients have been treated with … Read more

Head-camera study reveals unique visual diet of young infants

by

What do infants see? What do they look at? The answers to these questions are very different for the youngest babies than they are for older infants, children and adults. Characterized by a few high-contrast edges in simple patterns, these early scenes also contain the very materials needed to build a strong foundation for human … Read more

Study finds combined cannabis and nicotine use during pregnancy significantly increases infant health risks

by

In a new study, Oregon Health & Science University researchers report that combined cannabis and nicotine use during pregnancy is associated with significantly higher risk of poor health outcomes for newborns compared with use of either substance alone. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found infants born to mothers who used both substances throughout pregnancy were at … Read more

Neuroplasticity: Brain’s Ability to Change and Adapt

by

Neuroplasticity, also known as brain plasticity or neural plasticity, is a fundamental property of the brain that refers to its ability to change and adapt throughout life in response to experiences, learning, environmental stimuli, injury, and disease. This remarkable capacity for structural and functional reorganization enables the brain to modify neural pathways, establish new connections, … Read more

FAK inhibitor shows promise in converting acinar cells to insulin-producing cells in diabetic mice and primate

by

In 2016, University of Pittsburgh researchers Dr. Farzad Esni, Ph.D., and Jing Hu, Ph.D., did an experiment in mice where they deleted one of two copies of the gene encoding an enzyme called focal adhesion kinase (FAK). They were interested in the role of FAK in pancreatic cancer, but a surprise finding took the research … Read more

Study shows nerve stimulation boosts brain-boosting molecule release from muscle

by

Exercise prompts muscles to release molecular cargo that boosts brain cell function and connection, but the process is not well understood. New research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has found that the nerves that tell muscles to move also prompt them to release more of the brain-boosting factors. “The molecules released from the muscle … Read more

Genetics of Cancer: Causes and Treatments

by

Cancer is a complex group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled cell growth and proliferation. It can affect virtually any part of the body and is caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. The genetics of cancer play a crucial role in understanding its causes, development, progression, and potential treatments. Genetic Basis of … Read more

Sialidase-fused BiTE molecules enhance T-cell killing of solid tumors in mice

by

Scientists from Scripps Research have enhanced an existing immunotherapy by removing the sugar coating surrounding solid tumors—such as in melanoma, breast, and prostate cancer—so T cells can more effectively kill tumor cells. They report in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering that this tweak allows T cells to get closer to their targets, which dramatically improves T-cell killing of tumor … Read more

Study links nonsense-mediated RNA decay to brain size control in mice

by

Nonsense-mediated RNA decay, or NMD, is an evolutionarily conserved molecular mechanism in which potentially defective messenger RNAs, or mRNAs (genetic material that instructs the body on how to make proteins), are degraded. Disruption of the NMD pathway can lead to neurological disorders, immune diseases, cancers, and other pathologies. Mutations in human NMD regulators are seen … Read more

Multimodal MRI identifies brain network essential for human wakefulness

by

In a groundbreaking paper titled “Multimodal MRI reveals brainstem connections that sustain wakefulness in human consciousness,” published in Science Translational Medicine, a collaborative team of researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital has unveiled a critical brain network believed to be pivotal in human consciousness. Utilizing high-resolution scans that offered unprecedented submillimeter spatial … Read more

Psilocybin outperforms controls in treating depression symptoms, study finds

by

Psilocybin—the active ingredient in “magic” mushrooms—is a more effective treatment for symptoms of depression than controls, providing further support for its potential as an antidepressant, suggests a study published by The BMJ today. The researchers say the findings are encouraging but “further research is needed to clarify the factors that maximize psilocybin’s treatment potential for … Read more

Virology: Study of Viruses and Viral Diseases

by

Virology is the scientific study of viruses, their structure, function, evolution, and interactions with host organisms. Viruses are microscopic infectious agents that can infect a wide range of living organisms, from bacteria and archaea to plants, animals, and humans. They are unique entities that straddle the boundary between living and non-living, as they require host … Read more

Increased dietary fiber intake promotes blautia growth, strengthening mucus barrier function

by

A low-fiber “Western diet” causes damage to the protective mucus barrier in the gut, and such damage can increase the risk of inflammation and infection. By studying the gut bacteria of people who increased their intake of dietary fiber, researchers at Umeå University have found that the intestinal bacterium Blautia plays a key role in … Read more

Monoclonal antibody mAb43 appears to prevent and reverse type 1 diabetes in mice

by

Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say that an experimental monoclonal antibody drug called mAb43 appears to prevent and reverse the onset of clinical type 1 diabetes in mice, and in some cases, to lengthen the animals’ lifespan. The drug is unique, according to the researchers, because it targets insulin-making beta cells in the pancreas directly … Read more

Study reveals mechanism for adult brain stem cells to maintain identity and prepare for differentiation

by

Researchers have discovered the mechanism which allows adult brain stem cells to express genes that maintain their identity and those for neuronal differentiation without conflicts in cellular activity. Furthermore, this mechanism enables stem cells to be prepared to respond to differentiation signals readily. All cells in an organism have the same genes, but the difference … Read more