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Genetic make-up impacts long-term effectiveness of phobia treatment

Researchers have discovered that variations in the efficacy of psychological treatment for phobias are associated with the serotonin transporter gene.

19 Apr 2018

New microscopy techniques allow quasi-biochemical studies on living T cells

A joint study by the TU Wien and the Vienna School of Medicine has now led to a surprising result. While most opinion leaders in the field reasoned that T cell receptors must interact with one another for effective immune-signaling, the Viennese study shows: T cell receptors act alone. The study has now been published in the journal Nature Immunology.

19 Apr 2018

Finding the 'keyhole' to beat obesity at the cellular level

An international team has uncovered the potential to beat obesity at the cellular level, characterizing for the first time a complex, little-understood receptor type that, when activated, shuts off hunger.

19 Apr 2018

Genome editing identifies neural circuit behind leptin’s anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effects

Revealing surprising answers to a long-standing enigma about the brain target of the anti-obesity hormone leptin, neuroscientists at Tufts University School of Medicine have used CRISPR genome editing to identify a neural circuit in the hypothalamus as the primary mechanism in mediating leptin's anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effects and have identified two distinct mechanisms underlying leptin's inhibition of appetite.

19 Apr 2018

Researchers use optogenetics to treat chronic pain

The finger prick from a thorn generates an immediate sensory response. In that instant, neurons at the injury site fire an electrical signal along a nerve fiber to the central nervous system. Our brain notes to avoid further encounters with thorns and the painful insult subsides.

18 Apr 2018

'Gut-on-a-chip' model recreates intestinal matrix critical for nutrient absorption

The difficulties of conducting research on the human gut are substantial: the presence of trillions of bacterial cells interacting with human cells and each other, constant environmental changes every time food is consumed and zero chance of conducting trials that control for all those moving parts.

18 Apr 2018

Novel method enables fast and noninvasive assessment of tumor status

How aggressive is a tumor? To measure the tumor status without taking tissue samples, Italian researchers have developed a method based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of whole body parts.

18 Apr 2018

High-resolution images of tumor vasculature using new technology

Thanks to a new method of analyzing ultrasound images, conventional scanners can be used for generating high-res images of blood vessels in tumors. This approach makes it easier to distinguish between different types of tumors, and it facilitates the tracking of the progress and success of chemotherapy.

18 Apr 2018

Researchers build molecular networks of calcific aortic valve disease

Calcific aortic valve disease - a disease that leaves the aortic valve stiff and calcified, preventing blood flow from the heart into the aorta - affects one quarter of the U.S. population aged 65 and over.

18 Apr 2018

New mathematical model can predict efficiency of microbiome therapies

A new mathematical model can predict the effectiveness of microbiome therapies that manipulate the immune system through live bacteria and could help doctors choose the most appropriate treatment for people with inflammatory or allergic diseases, a study in eLife reveals.

18 Apr 2018

Researchers use 'top-down proteomics' strategy to get new insights into cancer

When a RAS gene operates normally, it acts as an on/off switch for cell signaling to control cell proliferation. But when the gene mutates, the switch jams into the "on" position, allowing cells to proliferate uncontrollably.

18 Apr 2018

Novel biomarker can distinguish between benign and malignant lung nodules

Researchers report a newly developed biomarker was 98% effective at distinguishing between benign and malignant lung nodules in a recent multicentre clinical trial.

18 Apr 2018

Study sheds light on how the HSC niche is maintained

Researchers have identified an important cellular protein involved in the maintenance of bone marrow cavities and the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) niche

18 Apr 2018

Advanced flow chemistry modules enhance control of nanoprecipitation

Syrris, a world leader in chemistry product innovation, continues to support pioneering research into nanoparticle drug encapsulation, thanks to its award-winning Asia range of advanced flow chemistry modules.

From Syrris Ltd 18 Apr 2018

Scientists decipher mechanism of chemotherapy induced female infertility

Many chemotherapeutics act by damaging the DNA. Since cancer cells divide more often than most normal cells, they react more sensitive to DNA damaging agents.

17 Apr 2018

Scientists provide insight into how gene associated with autoimmunity contributes to disease

Researchers have provided new insight into how a gene associated with autoimmunity contributes to disease in humans.

17 Apr 2018

Researchers identify new Listeria species in Costa Rica

Listeria costaricensis is the official name given to the new bacterial species described by investigators from the Costa Rican Institute of Technology (TEC) and the WHO-collaborating center on Listeria at Institut Pasteur.

17 Apr 2018

Scientists analyze nanostructure of chicken eggshells

The results of a study recently published in the prestigious international journal Science Advances have enabled researchers to better understand the role of eggshells in embryo development and hatching.

17 Apr 2018

Researchers develop new method to study activity of inflammatory cells

The process that the body sets in motion in the event of inflammation is complex, but also impressive. The main role here is played by immune cells migrating from the blood into the tissue to fight the inflammation.

17 Apr 2018

Study shows presence of beta-amyloid dimers in the brains of Alzheimer's patients

The most widely used biomarkers for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are currently the concentrations of beta-amyloid and phosphorylated Tau in cerebrospinal fluid. However, it has been observed that not all individuals with alterations in these biomarkers develop the disease.

17 Apr 2018