Tag: discovered

While investigating the underlying causes of a rare skin disorder, a researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) discovered a previously unknown mechanism in the kidneys that is important for regulating levels of magnesium and calcium in the blood. The discovery, described in the journal Cell Reports, highlights the role of a previously little-studied gene called

Researchers from the University of Oxford teamed up with the Angolan Ministry of Health to study the introduction and circulation of the Asian genotype of Zika virus in Angola, southwestern Africa. The Asian genotype caused the 2015-16 epidemic of microcephaly and other birth defects in the Americas. Their findings are published today in The Lancet

Not all strokes have a clear-cut cause like high blood pressure or smoking. For those so-called cryptogenic strokes, new research suggests cancer might be the trigger—a finding that could potentially lead to earlier diagnosis of cancer. It came down to genes. Using blood samples, researchers looked at more than 12,000 genes and found 438 that

‘Cannabis addiction gene’ that could make people more likely to abuse the drug is discovered by scientists in a ‘really important’ breakthrough Gene CHRNA2 regulates a ‘nicotine receptor’ in the brain, scientists have said  Low levels of this receptor has been linked to an increased of marijuana abuse Discovery could help medics treat and even

Imagine a pathogen that infects completely healthy people and can cause blindness in one day and flesh-eating infections, brain abscesses and death in just a few days. Now imagine that this pathogen is also resistant to all antibiotics. This is the nightmare scenario that obsesses Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine in the Jacobs

A study led by Luísa Lopes, Group Leader at Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes (iMM; Portugal) and published today in the prestigious journal Molecular Psychiatry, describes a new mechanism involved in memory loss associated with aging. The work developed over three years by a team of Portuguese, French and German scientists now shows

Michigan State University scientists have identified an early cause of intestinal inflammation, one of the first stages of inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, which afflict around 11 percent of the world’s population. The discovery, featured in the current issue of Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, points to communication between sensory neurons in

The waste-management system of the cell appears to play an important role in the spread of Alzheimer’s disease in the brain. A new study has focused on small, membrane-covered droplets known as exosomes. It was long believed that the main task of exosomes was to rid the cell of waste products. However, the understanding of

Like exposing a crime boss whose authority has gone undetected, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists have identified a hidden driver that influences production of the T cells that fight cancer and infections. The study appears today as an advance online publication in the journal Nature. The hidden drivers are kinases (enzymes) Mst1 and Mst2.

The level of diversity of the ‘good bacteria’ in our digestive systems has been found to be linked to a feature of cardiovascular disease – hardening of the arteries – in new research by experts at the University of Nottingham and King’s College London. The gut microbiome is under increasing scrutiny in medical research as

Researchers have discovered a new family of substances which has been found to display highly potent activity against the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the toxicity induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS). The novel compounds synthesized and evaluated belong to a family of low molecular weight substances named indolines. In early experiments, these compounds have

New research from Lund University in Sweden shows that inflammatory, unstable atherosclerotic plaque has a metabolism that differs from that of stable plaque – and is similar to that of cancer cells. Future research will therefore investigate whether cancer drugs could potentially be used to treat cardiovascular disease. Atherosclerotic plaque builds up gradually in the