Tag: scientists

Synapses are specialized brain structures where learning and memory occur. The efficient transmission of synaptic signals relies on the delicate structure and complex molecular composition of the synapses. However, the small size (several hundred nanometers in diameter) and heterogeneous nature of the synapses pose significant challenges in direct observation of the molecules inside synapses. Based

The attentional control that organisms need to succeed in their goals comes from two abilities: the focus to ignore distractions and the discipline to curb impulses. A new study by MIT neuroscientists shows that these abilities are independent, but that the activity of norepinephrine-producing neurons in a single brain region, the locus coeruleus, controls both

Signals from two key proteins are essential for the survival of our ‘immunological memory’, according to new research from scientists at the Francis Crick Institute, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. Memory B cells are long-lived cells that confer immunological memory by providing rapid and robust antibody responses to infections our body has seen

In breakthrough colon cancer research, scientists at ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute have discovered a link between two key signaling pathways crucial to the development and growth of colon cancer. The study is published today in the journal PLOS ONE. The scientists identified the link between the retinoic acid or RA

Michigan State University researchers have created for the first time a miniature human heart model in the laboratory, complete with all primary heart cell types and a functioning structure of chambers and vascular tissue. In the United States, heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death. “These minihearts constitute incredibly powerful models in which

Scientists have identified an oncogene (a cancer-causing gene) responsible for glioblastoma, the deadliest brain tumor. The discovery offers a promising new treatment target for a cancer that is always fatal. The researchers say the oncogene is essential to the survival of the cancer cells. Without it, the cancer cells die. Scientists have already developed many

Scientists are already working on a coronavirus vaccine – but warn it will likely be years before there is a shot to prevent the contagious illness which has so far killed 17 people A new coronavirus has sickened more than 500 people worldwide and killed 17 in China, where it originated  The first US case

Scientists find ‘missing link’ in allergic reactions to popular skin creams: Fragrances, alcohols and immune protein combine to cause itchy rashes Contact dermatitis allergic reactions have been on the rise as the skin care and cosmetic industry has grown  But scientists have been unsure how skin creams and other products trigger the itchy red rash 

Researchers from Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) and University of Salento, both in Lecce, Italy, and Harvard Medical School in Boston have developed a new light-based method to capture and pinpoint the epicenter of neural activity in the brain. The approach, described in Nature Methods, lays the foundation for novel ways to map connections across

Scientist Mary Rodgers spends her days tracking killers—elusive, constantly mutating viruses that travel the globe and are responsible for illness or death in millions of people. Wednesday, in an article published in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, Rodgers and her team at Abbott, along with co-authors at the University of Missouri, announced their

Researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center—Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC—James) report a discovery that helps scientists understand why some tumors lack immune cell infiltration and are therefore unresponsive to newer PD-1 targeted therapies. PD-1 is a checkpoint protein on T cells, a type of immune

Is THIS what causes mysterious polio-like illness in kids? Scientists discover signs that a common cold virus may trigger life-threatening paralysis in children Since 2014, nearly 600 people – mostly young children – have been diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis   The mysterious polio-like condition has left young children with mysterious paralysis that becomes life-threatening for some

With a study of the network between nerve and muscle cells in turtles, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have gained new insight into the way in which movements are generated and maintained. In the long term, the new knowledge may have an impact on the treatment of, for example, ALS and spinal cord injuries.

Our teeth take thousands of bites per day, and understanding exactly what holds them in place and how is key to helping people live with their own teeth for longer. Now new research published in the Journal of Dental Research has shed light on the science behind the formation of the periodontal ligament, which helps

Vaping is widely assumed to be safer than cigarette smoking, but scientists at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine have uncovered evidence suggesting that vaping promotes the same cellular responses found in smokers who suffer with emphysema. In a study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the UNC

Scientists discover a hunger ‘switchboard’ in the brain – and may soon be able to turn your appetite ‘on’ or ‘off’ Researchers at the University of Arizona discovered a complex network of brain regions that communicate to tell us when we are hungry or sated They found that they could use chemicals to turn ‘off’

‘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

Scientists find a way to make food taste salty but with less of the sodium that can cause high blood pressure People may pick up reduced salt snacks as a way of cutting their salt intake  Scientists wanted to find a blend that tastes like salt to improve snacks It could even improve health, as

‘Revolutionary’ treatment may prevent blindness: Scientists discover way of boosting stem cells’ healing properties after eye injuries and acid attacks Stem cells in the cornea work less effectively after serious injury to the eye They are needed to heal wounds and therefore prevent sight loss  Scientists discovered how to improve this function after injury using

How to retrain your brain to say ‘no’ to overeating: Scientists discover neurons that make us ‘forget’ we want food More than two thirds of American adults are overweight or obese   Some 45 million people go on a diet every year in the US  But just restricting calories is not enough to keep off weight