Scientists have known for a century that female animals become more active just as they are about to ovulate, a behavior that evolved to enhance their chances of mating when they are fertile. Now, a team at UC San Francisco has identified the specific neurons and signaling pathway that make sexually receptive females of many
Leading scientists at the University of Birmingham have discovered a previously unknown pathway that prevents specific drugs from working in patients with bowel cancer. The research findings pave the way for increasing the number of bowel cancer patients who can be successfully treated, say the scientists. Bowel cancer, also called colorectal cancer, affects the large
Crowds totaling over 13,000 people were in high spirits at two pilot events in Liverpool at the Circus nightclub and the Sefton Park Pilot music festival in early May. These were part of the UK’s Events Research Programme, giving audiences a taste of the old norm—gathering with no social distancing or face coverings—to see what
The theory that COVID-19 might be the result of scientific experiments has thrown a spotlight on the work of the world’s most secure biolabs. While the evidence linking SARS-CoV-2 to the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China is strictly circumstantial, a number of experts want tougher controls on such facilities over fears that accidental leaks
It’s been 25 years since the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl became the largest man-made disaster in world history. After years spent studying the abandoned land in the exclusion zone and surrounding areas, a team of scientists have produced an artisanal spirit called Atomik, made using fruit grown and harvested in the disaster zone. Led by
A new editorial written by clinical academics working on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic has warned that national guidelines need to adapt in the face of pandemics. Published in The BMJ, the article considers that guidance developed by national bodies was slow to appear during the first and second waves of the pandemic, leaving
Scientists have made a promising step towards developing a new drug for treating acute myeloid leukaemia, a rare blood disorder. In a study published today in Nature, Cambridge researchers report a new approach to cancer treatment that targets enzymes which play a key role in translating DNA into proteins and which could lead to a
Glioblastomas are the most common and most aggressive brain tumors. Their survival rate has barely increased over the last 50 years, indicating an urgent need to develop new therapeutic strategies. In a paper published this week in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, the team led by
Brazilian researchers have published a systematic review of the scientific literature showing that some warm-up strategies such as dynamic stretching can effectively prepare soccer players to maintain kicking accuracy, whereas intense physical exercises have a negative effect on the velocity of the ball when kicked, and consumption of carbohydrate beverages during a match can enable
At the time of writing, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is seriously threatening human lives and health throughout the world. Before effective vaccines and specific drugs are developed, non-pharmacological interventions and numerical model predictions are essential. To this end, a group led by Professor Jianping Huang from Lanzhou University, China, developed the Global Prediction System of
A team of neuroscientists has identified a potential means to address the loss of cognitive function due to Alzheimer’s disease by targeting protein synthesis in mice. Their findings, reported in the journal Science Signaling, reveal that synthetic pharmaceuticals could rescue the activity of brain cells needed for memory formation. “This work is the first to
UT Southwestern scientists have adapted a classic research technique called forward genetics to identify new genes involved in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In a study published this week in eLife, the researchers used this approach in mice to find one such gene called KDM5A. Approximately 1 in 54 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with
A research team led by Michael Fox, a professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, has identified the type of brain cell that produces collagen 19, a protein that is crucial for the formation of inhibitory circuits in the brain. The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, depicts a previously unknown molecular
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for rapid and accurate nucleic acid detection at the point of care. To meet this need, scientists from the Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology have developed a novel amplification-free rapid SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detection platform based on hybrid capture fluorescence immunoassay (HC-FIA). The use of the
THURSDAY, Dec. 10, 2020 — The first known case of COVID-19 triggering a recurrence of Guillain-Barré syndrome has been reported by researchers. Guillain-Barré syndrome — which can be sparked by viral and bacterial infections — is a rare disorder where the body’s immune system attacks nerves. It can result in respiratory failure and death. There
A new genetic risk factor for Motor Neurone Disease (MND), which if treated could halt or prevent the degenerative condition, has been identified in so-called ‘junk DNA’ by scientists at the University of Sheffield. The newly discovered genetic changes are present in up to one percent of MND patients. The pioneering research, published in the
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
