A snail that regrows its eyes may hold the genetic clues to restoring human sight. Human eyes are intricate organs that cannot regrow once damaged. Surprisingly, they share key structural features with the eyes of a freshwater apple snail, an animal capable of fully regenerating its vision. Alice Accorsi, assistant professor of molecular and [...]
Scientists have mapped how genetics and life experiences leave lasting epigenetic marks on immune cells. The discovery helps explain why people respond so differently to the same infections and could lead to more personalized treatments. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted just how differently people can respond to the same infection. Some individuals experience mild symptoms, while others [...]
EPFL scientists report that briefly switching on three “reprogramming” genes in a small set of memory-trace neurons restored memory in aged mice and in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease to level of healthy young animals. Age-related memory decline and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s are often thought of as irreversible. But the brain is not [...]
Researchers have identified a molecule that disrupts a critical gene in glioblastoma. Scientists at the UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center say they have found a small molecule that can shut down a gene tied to glioblastoma, a discovery that could eventually point to a new way to treat this aggressive brain cancer. The finding comes from the [...]
Nearly 30 years after rye pollen molecules were shown to slow tumor growth in animals, scientists have finally determined their exact three-dimensional structures. Nearly 30 years ago, researchers noticed something surprising in rye pollen: two naturally occurring molecules seemed to slow tumor growth in animal studies. The finding drew interest, but the science hit [...]
A study from FAU has shown that lipid nanoparticles restructure their membrane significantly after being absorbed into a cell and ending up in an acidic environment. Vaccines and other medicines are often packed in little fat droplets, or lipids. In this form, they are absorbed by cells and release their "cargo" once they are [...]
Scientists can now design bacteria-killing viruses from DNA, opening a faster path to fighting superbugs. Bacteriophages have been used as treatments for bacterial infections for more than a century. Interest in these viruses is rising again as antibiotic-resistant infections become an increasing threat to public health. Even so, progress in the field has been slow. [...]
When you don’t sleep enough, your brain may clean itself at the exact moment you need it to think. Most people recognize the sensation. After a night of inadequate sleep, staying focused becomes harder than usual. Thinking feels slower, attention wanders, and simple tasks take more effort than they should. Researchers at MIT have now uncovered [...]
Researchers have developed a way to grow a highly specialized subset of brain nerve cells that are involved in motor neuron disease and damaged in spinal injuries. Their study, published today in eLife as the final Version of Record after appearing previously as a Reviewed Preprint, presents what the editors call fundamental findings on the directed [...]
Airports across Asia have been put on high alert after India confirmed two cases of the deadly Nipah virus in the state of West Bengal over the past month. Thailand, Nepal and Vietnam are among the countries screening airport arrivals over fears of an wider outbreak of the virus, which can spread from animals to humans [...]
