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Largest Genetic Study Discovers Specific DNA Changes That Increase Risk of Epilepsy

The largest genetic study of its kind, coordinated by the International League Against Epilepsy, including scientists from FutureNeuro at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, has discovered specific changes in our DNA that increase the risk of developing epilepsy.

5 Sep 2023

Targeted MicroRNA-34a Therapy Shows Promise in Slowing Tumor Growth in Mice

A new cancer therapy developed by Purdue University researchers attacks tumors by tricking cancer cells into absorbing a snippet of RNA that naturally blocks cell division.

5 Sep 2023

Aloe Vera Peels for Pest Control on Staple Food Crops

According to a study, aloe vera peels that are discarded can be utilized as a natural insecticide to assist farmers in defending important food crops from damaging insects.

4 Sep 2023

Processed Foods May Lead to Obesity by Diluting Protein

Humans, like so many other species, control protein intake more strictly than any other dietary component, so if protein intake is reduced, food intake increases to make up for it.

4 Sep 2023

Red Blood Cells May Hold the Key to Preventing Heart Diseases

An innovative KI study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigations found that red blood cells exposed to oxygen deficiency safeguard against myocardial infarction. The research also showed that a nitrate-rich vegetable diet boosts the protective effect.

4 Sep 2023

New Insights Into How Cells Maintain Optimal Health

A group of researchers has unearthed the secrets behind a tiny but crucial protein that shuttles zinc ions (Zn2+) within our bodies. The discovery offers a deeper understanding of how our cells maintain optimal health.

4 Sep 2023

Bamboo Flowering Event Could Have Major Ecological Impacts

A long-lived monocarpic species of bamboo, Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis, only flowers once every 120 years before it dies. The upcoming flowering event for this species does not bode well for its continued long-term survival, as most flowers are not producing viable seeds.

4 Sep 2023

LJI Scientists Harness 'Helper' T Cells To Treat Tumors

Scientists are on the hunt for a unique set of mutations, called "neoantigens," that let the immune system distinguish tumor cells from normal cells. Their goal is to help the immune system react to neoantigens and target tumor cells for destruction.

4 Sep 2023

DiNP Exposure in Early Pregnancy May Cause Birth Defects

We are constantly exposed to phthalates in our environment through plastic products such as storage containers, medical devices, packages, fabrics, and toys. Specifically, di-isononyl phthalate is inevitably becoming a part of our lives. Unfortunately, the impact of DiNP on the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy is largely unknown. In a new study, researchers used mice to understand how DiNP affects pregnancy.

4 Sep 2023

The Evolution of Epilepsy and Potential Cure: A New Study

Specific alterations in human DNA have been shown to raise the likelihood of getting epilepsy, according to the biggest genetic study of its type, which was managed by the International League Against Epilepsy and involved researchers from FutureNeuro at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences.

1 Sep 2023

NEUROG3 Gene Plays Key Role in Pancreas Development

Different cells in the human pancreas play important roles in blood sugar regulation. Neurogenin 3 (NEUROG3) is a gene found in pancreatic cells.

1 Sep 2023

The Pathogenic Mechanism Underpinning MEPAN Syndrome

New research published in Nature Metabolism discovered the pathogenic mechanism driving mitochondrial enoyl reductase protein-associated neurodegeneration (MEPAN) syndrome, a rare pediatric neurodegenerative disease.

1 Sep 2023

New Gene Therapy Shows Promise in Treating Gliomas

The University of Michigan Department of Neurosurgery and Rogel Cancer Center study demonstrates enticing early results that a therapy merging cell-killing and immune-stimulating drugs is effective and safe in prolonging survival for patients with gliomas, an extremely aggressive form of brain cancer.

1 Sep 2023

Artificial Roosts for Bats May Be Harmful, Researchers Warn

Artificial roosts for bats come in many forms—bat boxes, condos, bark mimics, clay roosts, and cinder block structures, to name a few—but a new conservation practice and policy article from researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign suggests the structures haven't been studied rigorously enough and may harm bats in some scenarios.

1 Sep 2023

Fish Communities Can Adapt to Marine Heat Waves, Study Suggests

Rutgers-led research found that marine heat waves -- prolonged periods of unusually warm ocean temperatures -- haven't had a lasting effect on the fish communities that feed most of the world.

1 Sep 2023

Case Western Reserve Biochemists Find New Approach to Stop Cancer Growth

Case Western Reserve University biochemical researchers have identified a new function of a key protein that leads to cancer–a finding they believe could lead to more effective treatments for a range of cancers and other diseases.

1 Sep 2023

The Last Piece of Our Genome: Sequencing the Y Chromosome

A full sequence of the Y chromosome, a feat that has challenged scientists for years, has been accomplished for the first time. In this interview, we speak to Dylan Taylor about this impactful research and how it may shape our understanding of human genetics.

1 Sep 2023

Newly Discovered Fungus Helps Destroy a Harmful Food Toxin

Patulin is a harmful mycotoxin produced by fungi typically found in damaged fruits, including apples, pears, and grapes.

1 Sep 2023

MAGE Technology Helps Reveal the Potency of Antibiotics

By substituting each of the 20 amino acid alternatives found in nature for one of the 38 amino acid components that make up the rifampicin binding site on E. coli, the study authors were able to produce 760 distinct RNAP mutants. The development of this mutant pool was then examined under various circumstances, including rifampicin therapy.

31 Aug 2023

Crick Researchers Identify Stem Cells in Thymus for First Time

For the first time, Francis Crick Institute researchers have discovered stem cells in the human thymus. These cells provide a possible new target for research into immunological disorders, cancer, and immune system stimulation.

31 Aug 2023