Scientists at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Australia have produced a first of its kind integrated map of heart cells which unlocks the process of cardiac fibrosis – a major cause of heart failure.  The discovery opens new avenues to develop targeted drugs to prevent scarring damage caused after a heart attack.  During and after a heart attack, the heart’s muscles are damaged leading to the formation of scar tissue which lacks the elasticity and contractility of healthy heart muscle. This damage is permanent and can affect ...

Some 1,000 years ago, a small band of Polynesians sailed thousands of miles across the Pacific to settle one of the world’s most isolated places—a small, previously uninhabited island they named Rapa Nui. There, they erected hundreds of “moai,” or gigantic stone statues that now famously stand as emblems of a vanished civilization. Eventually, their numbers ballooned to unsustainable levels; they chopped down all the trees, killed off the seabirds, exhausted the soils and in the end, ruined their environment. Their population and civilization collapsed, with just a few thousand people remaining when ...

Chronic pain affects millions worldwide, and current treatments often rely on opioids, which carry risks of addiction and overdose.  Non-addictive alternatives could revolutionize pain management, and new research targeting the human protein which regulates cold sensations, brings scientists closer to developing pain medications that don't affect body temperature and don't carry the risks of addiction.  Research published in Science Advances on June 21, led by Wade Van Horn, professor in Arizona State University’s School of Molecular Sciences and Biodesign ...

Elena Beccalli will be rector of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore on 1st July for the four-year term 2024–2028. After being appointed by the University's Board of Directors, which convened today, Thursday 20 June 2024, Professor Beccalli succeeds Professor Franco Anelli. She is the first woman appointed to this role in the history of our university.   The decision of the Board of Directors follows the appointment of Professor Elena Beccalli, Dean of the School of Banking, Finance, and Insurance ...

Seattle, WA — June 21, 2024 — Researchers at the Pacific Northwest Research Institute (PNRI) and collaborating institutions have made a groundbreaking discovery that could significantly advance our understanding of genomic disorders. Their latest study, funded by the National Institutes of Health[1] and published in the journal Cell Genomics, reveals how specific DNA rearrangements called inverted triplications contribute to the development of various genetic diseases. Understanding the Study Genomic disorders occur when there are changes or mutations in DNA that disrupt normal biological functions. These can lead ...

(Toronto, June 20, 2024) A new review in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, published by JMIR Publications, found that community-dwelling older adults are more likely to continue using wearable monitoring devices (WMDs), like trackers, pedometers, and smartwatches, if they receive support from health care professionals or peers. The research team from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, led by Dr. Arkers Kwan Ching Wong, reviewed data from 3 randomized controlled trials involving over 150 older adults. The evaluation showed that the interventions that focused on increasing awareness of being monitored and used collaborative goal-setting and feedback tools, such as the SystemCHANGE ...

Dr. John Kirwan, Executive Director of Pennington Biomedical Research Center, is serving as a co-principal investigator on the Pathobiology in RECOVER of Metabolic and Immune Systems, or PROMIS, study. The study has been awarded more than $802,000 by the National Institutes of Health to identify potential causes of Long COVID. “The PROMIS study will help us better understand what is driving Long COVID,” Dr. Kirwan said. “In the early days of the pandemic, Pennington Biomedical directed its resources to address the urgent health needs of our population. Now with estimates that more than 25 percent of people in the U.S. who had COVID have experienced ...

An orange teeming with antioxidants and other health benefits may be a shot in the arm for consumers and citrus growers, if the fruit is stored at cool temperatures, a new University of Florida study shows.   But it’s too soon to know if the so-called “blood oranges” are a viable crop for the Florida citrus industry, says Ali Sarkhosh, a UF/IFAS associate professor of horticultural sciences. Sarkhosh’s post-doctoral associate Fariborz Habibi explains further. “Although blood oranges typically command higher prices than other common varieties, such as navel or ...

According to a National Poll on Healthy Aging, 93% of people in the U.S. between 50-80 years old report experiencing at least one form of ageism from other people. Internalized ageism is when a person believes ageist ideas about themselves, such as thinking they had a “senior moment” or thinking they are too old to learn new technology. Internalizing ageist stereotypes can impact older people’s mental and physical health, including sexual health. Various aspects of older adults’ sexual ...

DURHAM, N.C. – Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed a new technique to better understand and test treatments for a group of extremely rare muscle disorders called dysferlinopathy or limb girdle muscular dystrophies 2B (LGMD2B). The approach grows complex, functional 3D muscle tissue from stem cells in the laboratory, creating a platform that replicates patient symptoms and treatment responses. In its debut study, researchers reveal some of the biological mechanisms underlying the characteristic loss of mobility caused by LGMD2B. They also demonstrate that a combination of existing treatments may be able to alleviate some ...

“[...] PHA is a rare yet aggressive mesenchymal tumor of the liver, which requires a multi-disciplinary approach to achieve the best patient outcomes.” BUFFALO, NY- June 21, 2024 – A new editorial paper was published in Oncoscience (Volume 11) on May 20, 2024, entitled, “Primary hepatic angiosarcoma: Treatment options for a rare tumor.” In this new editorial, researchers Gregory L. Guzik and Ankit Mangla from University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer ...

SAN ANTONIO, June 21, 2024 – Research led by in part by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) finds that the most common cerebral small-vessel disease feature seen in brain magnetic resonance imaging is a primary vascular factor associated with dementia risk. Results of the major international study emphasize the significance of that feature, known as white matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden, in preventive strategies for dementia. “Our findings provide converging evidence that WMH is a major vascular factor ...

As wildfires become more intense and the fire season grows longer across parts of the world, humans will need to adapt. In this collection of papers from Cell Press journals One Earth and Cell Reports Sustainability, an intersection of fire management researchers comment on what needs to change to ensure we can collaborate across stakeholders in a more fire-resistant future. The papers are publishing in advance of a Cell Press 50th Anniversary sustainabiltiy forum on the topic of “Navigating the Pyrocene: Managing fire risk in a warming world.” The virtual event, free to register, takes place Thursday, July 11, 2024 at 11:00 am ET. This ...

Inland seas around the world are drying up due to increasing human water use and accelerating climate change, and their desiccation is releasing harmful dust that pollutes the surrounding areas during acute dust storms. Using the Great Salt Lake in Utah as a case study, researchers show that dust exposure was highest among Pacific Islanders and Hispanic people and lower in white people compared to all other racial/ethnic groups, and higher for individuals without a high school diploma. Restoring the lake ...

About The Study: The findings of this cohort study suggest that cannabis use may be an independent risk factor for COVID-19–related complications, even after considering cigarette smoking, vaccination status, comorbidities, and other risk factors.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Li-Shiun Chen, M.D., M.P.H., Sc.D., email li-shiun@wustl.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.17977) Editor’s ...

About The Study: This randomized clinical trial of Chinese adults with overweight or obesity and with early type 2 diabetes found that an intermittent fasting plan consisting of two nonconsecutive fasting days and five days of habitual intake per week and meal replacement diet (5:2 MR) could improve glycemic outcomes and weight loss in the short term compared with metformin or empagliflozin, making it a promising initial intervention and early management for type 2 diabetes. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Lixin Guo, M.D., email glx1218@163.com. To access the embargoed study: Visit ...

Scientists from the University of Copenhagen have made significant strides in understanding ancient ocean anoxia, with potential insights for today's marine environments. 500 million years ago the so-called Cambrian ‘SPICE’ event made oxygen levels in the oceans drop dramatically. Now, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have investigated how large-scale ocean anoxia, or oxygen-depleted conditions, developed during the event, and its potential consequences today. In the study, titled "Cascading oxygen loss shorewards in the oceans – insights from the Cambrian SPICE event" published in OneEarth ...

HOUSTON ― Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have demonstrated that therapeutically restoring ‘youthful’ levels of a specific subunit of the telomerase enzyme can significantly reduce the signs and symptoms of aging in preclinical models. If these findings are confirmed in clinical studies, there may be therapeutic implications for age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, heart disease and cancer. The study, published today in Cell, identified a small molecule compound ...

As the deadly disease that came to be known as COVID-19 started spreading in late 2019, scientists rushed to answer a critical question: Who is most at risk? They quickly recognized that a handful of characteristics — including age, smoking history, high body mass index (BMI) and the presence of other diseases such as diabetes — made people infected with the virus much more likely to become seriously ill and even die. But one suggested risk factor remains unconfirmed more than four years later: cannabis use. Evidence has emerged over time indicating both ...

Why do some people live for longer than others? The genes in our DNA sequence are important, helping avoid disease or maintain general health, but differences in our genome sequence alone explain less than 30% of the natural variance of human life expectancy. Exploring how ageing is influenced at the molecular level could shed light on lifespan variation, but generating data at the speed, scale and quality necessary to study this in humans is unfeasible. Instead, researchers turn to worms (Caenorhabditis elegans). Humans share a lot of biology with these small creatures, who also have a large, natural variation in lifespan. Researchers ...

Small changes in our everyday actions can trigger significant, rapid societal shifts especially when it comes to climate action. A new IIASA-led study highlights the importance of analyzing these dynamics with a comprehensive framework to harness their full potential for reducing carbon emissions. Making small changes in how we live day-to-day can quickly create significant changes in society, especially in ways that benefit the environment. This idea is captured in the term social tipping points. According to the authors of a new paper just published in the journal One Earth, social tipping points are crucial for speeding up efforts to reduce carbon emissions. These points occur when ...

A pivotal study has discovered a genetic synergy between pumpkin and cucumber that fortifies the latter's resilience against salinity. The research illuminates the role of the CmoDREB2A transcription factor from pumpkin, which, when interacted with cucumber's CmoNAC1, forms a regulatory loop that enhances salt tolerance. This breakthrough could be key to developing crops that thrive in saline soils, safeguarding agricultural productivity. Soil salinity, a silent blight on global agriculture, affects an estimated 10% of the world's arable land, leading to significant crop ...

A detailed genomic study of broccoli has revealed the genetic foundations for the production of glucosinolates (GSLs), compounds celebrated for their health benefits, including anti-carcinogenic properties. By assembling a high-quality chromosome-level genome, researchers identified key genes involved in GSL biosynthesis. These findings offer critical insights for future genetic studies and the development of Brassica crops with enhanced nutritional value, paving the way for improved health benefits from these widely consumed vegetables. Broccoli is renowned for its health benefits, primarily due to its rich glucosinolate (GSL) content, which has anti-carcinogenic ...

A cutting-edge study has pinpointed the PgbHLH28 gene as a crucial catalyst in the methyl jasmonate-induced (MeJA-induced) saponin biosynthesis in Platycodon grandiflorus. This genetic insight could significantly bolster the production of saponins, which are beneficial in combating cerebrovascular diseases and COVID-19, offering a novel therapeutic avenue in medicinal plant cultivation. Platycodon grandiflorus, commonly known as balloon flower, is renowned for its medicinal properties, primarily due to its rich saponin content. Saponins are known for ...

Glomerulus, the fundamental filtering unit of the kidney, is an intricate network of capillaries — small blood vessels that regulate the movement of ions, water, and metabolites while maintaining impermeability to essential macromolecules such as proteins. The selectively permeable capillary wall, known as the glomerular filtration barrier (GFB), consists of three main components: glomerular endothelial cells (GEnCs), the glomerular basement membrane, and podocytes. GEnCs line the inner surface of the capillary wall and are covered by a thin layer of glycoproteins and other carbohydrate-based moieties. Adhesion G-protein-coupled ...