MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (03/14/2025) — A University of Minnesota research team was recently awarded a five-year, $3.8 million grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health to develop a new cell therapy to combat Alzheimer’s disease. More than 55 million people worldwide live with dementia, which includes Alzheimer's disease and other related conditions. The project aims to adapt advanced techniques developed for cancer treatment to create specialized macrophages — immune cells that can surround and remove proteins from their environment — to seek out and clear harmful proteins in the brain.  "Engineered ...

In Nature Neuroscience, UConn School of Medicine researchers have revealed a new scientific clue that could unlock the key cellular pathway leading to devastating neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, and the progressive damage to the brain’s frontal and temporal lobes in frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) and the associated disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study, “Endothelial TDP-43 Depletion Disrupts Core Blood-Brain Barrier Pathways in Neurodegeneration,” was published on March 14, 2025. The lead author, Omar Moustafa Fathy, an MD/Ph.D. candidate at the Center for Vascular Biology at UConn School of ...

Key takeaways: The proportion of bystanders (as opposed to emergency medical services) performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on individuals experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA)  has steadily increased over the past decades. The study emphasises that the speed of CPR initiation, rather than who performs it, is crucial to survival and better outcomes. Each 5-minute delay in return of spontaneous circulation in patients experiencing OCHA is associated with a 38% increased risk of death. Based on these findings, the authors emphasise that increasing the number of individuals trained in proper CPR ...

Biomolecular condensates are shifting blobs in our cells that organize cellular matter. They are distinct molecular communities made of DNA, RNA and proteins that “condense” molecules to key locations, yet they frequently defy description. Partly this is because they are so small, they cannot be measured using traditional microscopes. “These blobs were once described as being ‘liquid-like’ because some of them were observed to kiss, fuse, drip and flow like raindrops on windshields,” said Rohit Pappu, Gene K. Beare Distinguished Professor of biomedical engineering ...

The oxytocin system – which helps release breast milk and strengthens the bond between mother and baby – may be affected during breastfeeding in mothers experiencing postnatal depression, finds a new study by UCL researchers. The new research, published in Psychoneuroendocrinology, investigated the link between maternal mood and the oxytocin pathway during breastfeeding, in mothers with and without symptoms of postnatal depression. Oxytocin is a hormone that is released in both the brain and body. It plays a central role in childbirth and breastfeeding, ...

A recent study published in Engineering presents a novel approach to address the challenges of high-power direct current fast charging (DC-HPC) in electric vehicles (EVs). The research, led by a team from China Agricultural University, focuses on developing a synergetic cooling and charging strategy using a gallium-based liquid metal flexible charging connector (LMFCC). As the demand for EVs grows, DC-HPC technology, especially for megawatt-level charging currents (≥1000 A), is crucial for reducing charging time. However, it brings the ...

Those with access to firearms rarely use their weapon to defend themselves, and instead are far more likely to be exposed to gun violence in other ways, according to a Rutgers Health study.   An overwhelming majority of firearm users, or about 92%, indicated they never have used their weapons to defend themselves, with less than 1% say they did in the previous year, a new study by the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center found. “Adults with firearm access are far more likely to be exposed to gun violence than they are to defend themselves with their firearms,” ...

About The Study: In this survey of adults with firearm access, defensive gun use (DGU) was rare relative to gun violence exposure. Perceived threats may not necessitate DGU, and given the association between DGU and gun violence exposure, the consequences of DGU may be substantial. Narratives centering DGU as a consideration in firearm policies may misstate the risk profile of firearm access. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Michael D. Anestis, PhD, email mda141@sph.rutgers.edu. To access the ...

About The Study: This economic evaluation found that although tirzepatide and semaglutide offered substantial long-term health benefits, they were not cost-effective at current net prices. Efforts to reduce the net prices of new anti-obesity medications are essential to ensure equitable access to highly effective anti-obesity medications. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Jennifer H. Hwang, DO, email jennifer.hwang2@bsd.uchicago.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2024.5586) Editor’s ...

CDKL5, one of the five members of the CDKL family of genes, is important for proper neurodevelopment and associated with seizures. However, the role the other four members of this family play in health and disease is unknown. A team led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children’s Hospital has deepened our understanding of two other members of the CDKL family, CDKL2 and CDKL1. The labs of Drs. Oguz Kanca and Hugo Bellen show that ...

A review article published in Engineering delves into the crucial field of organ preservation, exploring its history, current techniques, and future prospects. The shortage of donor organs remains a significant global challenge, with only about 10% of the global demand for organ transplantation being met, as stated by the World Health Organization. This shortage is further exacerbated by the limitations of current organ preservation methods. Currently, the main clinical methods for organ preservation are static cold storage (SCS) and machine perfusion (MP). SCS, which involves storing organs in a preservation solution at low temperatures (usually 4 °C), is simple and ...

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have identified a novel trigger of a deadly form of ovarian cancer: a subset of progenitor cells that reside in fallopian tube supportive tissue, or stroma. The discovery of these high-risk cells, described in a new study published today in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, could pave the way for better approaches to prevent and detect high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), the most common form of ovarian cancer, which kills more than 12,000 women in the U.S. each year. “Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancer in the Western world, but we currently ...

WHAT: Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have determined that dermatitis resulting from topical steroid withdrawal (TSW) is distinct from eczema and is caused by an excess of an essential chemical compound in the body. Scientists from NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) identified treatments that could be studied in clinical trials for the condition based on their potential to lower levels of the chemical compound—called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), a form of ...

SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, infects cells by binding its spike protein to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors. Blocking this interaction with inhibitors could prevent infection. Since these inhibitors act directly on the virus without affecting human cells, they may be safer than some existing treatments. However, mutations in the spike protein can alter its structure, reducing the effectiveness of these inhibitors. In a significant breakthrough, a research team led by Professor Yoshinori Fujiyoshi ...

Magnetic materials have become indispensable to various technologies that support our modern society, such as data storage devices, electric motors, and magnetic sensors. High-magnetization ferromagnets are especially important for the development of next-generation spintronics, sensors, and high-density data storage technologies. Among these materials, the iron-cobalt (Fe-Co) alloy is widely used due to its strong magnetic properties. However, there is a limit to how much their performance can be improved, necessitating a new approach. Some of the earlier studies have shown that epitaxially grown films made up of Fe-Co alloys doped with heavier elements exhibit remarkably high ...

(Boston)—Digital voice recordings contain valuable information that can indicate an individual’s cognitive health, offering a non-invasive and efficient method for assessment. Research has demonstrated that digital voice measures can detect early signs of cognitive decline by analyzing features such as speech rate, articulation, pitch variation and pauses, which may signal cognitive impairment when deviating from normative patterns.   However, voice data introduces privacy challenges due to the personally identifiable information embedded in recordings, ...

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have developed a new method for the rapid scalable preparation of uniform nanostructures directly from block polymers.   This novel approach, led by the Dove and O'Reilly groups, significantly reduces processing time from a week to just minutes, enabling high-throughput production of precision polymer nanomaterials.  Publishing their findings today (14 Mar) in Nature Chemistry, the teams outline a rapid seed preparation technique that supersaturates polymer solutions in a flow system.  The process facilitates uniform seed micelle formation and allows ...

Photosynthesis is a marvellous process: plants use it to produce sugar molecules and oxygen from the simple starting materials carbon dioxide and water. They draw the energy they need for this complex process from sunlight. If humans could imitate photosynthesis, it would have many advantages. The free energy from the sun could be used to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it to build carbohydrates and other useful substances. It would also be possible to produce hydrogen, as photosynthesis splits water into its components oxygen and hydrogen. Photosynthesis: a Complex Process ...

People with favourable socioeconomic conditions, such as high incomes or education levels, face a reduced risk of age-related diseases and show fewer signs of biological ageing than peers of the same age, finds a new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers. Social inequalities appear to have a direct impact on the biological ageing process, according to the authors of the Nature Medicine paper. The scientists found that people with more social advantages had fewer proteins in their blood that are linked to the ...

The Nano Materials Research Division at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), led by Dr. Tae-Hoon Kim and Dr. Jung-Goo Lee, has successfully developed a groundbreaking grain boundary diffusion process that enables the fabrication of high-performance permanent magnets without the use of expensive heavy rare earth elements. This pioneering technology, marks the world’s first achievement in this field. Permanent magnets are key components in various high-value-added products, including electric vehicle (EV) motors and robots. However, conventional permanent magnet manufacturing processes have been heavily dependent on ...

23% of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 between 2021 and 2023 developed long-COVID, and in more than half of them the symptoms persisted for two years. These are the main conclusions of a study conducted by ISGlobal, a centre supported by the ”la Caixa” Foundation, and in collaboration with the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), as part of the European END-VOC project. The risk of developing long-COVID depends on several factors, according to the results published in BMC Medicine. After overcoming an initial ...

Violence is trapping women across Northern Ireland in cycles of trauma and homelessness, with some facing further abuse in temporary accommodation, despite moving there to find a place of safety. The research from Heriot-Watt University and University of Edinburgh was commissioned by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland and funded by the Oak Foundation. It is based on in-depth interviews with women with lived experience of violence over five areas of Northern Ireland. The areas include Belfast and Derry, one smaller urban area in County Down, and two more rural areas of County Antrim and County Fermanagh. The report also covers findings from focus groups with frontline workers ...

Researchers from Brazilian, Argentine, and Uruguayan institutions analyze the barriers that low- and middle-income countries face in disseminating research on intensive care medicine, particularly in the treatment of critically ill patients. Published this month in The Lancet, the study highlights how historical and economic biases perpetuate inequalities and suggests changes to make the scientific publishing system more inclusive and representative of the global community. Low- and middle-income countries are home to 85% of the world's population and bear a disproportionate burden of critical illnesses. ...

PHILADELPHIA— Prior exposures to specific types of seasonal influenza viruses promote cross-reactive immunity against the H5N1 avian influenza virus, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Older adults who were exposed to seasonal flu viruses that circulated prior to 1968 were found to be more likely to have antibodies that bind to the H5N1 avian flu virus. The findings, published today in Nature Medicine¸ suggest that younger adults and children would benefit more from H5N1 vaccines, even those not tailored specifically to the current strain circulating in birds and ...

ITHACA, N.Y. – Climate change and flagging investment in research and development has U.S. agriculture facing its first productivity slowdown in decades. A new study estimates the public sector investment needed to reverse course. In the paper, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers model both the dampening effects of climate change on U.S. agriculture and the accelerating effects of publicly funded research and development (R&D) – and use the estimates to quantify the investment in research required to maintain agricultural productivity through 2050. They find that a 5% to 8% per year growth in research investment ...