A better understanding of inflammation and lung immunity over the past two decades has led to new, innovative treatments for asthma, including biologic therapies. This is especially true for a subtype known as eosinophilic asthma—asthma that’s related to the recruitment and overactivation of white blood cells in the lungs called eosinophils. However, a different type of asthma called neutrophilic asthma has fewer treatment options and doesn’t respond as well to first line asthma therapy. As a result, people with this type of asthma, which ...

Researchers led by Zhentao Zhang at Wuhan University, China have discovered a cholesterol metabolite that plays a critical role in the development of Parkinson’s disease in mice. Published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology on February 18th, the study shows that this metabolite is responsible for the formation of Lewy bodies and the death of dopaminergic neurons in the brain—the two major hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease. Blocking its activity or preventing it from being made by the body could therefore be effective strategies for treating the disease. Parkinson’s disease develops when the protein alpha-Syn forms clumps of tiny pathological fibers ...

In your coverage, please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper in PLOS Biology: https://plos.io/42Ly2Pr   Article title: Capsid transfer of the retrotransposon Copia controls structural synaptic plasticity in Drosophila Author countries: United States Funding: This work was supported by NIH Grant R01NS112492 to TT. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. END ...

Researchers tempted grazing cattle with sweet molasses feed to discover whether cows would roam far and wide to graze or stick close to the herd, water supplies and feed stations. The findings by animal scientists at the University of California, Davis, and published in the journal Scientific Reports, offer a low-cost way for ranchers and others to identify the best cows for their landscapes to optimize grazing while meeting the nutritional needs of cattle.  This is the third in a series of papers about research seeking to better understand the grazing personalities of cattle. The first studies ...

MONTRÉAL and VARENNES, QC, Feb. 18, 2025 /CNW/ - Professor Fabio Boschini is among the 126 recipients announced today by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in seven fields. Sloan Fellowships support outstanding early-career scientists who demonstrate creativity, ambition, and dedication to advance discovery. These rising stars of research come from American and Canadian schools and are definitely names to watch. Many Sloan Fellows have gone on to become Nobel prize winners.   INRS Professor Fabio Boschini has just received a prestigious ...

University of Queensland researchers have for the first time introduced genetic material into plants via their roots, opening a potential pathway for rapid crop improvement. Professor Bernard Carroll from UQ’s School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences said nanoparticle technology could help fine-tune plant genes to increase crop yield and improve food quality. “Traditional plant breeding and genetic modification take many generations to produce a new crop variety, which is time-consuming and expensive,” Professor Carroll said. “We have succeeded in having plant roots absorb a benign nanoparticle which ...

DALLAS, Feb. 18, 2025 — Five regions in the U.S. have been selected to implement a new preventive health initiative to improve care for people with a cluster of chronic conditions known as cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome. Through the initiative the American Heart Association, devoted to changing the future to a world of healthier lives for all, aims to increase awareness and screening for CKM syndrome and facilitate collaboration among health care professionals. CKM syndrome is a clinical term that describes the combined health effects of heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes and obesity, which puts people at high risk for heart ...

Accurate assessment of the land surface damage (such as small-scale fracturing and inelastic deformation) from two major earthquakes in 2023 can help scientists assess future earthquake hazards and therefore minimize risk to people and infrastructure. However, attaining precise extensive measurements in earthquake zones remains challenging. The two earthquakes that struck on 6 February 2023 were devastating: they were of magnitude 7.8 and 7.6 and occurred in quick succession near the border between Syria and Turkey. They caused widespread infrastructure destruction and resulted in tens of thousands of deaths across multiple provinces. Using ...

About The Study: This cross-sectional study found a statistically significant increase in abortions for Colorado residents in association with the implementation of Texas SB8. This aligns with reports from area clinicians who experienced dramatic increases in patient demand after SB8, also reported by the media, resulting in delayed appointments for everyone. Corresponding author: To contact the corresponding author, Kelly A. DeBie, J.D., email kelly.debie@colostate.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For ...

About The Study: In this survey study, disparities in tobacco use existed across cumulative disabilities. Despite declines in tobacco use over time, differences in use across cumulative disabilities persisted or worsened, especially among those with 3 or more disabilities. Targeted prevention, screening, and cessation efforts inclusive of multiple products are needed. Corresponding author: To contact the corresponding author, Michael J. Parks, Ph.D., email Michael.parks@nih.gov. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/  (doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.60471) Editor’s ...

An innovative circuit design could enable miniature devices, such as microdrones and other microrobotics, to be powered for longer periods of time while staying lightweight and compact. Researchers from the University of California San Diego and CEA-Leti developed a novel self-sustaining circuit configuration—featuring miniaturized solid-state batteries—that combines high energy density with an ultra lightweight design.  The results will be presented at the 2025 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC), which will take place from Feb. 16 to 20 in San Francisco.  One important application envisioned for microdrones is ...

OAK BROOK, Ill. – Different sociodemographic groups, especially racial and ethnic minorities, are less likely to receive timely breast cancer diagnostic services after an abnormal screening mammogram, according to a study published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Routine yearly screening mammography is an important first step in the early diagnosis of breast cancer. When a screening mammogram comes back as abnormal, additional imaging and image-guided biopsy may be necessary to diagnose breast cancer. When it is caught early enough, before symptoms are present, breast cancer can be easier to treat and significantly ...

OAK BROOK, Ill. – Research scientists in Switzerland have developed and tested a robust AI model that automatically segments major anatomic structures in MRI images, independent of sequence, according to a new study published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). In the study, the model outperformed other publicly available tools. MRI provides detailed images of the human body and is essential for diagnosing various medical conditions, from neurological disorders to musculoskeletal injuries. For in-depth interpretation of MRI images, the organs, muscles and bones in the images are outlined ...

Despite similar availability of diagnostic technologies to women of different racial and ethnic groups, significant disparities were seen in who actually received same-day diagnostic services and biopsies after abnormal mammogram findings, new research shows.  Even when breast-care facilities had the necessary technology and capabilities, minority groups were less likely than white women to receive diagnostic imaging on the same day as an abnormal screening result. Black women in particular were less likely to receive same-day biopsies, compared with white women. The findings of a retrospective study are to be published ...

New research brings hope for improved outcomes and survival rates for patients facing a pancreatic cancer diagnosis The discovery of a 'biomarker panel' could have a profound impact on the ability to identify patients at risk of developing PC at an earlier stage Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the worst prognosis cancer globally, with just 13% of patients who are diagnosed with PC surviving for 5 years or more after initial diagnosis. In Ireland, there are approximately 900 cases of PC per year, and 820 PC-related deaths. Early detection of PC is the primary concern of most PC research, as it has the potential to make a substantial difference to the treatment and survival of patients. Survival ...

Gene editing techniques may eventually allow trisomy to be treated at the cellular level, according to an in vitro proof-of-concept study. Down syndrome is caused by the presence of a third copy of the 21st chromosome. The condition occurs in approximately 1 in 700 live births and is relatively easy to diagnose at early stages of development. However, there are no treatments. Ryotaro Hashizume and colleagues use the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system to cleave the third chromosome in previously generated trisomy 21 cell lines derived from both pluripotent cells and skin fibroblasts. The technique is able to identify which chromosome has been duplicated, ...

Heat stroke poses a significant health risk, especially during extreme temperature conditions. As global temperatures rise due to climate change, the frequency and severity of heatwaves have increased, putting vulnerable populations at greater risk. This shift underscores the need for effective, real-time methods for early detection and response to heat stroke risks, ensuring timely intervention and reduced impact of these rising threats. While previous studies have highlighted the potential of social media posts, such as tweets, to offer real-time insights into various events, its application in detecting heat stroke risks ...

ARLINGTON, Va. (Feb. 18 2025) – A new study led by Conservation International scientists and published today has found that grassland restoration can reduce human-wildlife conflict and social conflicts in communities facing resource scarcity. Grasslands, vital ecosystems for livelihoods and biodiversity, are under increasing pressure from climate change and human activity. The Chyulu Hills region of Kenya exemplifies these challenges, as it is home to iconic wildlife such as African elephants and black rhinos, which share the land with pastoral Maasai communities. This coexistence often leads to competition over limited water, land and pasture, sparking ...

Some people wake up vividly recalling their dreams from the night, and can tell precise stories experienced during the night, while others struggle to remember even a single detail. Why does this happen? A new study, conducted by researchers at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, and published on Communications Psychology explores the factors that influence so called "dream recall"— the ability to remember dreams upon awakening—and uncovers which individual traits and sleep patterns shape this phenomenon. The reason why there is such a difference in recalling dreams remains a mystery. Some studies found that women, young persons, ...

The immune systems of cancer patients are highly disrupted, with those who have a higher number of immune cells in their blood having a better survival rate, finds a new study that uses a pioneering technique developed by researchers at UCL and the Francis Crick Institute. The tool, described in Nature Genetics, is called Immune Lymphocyte Estimation from Nucleotide Sequencing (ImmuneLENS). It enables researchers to calculate the proportion of T cells and B cells (types of immune cell) from whole genome sequencing (WGS) data for the first time.   Whole genome sequencing (WGS) uses a blood sample to create a complete ...

*** Embargoed for release until Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, at 5 a.m. EST *** A newly identified part of a brain circuit mixes sensory information, memories, and emotions to tell whether things are familiar or new, and important or just “background noise.” Led by researchers from NYU Langone Health, the work found that a circuit known to carry messages from a brain region that processes sensory information, the entorhinal cortex (EC), to the memory processing center in the hippocampus (HC) has a previously unrecognized pathway that carries messages directly back to the EC.  Publishing online Feb. 18 in Nature Neuroscience, the study results show that this direct feedback ...

The origins of human language remain mysterious. Are we the only animals truly capable of complex speech? Are Homo sapiens the only hominids who could give detailed directions to a far-off freshwater source or describe the nuanced purples and reds of a dramatic sunset? Close relatives of ours such as the Neanderthals likely had anatomical features in the throat and ears that could have enabled the speaking and hearing of spoken language, and they share with us a variant of a gene linked to the ability to speak. And yet it is only in modern humans that we find expanded brain regions that are critical for language production and comprehension. Now researchers from The Rockefeller University ...

SEATTLE – Scientists have developed a breakthrough method to track diet using stool metagenomic data. Developed by researchers at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB), the new method, called MEDI (Metagenomic Estimation of Dietary Intake), detects food-derived DNA in stool samples to estimate dietary intake. MEDI leverages stool metagenomics, which refers to sequencing all the DNA present in fecal samples (including microbial, human, and food-derived DNA). This non-invasive, data-driven approach offers an objective alternative to traditional food diaries and questionnaires, ...

Hundreds of different species of microbes live, laugh, and love in your gut. In the future, one of these might serve a new function: microscopic in-house pharmacist. A new study published Feb. 18 in Nature Biotechnology shows how gut bacteria can be directed to produce and release proteins within the lower gastrointestinal tract — eliminating a major roadblock to delivering drugs to that part of the body. Oral medication is the most common and practical means of drug administration, but the stomach doesn’t let much pass through unscathed. This is good when it comes to things like foodborne ...

The effectiveness of a common drug to quit smoking could be down to people’s genes, according to a study from the University of Leicester (United Kingdom). Varenicline is widely recognised as the most effective medication for helping people stop smoking, but unfortunately it does not work for everyone. Researchers from Leicester have uncovered important insights into how people’s DNA affects their response to the drug, which will soon be available to smokers through the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). Varenicline ...