by Abbey Bigler, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Epilepsy is one of the most widespread neurological disorders, but relatively little is known about the genes involved in the more common types. By examining all the genes of over 17,000 people, an international research group has found that more and less severe forms of epilepsy may...
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Dissociative disorders are nearly as common as depression. So why haven’t we heard about them?
by Mary-Anne Kate, The Conversation Dissociative disorders are often said to be rare. But our soon-to-be published analysis of international studies suggest they affect 10-11% of the population at some point in their lives. This makes them nearly as common as mood disorders (such as clinical depression). So what are dissociative disorders, why is diagnosis controversial and how...
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Metformin may lower dementia risk in black patients with T2DM
Jeffrey F. Scherrer, Ph.D., from Saint Louis University School of Medicine, and colleagues used Veterans Health Administration medical record data (2000 to 2015) to identify 73,761 African-American and white patients (aged ≥50 years) who were free of dementia and diabetes medications at baseline (2000 and 2001) but subsequently initiated metformin or sulfonylurea monotherapy. When controlling for other variables, the researchers found...
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A new way to stop cancer cells from killing their healthy neighbors
by Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown One of the reasons cancer cells are so robust against the body’s natural defenses is that they are in fact human cells, and as such they have the innate machinery not only to trick the body’s defense and maintenance systems, but even to hijack them. Therefore, discovering cancer cells’ full “bag of tricks” is key...
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What stress does to the brain
by ETH Zurich Researchers at ETH Zurich have shown for the first time that selective release of the neurotransmitter noradrenaline reconfigures communication between large-scale networks in the brain. Their findings provide insights into rapid neural processes that occur in the brain during stressful situations. In moments of acute stress—for example, a life-threatening situation in road traffic—our brain has just...
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Coating immune cells in nanoparticles helps seek and destroy rogue cancer cells
Michael Irving One of the main reasons cancer can be so difficult to beat is because of its ability to spread through the body, even after the primary tumor has been surgically removed. But now researchers from Vanderbilt University have developed a new technique that uses nanoparticles to enhance immune cells, helping them hunt down...
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The Benefits of Playing Music Help Your Brain More Than Any Other Activity
Learning an instrument increases resilience to any age-related decline in hearing. Inc. | John Rampton Brain training is big business. Companies like BrainHQ, Lumosity, and Cogmed are part of a multimillion-dollar business that is expected to surpass $3 billion by 2020. But does what they offer actually benefit your brain? Researchers don’t believe so. In fact, the University...
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Exploring genetic “dark matter,” researchers gain new insights into autism and stroke
Posted Today With its elegant double helix and voluminous genetic script, DNA has become the of darling of nucleic acids. Yet, it is not all powerful. In order for DNA to realize its potential—for genes to become proteins—it must first be transcribed into RNA, a delicate molecule that requires intense care and guidance. “Gene expression is a lot more complicated...
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Landmark Gene-Editing Work May Help Restore Vision
Researchers will use CRISPR technology to try to help patients with rare disease By Newser Editors and Wire Services Posted Jul 25, 2019 12:42 PM CDT (NEWSER) – Patients are about to be enrolled in the first study to test a gene-editing technique known as CRISPR inside the body to try to cure an inherited...
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Soon There Will Be Unlimited Hair
New uses of stem cells and 3-D printing could make baldness obsolete (for the wealthy). In the tunnels under New York, commuters squeeze into lumbering trains and try not to make eye contact with the people whose sweaty bodies are pressed against theirs. As they surrender to the will of the transit authority, their eyes wander upward...