The mammalian immune system consists of millions of individual cells that are produced daily from precursor cells in the bone marrow. During their development, immune cells undergo a rapid expansion, which is interrupted by phases of differentiation to more mature lymphocytes. Alternate phases of proliferation and differentiation occur also during the maturation of antibody-producing B...
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Intensive blood pressure lowering benefits patients with chronic kidney disease
Highlights In individuals with chronic kidney disease, targeting a systolic blood pressure to <120 mm Hg resulted in lower risks of cardiovascular events and premature death, compared with standard targeting to <140 mm Hg. There was a slightly faster decline in kidney function in the intensive group, but no increase in rates of kidney failure...
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Type 1 diabetes: Almost half of patients produce insulin
Type 1 diabetes is often described as a condition in which the body fails to produce the hormone insulin. New research, however, provides further evidence that not all insulin production is lost with the condition, and this may be down to an anti-inflammatory protein. Researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden found that nearly half of...
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Researchers develop a technique to visualize and control the neural activities that underlie behavior
Since scientists began studying the brain, they have asked whether the biology they observed can really be tied to external behaviors. Researchers are building a substantial understanding of the biophysical, molecular, and cellular interactions of neurons, but directly relating those interactions to outward behaviors is an ongoing challenge in the field. “The biophysical properties of...
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Fluid in the knee holds clues for why osteoarthritis is more common in females
Researchers have more evidence that males and females are different, this time in the fluid that helps protect the cartilage in their knee joints. They have found in the synovial fluid of this joint, clear differences in the messages cells are sending and receiving via tiny pieces of RNA, called microRNA, in males and females...
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‘Protective shield’ for beta-cells suggests new option to treat diabetes
The islets of Langerhans in the human pancreas produce and release insulin to regulate blood glucose levels. Insulin, which is specifically produced in b-cells, serves to prompt cells to take up glucose circulating in blood. Thus, insulin release lowers the level of glucose in blood. In diabetes, this cycle is disrupted by the premature death...
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Statins may raise the risk of Parkinson’s disease
Thousands of people across the United States are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease every year. New research examines the effect of statins on the risk of developing this neurodegenerative disease. Every year, approximately 50,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimate that half a million people in the country live...
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Drug shows promise against vision-robbing disease in seniors
An experimental drug is showing promise against an untreatable eye disease that blinds older adults—and intriguingly, it seems to work in patients who carry a particular gene flaw that fuels the damage to their vision. Age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, is the leading cause of vision loss among seniors, gradually eroding crucial central vision. There are...
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Computer-designed antibodies target toxins associated with Alzheimer’s disease
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have designed antibodies that target the protein deposits in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and stop their production. The researchers used computer-based methods to develop antibodies—the star players of the body’s natural defence system—to target the deposits of misfolded proteins which are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Early...
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A unique amino acid for brain cancer therapy
Photodynamic therapy is often used to treat brain tumors because of its specificity—it can target very small regions containing cancerous cells while sparing the normal cells around it from damage. It works by injecting a drug called a photosensitizer into the bloodstream, where it gathers in cells, and then exposing the drug-filled cells to light....