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Singh et al show that urolithin A and its potent synthetic analog, UAS03, significantly enhance gut barrier function and inhibit unwarranted inflammation. Image credit: Praveen Kumar Vemula, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine / Venkatakrishna Jala, University of Louisville.

Microbial Metabolite from Berry- and Pomegranate-Rich Diet Protects against Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Jan 14, 2019 by News Staff

Urolithin A, a major microbial metabolite derived from polyphenolic compounds of berries and pomegranate fruits, and its synthetic structural analog, can...

Mice with AD-like symptoms receiving supplemental levels of choline in the womb improved their spatial memory. A second generation bred from these choline-treated mice also showed improved spatial memory, suggesting epigenetic changes in genes. Choline acts to reduce harmful levels of the amino acid homocysteine, converting it to the beneficial chemical methionine. Image credit: Shireen Dooling, Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University.

Choline: Vitamin-Like Nutrient May Help Protect against Alzheimer’s Disease

Jan 11, 2019 by News Staff

The prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is anticipated to increase significantly over the next few decades. This is alarming given that no effective...

Irisin is produced by muscles during exercise. Image credit: Free-Photos.

‘Exercise Hormone’ Could Slow Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease

Jan 10, 2019 by News Staff

An international team of researchers led by Queen’s University, Columbia University and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro has found that irisin,...

In a proposed neuromodulation device, two of the new chips would be embedded in a chassis located outside the head. Each chip could monitor electrical activity from 64 electrodes located into the brain while simultaneously delivering electrical stimulation to prevent unwanted seizures or tremors. Image credit: Rikky Muller / University of California, Berkeley.

Researchers Develop Wireless ‘Pacemaker for the Brain’

Jan 8, 2019 by News Staff

A team of researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, has developed a novel neurostimulator that can listen to and stimulate electric current...

Plasma cells (PC) are found in the central nervous system of multiple sclerosis patients, yet their source and role in multiple sclerosis remains unclear. Rojas et al find that some PC in the central nervous system of mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) originate in the gut and produce immunoglobulin A (IgA). Moreover, the researchers show that IgA + PC are dramatically reduced in the gut during EAE, and likewise, a reduction in IgA-bound fecal bacteria is seen in multiple sclerosis patients during disease relapse. Image credit: Rojas et al, doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.11.035.

Gut-Derived Immune Cells Reduce Brain Inflammation in Multiple Sclerosis

Jan 8, 2019 by News Staff

Studying mice and samples from multiple sclerosis patients, a research team led by University of Toronto scientists found that gut-derived immunoglobulin-A-(IgA)...

Wild-type mice were challenged with Candida albicans and immunofluorescence staining for DAPI, IBA1, Aβ, and GFAP was performed on brain sections containing fungal granulomas. Image credit: Wu et al, doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-07991-4.

Study: Candida albicans Can Cause Brain Infection, Memory Impairment

Jan 7, 2019 by News Staff

A fungal pathogen called Candida albicans can cross the blood-brain barrier and trigger an inflammatory response that results in the formation of granuloma-type...

Researchers Identify Genetic Variant Responsible for Tuberculosis Vulnerability

Jan 3, 2019 by News Staff

A research team led by Rockefeller University scientists has discovered a genetic variant that makes people more vulnerable to tuberculosis, a disease...

Wedell-Neergaard et al show that in abdominally obese people, exercise-mediated loss of visceral adipose tissue mass requires interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor signaling. Given that abdominal fat is metabolically harmful to health, the study raises a potentially important side effect of IL-6 receptor antibodies, such as tocilizumab. Image credit: Wedell-Neergaar et al.

New Study Shows How Exercise Reduces Abdominal Fat Mass

Dec 31, 2018 by News Staff

Abdominal (belly) fat is harmful to metabolic health. Exercise training reduces abdominal fat mass, but the underlying mechanisms have not been clear....

Multicellular organisms eliminate abnormal but viable cells based on their fitness status through cell competition to maintain tissue integrity. Coelho et al report that fitness-based neuronal selection occurs in the course of neurodegeneration. Death of unfit neurons is beneficial, protecting against disease progression by restoring motor and cognitive functions. Image credit: Coelho et al, doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.11.098.

Neuronal Loss May Have Beneficial Effect in Alzheimer’s Disease

Dec 28, 2018 by News Staff

Neuronal loss in Alzheimer’s disease may be the result of a cell quality control mechanism trying to protect the brain from the accumulation of malfunctioning...

Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. Image credit: Kathryn Cross & Nikki Horn, Institute of Food Research.

Study: Dietary Fructose and Glucose Target Good Gut Bacteria

Dec 21, 2018 by News Staff

Dietary fructose and glucose, which are prevalent in the Western diet, silence a key protein that is necessary for gut colonization, but not for utilization...

Operation principle of the vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) system schematically showing the pathway for biphasic electric signal generation and VNS. Image credit: Yao et al, doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-07764-z.

Implantable Vagus Nerve Stimulation Device Aids Weight Loss

Dec 19, 2018 by News Staff

An international team of researchers led by University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists has developed an easily implantable weight-loss device. In lab experiments,...

Scanning electron micrograph of HIV particles infecting a human T cell. Image credit: National Institutes of Health.

Experimental Vaccine Protects Rhesus Macaques from HIV-Like Infection

Dec 18, 2018 by News Staff

A study led by researchers from the Scripps Research Institute, the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Medical School shows that rhesus macaques (Macaca...

Ebola virus (green) infects human cells much more easily when you remove a protein called RBBP6. Image credit: Northwestern University.

Newly-Identified Human Protein Inhibits Replication of Ebola Virus

Dec 17, 2018 by News Staff

A team of scientists led by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, J. David Gladstone Institutes, Georgia State University and Northwestern...

Kong et al designed an ingestible sensor that can lodge in the stomach for a few weeks and communicate wirelessly with an external device. Image credit: Kong et al.

New Electronic Pill Can Communicate Wirelessly

Dec 14, 2018 by News Staff

A research team led by MIT scientists has developed an ingestible capsule that can be controlled using Bluetooth, a widely adopted wireless protocol. Manufactured...

Torres et al developed new antimicrobial peptides based on a naturally occurring peptide produced by the South American wasp Polybia paulista. Image credit: Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0.

Scientists Repurpose Wasp Venom Peptides to Fight Drug-Resistant Bacteria

Dec 13, 2018 by News Staff

After performing an analysis of the antimicrobial properties of a peptide found in the venom of Polybia paulista, a species of South American social wasp,...

Caffeine and eicosanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamide may protect against brain degeneration. Image credit: Anja Osenberg.

Two Compounds in Coffee May Combat Parkinson’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia

Dec 12, 2018 by News Staff

Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that can lead to shaking, stiffness and difficulty with walking, balance and coordination. Dementia with Lewy...

An atomic force microscopy image showing the interaction behavior of genomic DNA with the gold surface. Image credit: Sina et al, doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-07214-w.

Using Gold Nanoparticles to Rapidly Detect Cancer DNA

Dec 11, 2018 by Sam Sander Effron

Using as little as 1 picogram of purified DNA sample (think 2.5 trillion times lighter than a penny), scientists at the University of Brisbane have developed...

Newborns with vitamin D deficiency have an increased risk of schizophrenia later in life. Image credit: Kai Kalhh.

Study: Newborns with Vitamin D Deficiency Have Higher Risk of Later Schizophrenia

Dec 11, 2018 by News Staff

A study published in the December 6, 2018 issue of the journal Scientific Reports found newborns with vitamin D deficiency had a 44% increased risk of...

Exercising on a regular basis over a lifetime may help keep the body decades younger. Image credit: Michael de Groot.

Lifelong Aerobic Exercise May Help Keep Body Young, Says New Study

Dec 10, 2018 by News Staff

In an analysis of septuagenarians who have been exercising for decades, researchers from Ball State University found that they have heart and lung capacities...