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Model of TH5487-mediated inhibition of proinflammatory gene expression: inflammation, at its onset and throughout its progress, is associated with generation of reactive oxygen species, causing damage to DNA in particular at guanine-rich promoters; OGG1 binding to oxidized guanines at promoter regions facilitates recruitment of downstream transcription factors that drive proinflammatory gene expression, and a cellular inflammatory response; in the presence of TH5487, OGG1 can no longer interact with DNA substrates in promoters, so proinflammatory gene expression is inhibited, and the cellular inflammatory response is prevented. Image credit: Visnes et al, doi: 10.1126/science.aar8048.

Novel Compound Inhibits Inflammation-Triggering Enzyme

Nov 19, 2018 by Enrico de Lazaro

An international team of scientists, led by University of Texas and Karolinska Institutet researchers, has created a small anti-inflammatory molecule with...

Trimethylamine N-oxide is found at high concentrations in the tissues of some fish and shellfish.

Natural Compound Protects Hypertensive Rats against Heart Disease

Nov 13, 2018 by News Staff

Low-dose treatment with trimethylamine N-oxide — a compound linked with the consumption of fish, seafood and a primarily vegetarian diet —...

Whole body irradiation with visible blue light improves blood pressure. Image credit: Daniel Reche.

Blue Light Exposure Reduces Systolic Blood Pressure, Study Shows

Nov 12, 2018 by News Staff

Exposure to blue light significantly decreases systolic blood pressure and increases heart rate, lowering the risk of developing cardiovascular disease,...

Drinking coffee may protect you against developing both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Image credit: Couleur.

Coffee Consumption May Reduce Risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases

Nov 7, 2018 by News Staff

A new study, published in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience, shows that a number of polyphenolic compounds found in brewed coffee can inhibit the aggregation...

Mechanism of action of botulinum toxin: the light chain of (BT-A) cleaves SNAP-25 (synaptosome-associated protein of 25 KDa) and consequently prevents the release of acetylcholine into the neuromuscular junction. Image credit: Ali S. Al-Ghamdi et al, doi: 10.1016/j.jdds.2014.06.002.

Novel Compound Strongly Inhibits Botulinum Neurotoxin

Nov 6, 2018 by News Staff

A newly-identified natural compound called nitrophenyl psoralen could be used as a treatment to reduce paralysis induced by botulism, a rare illness caused...

Eating fish such as salmon, trout and sardines as part of a healthy diet can reduce asthma symptoms in children. Image credit: Dana Tentis.

Mediterranean Diet Enriched with Fatty Fish Could Reduce Asthma Symptoms in Children

Nov 5, 2018 by News Staff

A Mediterranean diet supplemented with two fatty fish meals per week might be a potential strategy for reducing airway inflammation in childhood asthma. Eating...

Mycobacteria are frequently abundant in showerheads, and many showerheads harbor mycobacterial lineages that include known pathogens.

New Study Finds Correlation between Showerhead Bacteria and Lung Infections

Nov 2, 2018 by Enrico de Lazaro

Bacteria thrive in showerheads and throughout household water distribution systems. While most of these bacteria are innocuous, some are potential pathogens,...

Li et al devised a way to encapsulate probiotics so that they can be delivered along with antibiotics to kill multiple strains of bacteria. Image credit: Ryan Allen.

Novel Probiotic-Antibiotic Combination Eradicates Drug-Resistant Bacteria

Oct 31, 2018 by News Staff

A team of researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed a novel approach for eradicating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus...

Study: Allowing Sunlight In Through Windows Can Kill Dust-Dwelling Bacteria

Oct 30, 2018 by News Staff

Microbial communities associated with indoor dust abound in the built environment. The transmission of sunlight through windows is a key building design...

A new oxygen-delivery therapeutic restored the function of oxygen-starved heart tissue in an animal model of global hypoxia.

Novel Therapeutic Delivers Oxygen to Hypoxic Tissues

Oct 25, 2018 by Sam Sander Effron

Researchers from the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) have developed a novel therapeutic that can deliver oxygen specifically to under-oxygenated...

Ramsey et al identified eight components of lavender and tea tree oils as endocrine disruptor chemicals. Image credit: Ilona Couleur.

Linalool Odor is Relaxing, New Study Confirms

Oct 24, 2018 by News Staff

A study carried out by Kagoshima University researchers shows that linalool, a constituent of lavender, peppermint and many other essential oils, must...

Increased caffeine intake from coffee was inversely associated with the risk of incident rosacea. Image credit: Couleur.

Caffeinated Coffee Consumption Lowers Risk of Rosacea: Study

Oct 23, 2018 by Enrico de Lazaro

Consuming caffeine from coffee but not from other foods is associated with a lower risk of rosacea, a common chronic inflammatory skin disease, according...

Kallupi et al demonstrate the efficacy of enzymatic therapy in treating nicotine addiction in advanced animal models and provide a strong foundation for the development of biological therapies for smoking cessation in humans. Image credit: Diema.

Engineered Enzyme Could Treat Nicotine Addiction

Oct 22, 2018 by News Staff

A team of scientists at the Scripps Research Institute has synthesized a new nicotine-degrading enzyme and successfully tested it in nicotine-dependent...

The green tea (Camellia sinensis). Image credit: Wilerson S. Andrade / CC BY-SA 2.0.

Green Tea Polyphenol Helps Therapeutic RNAs Slip Inside Cells

Oct 19, 2018 by News Staff

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the major polyphenol in the leaves of green tea (Camellia sinensis). This compound is the subject of increasing research...

Ketogenic diet is characterized by high levels of fat and low levels of carbohydrates. Image credit: Robert Owen-Wahl.

Ketogenic Diet Prevents Cognitive Decline, Two New Studies Show

Oct 18, 2018 by News Staff

A research team headed by University of Kentucky scientist Ai-Ling Lin has published two studies that demonstrate the effect of ketogenic diet (KD) —...

This scanning electron micrograph shows macrophages infected with Bacillus anthracis (Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology)

New Nanoparticle-Based Vaccine Protects against Anthrax and Plague

Oct 17, 2018 by Enrico de Lazaro

A research team in the United States has developed a nanoparticle-based dual vaccine against Bacillus anthracis and Yersinia pestis — pathogens that...

Color-changing contact lenses could help doctors determine whether drugs are being delivered to the intended treatment site. Image credit: American Chemical Society.

Researchers Develop Contact Lenses that Change Color as Drugs Released

Oct 16, 2018 by News Staff

A team of researchers in China has developed drug-delivering contact lenses that could self-report the drug release process by color change. The team’s...

Under a high magnification of 12,960x, this SEM image revealed some of the morphologic details displayed by a number of joined, Gram-negative, rod-shaped, Escherichia coli bacteria. Image credit: Janice Haney Carr, CDC.

New Study Reveals Link between Gut Microbiota and Multiple Sclerosis

Oct 15, 2018 by News Staff

Multiple sclerosis is an immune-mediated autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that develops in genetically susceptible individuals and requires...

Asthma sufferers have trouble breathing because of the narrowing of the airways in their lungs, an example of which is shown in the upper left. In chronic asthma (lower left), repeated cycles of inflammation, damage, and repair lead to airway remodeling and fibrosis, the buildup of collagen and other materials. A signaling molecule known as NF-κB can significantly reduce chronic asthma (lower right). Image credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Researchers Find New Way to Prevent Acute Asthmatic Symptoms

Oct 10, 2018 by News Staff

Asthma is one of the most common lung diseases, affecting 241 million people worldwide. This disease is characterized by airflow limitation caused by inflammation,...