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Toxoplasma gondii has a unique cytoskeletal apparatus that is probably used for invading host cells and for parasite replication. Shown here are images of Toxoplasma gondii constructing daughter scaffolds within the mother cell. Image credit: Ke Hu & John M. Murray / CC BY 4.0.

Toxoplasmosis May Increase Person’s Likelihood of Pursuing Entrepreneurial Activities

Jul 30, 2018 by News Staff

Toxoplasmosis, caused by the globally prevalent parasite Toxoplasma gondii, is one of the most common parasitic infections of man and other warm-blooded...

Early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease is important because it affects the choice of therapy and is subject to a relatively high degree of error. Image credit: Finberg et al, doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00245.

Breath Test Device Could Help Diagnose Early-Stage Parkinson’s Disease

Jul 27, 2018 by News Staff

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects dopamine-producing neurons in a specific area of the brain called substantia...

A medical professional applies eye drops to the eye. Image credit: British Columbia Institute of Technology / CC BY 4.0.

Eye Drops with Curcumin-Loaded Nanoparticles Could Treat Glaucoma

Jul 25, 2018 by News Staff

Curcumin, a polyphenol extracted from turmeric (Curcuma longa), could be used in eye drops to treat the early stages of glaucoma and other eye diseases...

MPS is a novel neuroprotective molecule that is more than two orders of magnitude more potent than the related molecule, ethosuximide. The discovery may enable novel treatments for human neurodegenerative diseases to be developed in the future. Image credit: National Institute on Aging / National Institutes of Health.

Novel Compound Protects against Neurodegeneration in Animal Study

Jul 23, 2018 by News Staff

An international group of scientists from the University of Liverpool and the University of Washington Department of Medicine has identified a novel compound...

Mantantzis et al found that increasing blood sugar levels not only improves memory and performance, but makes older adults feel happier during a task. Image credit: Gabriela Sanda.

Glucose Improves Memory in Older Adults: Study

Jul 20, 2018 by News Staff

A small dose of glucose can improve memory in older adults, motivate them to work harder and puts them in a good mood when performing difficult tasks,...

Abnormal accumulations of a protein called tau can collect inside neurons, forming tangled threads and eventually harming the synaptic connection between neurons. Image credit: National Institute on Aging / National Institutes of Health.

Neuroscientists Find Alzheimer’s ‘Big Bang’

Jul 18, 2018 by News Staff

A team of researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, the University of Delaware and Washington University in St. Louis has discovered...

Consumption of dietary achievable amounts of red raspberries improves endothelial function up to 24 h and ellagitannins may be responsible for the observed effect. Image credit: Robert Owen-Wahl.

Red Raspberry Consumption May Improve Vascular Function

Jul 16, 2018 by News Staff

A study published in the Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics shows that ellagitannins — natural phenolic compounds found in red raspberries —...

Microscopic image of senescence on mouse embryonic fibroblast cells; blue-green areas indicate the expression of senescence-associated beta-galactosidase. Image credit: Y. Tambe / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Senolytic Drugs Increase Lifespan, Improve Physical Function in Aging Mice

Jul 12, 2018 by News Staff

Senescent cells increase in many tissues with aging and are often associated with inflammation, tissue damage, and age-related diseases. Senolytics are...

Jimenez et al describe the use of adeno-associated viral vectors to achieve long-term production of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) to treat obesity and insulin resistance. Image credit: Jimenez et al, doi: 10.15252/emmm.201708791.

Gene Therapy Treats Insulin Resistance and Obesity in Mice

Jul 11, 2018 by Enrico de Lazaro

A team of researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, CIBERDEM and the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre has demonstrated that a single...

The ‘mosaic’ vaccine candidate protected against infection with an HIV-like virus in rhesus macaques.

Experimental Vaccine Has Potential against Wide Variety of HIV Strains

Jul 9, 2018 by News Staff

An experimental ‘mosaic’ vaccine against a wide variety of HIV strains is well-tolerated and generated comparable and robust immune responses in healthy...

The quality of diet and food intake has a vital role in AMD. Image credit: Rita E.

Healthy Diet May Lower Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Jul 6, 2018 by Enrico de Lazaro

Diet may affect individuals’ risks related to the development and progression of age-related macular degeneration, a progressive chronic disease of the...

Loftfield et al confirmed previous studies showing an inverse association between coffee drinking and mortality and found similar associations in participants with genetic variants conveying both faster and slower caffeine metabolism. Image credit: Stock Snap.

Study Provides Further Evidence that Coffee Can Be Part of Healthy Diet

Jul 4, 2018 by News Staff

A large prospective cohort study of a half million people in the United Kingdom has found inverse associations for coffee drinking with mortality, including...

This transmission electron microscopic image depicts numbers of cytomegalovirus virions. Image credit: Sylvia Whitfield / CDC.

Study: Cytomegalovirus Infection May Enhance Immune System

Jul 3, 2018 by News Staff

In search of a way to rejuvenate the immune system of older adults, a team of scientists from the University of Arizona College of Medicine and elsewhere...

The C6orf106 gene controls the production of proteins involved in infectious diseases, cancer and diabetes. Image credit: CSIRO.

Critical Immunity-Related Gene Identified

Jul 2, 2018 by News Staff

A team of researchers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia, has identified an ancient gene that plays...

Everett et al scanned amyloid plaque cores using state-of-the-art X-ray microscopy to determine the chemical properties of the minerals within them. Image credit: University of Warwick.

Scientists Find Biogenic Iron Minerals in Amyloid Plaques of Alzheimer’s Patients

Jun 28, 2018 by News Staff

In brains affected by Alzheimer’s disease, an international group of scientists has identified several chemically-reduced iron species, with mineral...

Inhaled and ingested titanium dioxide particles enter the bloodstream, are inflammatory and are phagocytized by macrophages and neutrophils. Image credit: Heller et al, doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.8b00047.

Study Shows Link between Titanium Dioxide Pigment and Type 2 Diabetes

Jun 27, 2018 by News Staff

A new pilot study, published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology, raises the possibility that humanity’s increasing use of titanium dioxide...

Physiological concentrations of caffeine equivalent to four cups of coffee have multiple protective effects. Image credit: Nathan Dumlao.

Study Shows How Caffeine Protects and Repairs Heart Muscle

Jun 26, 2018 by News Staff

Caffeine consumption has been associated with lower risks for multiple diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, but the mechanism...

The new patch administers steroids directly to oral ulcers and forms a protective barrier. Image credit: Colley et al, doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.06.009.

Researchers Develop Muco-Adhesive Plaster that Sticks to Inside of Mouth

Jun 25, 2018 by News Staff

An international group of researchers has developed a biodegradable patch using special polymers which are able to stick to moist surfaces. The new patch,...

He et al suggest that an inaccurate way of estimating sodium intake may help account for the paradoxical findings reported in some cohort studies. Image credit: Philipp Kleindienst.

Excessive Salt Consumption is Bad for Your Health, New Study Confirms

Jun 25, 2018 by News Staff

A new study, for the first time, has compared the relationship between sodium (a component of table salt) intake and mortality, based on various methods...