The antibody’s altered structure helps explain an enduring mystery of dengue — why only a fraction of those infected will develop severe disease. «The main hypothesis for some time has been that antibodies generated the first time around, instead of providing protection against disease, can actually exacerbate it,» says Stylianos Bournazos, research assistant professor at…

A study in mice shows that removing chemical messengers in the brain that are involved in both wakefulness and addiction may make withdrawal from opioids easier and help prevent relapse. In 2000, UCLA sleep researchers discovered that human narcolepsy — a condition where people are overwhelmed with daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep —…

An algorithm that predicts the immune response to a pathogen could lead to early diagnosis for such diseases as tuberculosis. Dr. Roi Avraham, whose group in the Institute’s Biological Regulation Department conducted the research, explains: «When immune cell and bacterium meet, there can be several outcomes. The immune system can kill the bacteria; the bacteria…

People who eat high fiber diets are more likely to experience bloating if their high fiber diet is protein-rich as compared to carbohydrate-rich, according to a study. The researchers, whose findings were published online January 15 in the journal Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology, analyzed data from a clinical trial of high fiber diets. They determined…

Researchers have shown that a protein called MondoA can activate the important health-linked process of autophagy, whereby cells are broken down and their components are recycled. MondoA both inhibited a protein called Rubicon and regulated the Prdx3 protein, which maintains the stability of energy-producing mitochondria within cells. Activation of MondoA protected against aging and age-associated…

New results may help explain why cannabidiol — a chemical component of marijuana with no psychoactive properties — reduces the frequency of seizures in patients with a severe form of epilepsy. The form of epilepsy examined in the study is called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Investigators conducted clinical trial simulations for the effect of 20 mg/kg/day cannabidiol…

Doctors who use drugs that target antibiotic-resistant bacteria as a first-line defense against pneumonia should probably reconsider this approach, according to a new study of more than 88,000 veterans hospitalized with the disease. The study found that pneumonia patients given these medications in the first days after hospitalization fared no better than those receiving standard…

New research indicates that for physicians and nurses working evening shifts in the emergency department, interacting with a therapy dog for several minutes may help lower stress. In the 122-participant study, emergency providers randomized to a five-minute interaction with a therapy dog and handler had a significant reduction in self-reported anxiety using a visual analogue…

Campylobacter bacteria persist throughout poultry production, and two of the most common strains are exchanging genetic material, which could result in more antibiotic-resistant and infectious Campylobacter strains. Campylobacter is a well-known group of foodborne bacteria, spread primarily through consumption of contaminated food products. In humans it causes symptoms commonly associated with food poisoning, such as…

Protein production (translation) is a complex process involving machinery called ribosomes. How do cells counter ribosomal destabilization leading to premature termination of translation? Scientists have uncovered a novel role of nascent protein chains in stabilizing translating ribosomes. They suggest that longer peptide sequences spanning the ribosomal exit tunnel and bulky amino acid residues in the…