Mice are typically used as models in advanced prostate cancer research, but the profound differences between them and humans has long bedeviled the translation of findings from the animal to success in people. Dogs however are the only other animal that suffers from a significant incidence of prostate cancer, and researchers are finding them much…

Whether flu or coronavirus, it can take several days for the body to ramp up an effective response to a viral infection. New research describes how different cells in the immune system work together, communicate, and — in the case of cells called neutrophils — bring about their own death to help fight off infections.…

It takes billions of cells to make a human brain, and scientists have long struggled to map this complex network of neurons. Now, dozens of research teams around the country have made inroads into creating an atlas of the mouse brain as a first step toward a human brain atlas. The results describe how different…

Researchers have created a complex kidney tissue solely from mouse embryonic stem cells. These organoids could lead the way to better kidney research and, eventually, artificial kidneys for human transplant. By focusing on an often-overlooked tissue type of organoid generation research, a type of organ tissue made up of various support and connective tissues called…

A naturally occurring peptide in sunflower seeds was synthetically optimized and has now been identified as a potential drug for treating abdominal pain or inflammation (in the gastrointestinal tract, abdominal area and/or internal organs). The scientific aim of the study is to find analgesics that are only active in the periphery and do not cross…

An experimental flu vaccine consisting of billions of tiny spherical sacs that carry infection-fighting proteins throughout the body has proven effective in preclinical studies. The vaccine has the potential to improve the effectiveness of seasonal flu vaccines, accelerate vaccine production timelines and increase vaccine supplies because of its small dosage. Described in a study published…

In efforts to understand the neural basis for loneliness, researchers have found a molecular indicator and regulator of social isolation in female mice. The new study reports that social contact-seeking behavior in mice is driven by the peptide amylin in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) of the forebrain, and that being alone decreases the amount…

They are at the forefront in the fight against viruses, bacteria, and malignant cells: the T cells of our immune system. But the older we get, the fewer of them our body produces. Thus, how long we remain healthy also depends on how long the T cells survive. Researchers have now uncovered a previously unknown…

Scientists have linked a common food preservative to an altered immune response that possibly hinders flu vaccines. The study conducted in mice, presented at the 2019 Experimental Biology meeting in Orlando, Fla., April 7 at 9 a.m., offers up a new potential factor in vaccine effectiveness. Tert-butylhydroquinone, or tBHQ, can be found in several food…

Gold leaf — gold metal hammered into thin sheets — is used by artists and crafters to gild picture frames, artwork and clothing. Despite its luxurious appearance, the material is affordable and available at most craft stores. Now, researchers have developed gold leaf electrodes that, in combination with a CRISPR-based assay, could sensitively detect human…