Some antibiotics appear to be effective against a form of skin cancer known as melanoma. Researchers examined the effect of these antibiotics on patient-derived tumors in mice. Researchers from KU Leuven may have found a new weapon in the fight against melanoma: antibiotics that target the ‘power plants’ of cancer cells. These antibiotics exploit a…

A new study shows the differences in visual motion perception in autism spectrum disorder are accompanied by weaker neural suppression in the visual cortex of the brain. While experts in neuroscience and psychiatry recognize that differences in sensory functioning are common among people with ASD, it is not currently understood what is happening differently in…

Researchers have discovered a protein involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Studies in mice showed that eliminating this protein entirely or using drugs to block its function reduced physical changes in the brain associated with the disease and improved memory. Drug therapy that aims to block the protein’s activity could be a more effective…

Antibiotic use (pills/capsules) is linked to a heightened risk of bowel (colon) cancer, but a lower risk of rectal cancer, and depends, to some extent, on the type and class of drug prescribed, suggests new research. The findings suggest a pattern of risk that may be linked to differences in gut microbiome (bacteria) activity along…

A new study uncovers intriguing genetic similarities between PTSD and other mental health disorders such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. The findings also suggest that existing drugs commonly used for other disorders might be modified to help treat individual symptoms of multiple disorders. A new study led by researchers at Yale and the University…

Researchers have developed a new test for COVID-19 that combines the speed of over-the-counter antigen tests with the accuracy of PCR tests that are processed in medical labs and hospitals. The Harmony COVID-19 test is a diagnostic test that, like PCR tests for COVID-19, detects genetic material from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. But whereas conventional PCR…

A mouse study reveals new insights into the wiring of a major circuit in the brain that is attacked by Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. The findings could hone scientists’ understanding of how these disorders arise in the human brain and pinpoint new therapeutic targets. Published today in Nature, the research is part of a special…

A stress signal received by the heart from fat could help protect against cardiac damage induced by obesity, a new study suggests. The finding could help explain the ‘obesity paradox,’ a phenomenon in which obese individuals have better short- and medium-term cardiovascular disease prognoses compared with those who are lean, but with ultimately worse long-term…

Genetics play an important role in how our bodies respond to vaccines and booster shots, suggesting that certain protective responses elicited by vaccination could be more effective with personalization, according to a new study. The team also identified a particular form of an antibody-related gene that predicts, at a population level, whether boosting to produce…

Researchers found a unique immune cell plays a key role in the chronic inflammation and scarring in the lungs and skin of people with scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis. After injecting mice with biodegradable PLG nanoparticles, which are used in medical sutures, researchers found that the nanoparticles specifically targeted these inflammatory cells and prevented skin and…