Do our genes determine what we eat? Study could pave the way to personalized nutrition guidance based on our taste perception
Preliminary findings from a new study involving more than 6,000 adults found that taste-related genes may play a role in determining food choices and could, in turn, influence cardiometabolic health. It is one of the first studies to examine how the genetics tied to perception for all five tastes — sweet, salt, sour, bitter, and […]
Could used beer yeast be the solution to heavy metal contamination in water? A study shows that yeast, an abundant waste product from breweries, can filter out even trace amounts of lead
A new analysis by researchers at MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA) has found that inactive yeast could be effective as an inexpensive, abundant, and simple material for removing lead contamination from drinking water supplies. The study shows that this approach can be efficient and economic, even down to part-per-billion levels of contamination. Serious […]
Evidence of CTE Rare in Military Personnel
Evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) was found in a small percentage of brains of deceased military personnel, researchers reported. Among 225 consecutive brains from a brain bank of deceased service members, investigators found signs of CTE in 4.4% (n=10), said Daniel Perl, MD, of the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland, and colleagues. Half […]
High fat diet, unregulated athletic exercise endurance enhancers linked to risk of pancreatic cancer
Researchers at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center have found a cell nuclear receptor activated by high fat diets and synthetic substances in unregulated athletic performance enhancers fuels the progression of precancerous pancreas lesions into pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a highly lethal form of cancer with rising occurrence, and strategies to prevent […]
Frozen eggs more efficient option than IVF for women starting families later
The largest U.S. report of elective fertility preservation outcomes to date found that 70 percent of women who froze eggs when they were younger than 38 — and thawed at least 20 eggs at a later date — had a baby. Led by experts at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the NYU Langone Fertility […]
Study reveals imaging approach with potential to detect lung cancer earlier, at the cellular level
Researchers at the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania have found a way to identify lung cancer at the cellular level in real time during a biopsy, offering promise in the ability to detect the disease earlier and with more confidence. The findings, which build on previous Penn research, demonstrate that an imaging […]
Researchers develop powerful strategy for creating new-to-nature enzymes
Engineering enzymes to perform reactions not found in nature can address longstanding challenges in the world of synthetic chemistry, such as upgrading plant-based oils into useful biochemicals. A team of researchers has developed a simple yet powerful strategy for creating new enzymes with novel reactivity that can produce valuable chemical compounds, building on their previous […]
Study finds children with vegetarian diet have similar growth and nutrition compared to children who eat meat: Children with a vegetarian diet also had higher odds of underweight weight status
A study of nearly 9,000 children found those who eat a vegetarian diet had similar measures of growth and nutrition compared to children who eat meat. The study, published in Pediatrics and led by researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital of Unity Health Toronto, also found that children with a vegetarian diet had higher odds of […]
Energy-burning brown fat less active in boys with obesity
A study at McMaster University has found that brown adipose tissue (BAT) is less active in boys with obesity compared to boys with a normal body mass index (BMI). Senior author Katherine Morrison said that BAT, also known as brown fat, helps the body burn regular fat and is activated by cold, but her research […]
Researchers discover intake of FDA-approved drug modulates disease progression in Alzheimer’s disease model
Indiana University School of Medicine researchers found that niacin limits Alzheimer’s disease progression when used in models in the lab, a discovery that could potentially pave the way toward therapeutic approaches to the disease. The study, recently published in Science Translational Medicine, investigates how niacin modulates microglia response to amyloid plaques in an Alzheimer’s disease […]