Lichens are in danger of losing the evolutionary race with climate change: The algae part of many common lichens can’t adapt to temperature change as fast as the Earth is warming
Algae are more than just the green scum that shows up on aquarium walls. The tiny plants, when teamed up with a fungus, can form a composite structure called lichen. Lichens grow everywhere, from tundras in the Arctic to the bark of the tree in your yard, and they do everything from creating oxygen to […]
New path to treat advanced triple-negative breast cancer
A new study by researchers at Yale Cancer Center shows inhibition of the CECR2 gene prevents triple-negative breast cancer from advancing or metastasizing. The discovery is an early step in finding new therapeutics for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), one of the most difficult disease sub-types to treat. The findings are published online today in the […]
Why the Omicron variant causes less severe disease: Eight COVID-19 drugs remain active against Omicron in cell culture study
A new study by researchers from the University of Kent and the Goethe University Frankfurt shows that the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is less effective than Delta at blocking a cellular defence mechanism against viruses, the so-called “interferon response.” Moreover, cell culture findings indicate that eight important COVID-19 drugs and drug candidates remain effective against Omicron. […]
High-resolution lab experiments show how cells ‘eat’: Study solves a 40-year-old problem in cell biology
A new study shows how cell membranes curve to create the “mouths” that allow the cells to consume things that surround them. “Just like our eating habits basically shape anything in our body, the way cells ‘eat’ matters for the health of the cells,” said Comert Kural, associate professor of physics at The Ohio State […]
Largest comet ever observed was active at near-record distance
A new study by University of Maryland astronomers shows that comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein (BB), the largest comet ever discovered, was active long before previously thought, meaning the ice within it is vaporizing and forming an envelope of dust and vapor known as a coma. Only one active comet has been observed farther from the sun, and […]
Why drug used to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients may only benefit males: Research into the way our immune systems respond to COVID-19 reveals the sex of a patient may affect how well drugs work
A new study from the University of Calgary shows how dexamethasone, the main treatment for severe COVID-19 lung infections, alters how immune cells work, which may help male patients, but has little to no benefit for females. These remarkable findings are the result of a multidisciplinary study published in Nature Medicine, led by Dr. Jeff […]
When macrophages let off steam: Changes in cell metabolism protect macrophages from overloading and thus assist the resolution of inflammatory reactions
New data from a research team at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) shows how inflammatory reactions can be resolved by changes to the metabolism of macrophages. Danger signals released by damaged cells during inflammation play a role during this process. ‘Rewiring’ the mitochondria in the macrophages protects them against overloading and can thus improve the way in […]
Potential COVID-19 medication found among tapeworm drugs: Re-engineered compound fights both cytokine storm and viral replication, experiments show
A group of medications long prescribed to treat tapeworm has inspired a compound that shows two-pronged effectiveness against COVID-19 in laboratory studies, according to a new publication appearing online in the journal ACS Infectious Disease. The compound, part of a class of molecules called salicylanilides, was designed in the laboratory of Professor Kim Janda, PhD, […]
Adding color to your plate may lower risk of cognitive decline
A new study shows that people who eat a diet that includes at least half a serving per day of foods high in flavonoids like strawberries, oranges, peppers and apples may have a 20% lower risk of cognitive decline. The research is published in the July 28, 2021, online issue of Neurology the medical journal […]
Long-term urban emissions data show a decrease in high-income countries
A new study shows how urbanisation has influenced anthropogenic CO2 and air pollutant emissions across all world regions, by making use of the latest developments in the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research developed by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. The results show that by 2015 urban centres were the source of […]