The first stem cell culture method that produces a full model of the early stages of the human central nervous system has been developed by a team of engineers and biologists at the University of Michigan, the Weizmann Institute of Science, and the University of Pennsylvania. The system is an example of a 3D human […]
Recombinant protein vaccines, like the Novavax vaccine used to fight COVID-19, offer several advantages over conventional vaccines. They’re easy to precisely produce. They’re safe, and potentially more effective. And they could require smaller doses. Because of these traits, there is much interest in developing recombinant influenza vaccines. To date, however, the Food and Drug Administration […]
The long-term immune response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination was similar in pregnant individuals compared with non-pregnant individuals of reproductive age, according to a study by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian. The similarity in protection is noteworthy, given that pregnancy alters the immune system, and potentially the response to vaccination. The researchers also found […]
In a new study Dr. Farrah Kheradmand and their team discovered that exposure to ultrafine particles alters the function of immune cells in the lungs, disabling their natural defense mechanism against tumors. They found that ultrafine particles change the cell’s primary energy source, creating new byproducts in the lungs. Accumulation of the new byproducts can […]
The human brain’s adaptability to internal and external changes, known as neural plasticity, forms the foundation for understanding cognitive functions like memory and learning, as well as various neurological disorders. New research conducted by a team led by Dr. PARK Joo Min of the Center for Cognition and Sociality within the Institute for Basic Science […]
A new technique for electrospinning sponges has allowed scientists from the University of Surrey to directly produce 3D scaffolds — on which skin grafts could be grown from the patient’s own skin. Electrospinning is a technique which electrifies droplets of liquid to form fibres from plastics. Previously, scientists had only been able to make 2D […]
UZH researchers now show that a particular enzyme found in cells of the immune system enters the brain under stress. In mice, it causes them to withdraw and avoid social contact. This newly discovered connection between body and mind in stress-related mental illnesses could lead to new treatments for depression. An international research team has […]
Conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — as well as failures within transplanted cells — are all caused by altered cytokine secretion of immune cells within the human body. To find treatments for such diseases, experts need to identify the genetic regulators of the secretion so they can explore the […]
Today, a team of scientists from Trinity College Dublin and investigators from FutureNeuro announced a major discovery that has profound importance for our understanding of brain fog and cognitive decline seen in some patients with Long COVID. In the months after the emergence of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2 in late 2019 a patient-reported syndrome termed […]
Our cells are surrounded by a fragile membrane that’s only 5 nanometers thick, 1/20 of a soap bubble. Cells are easily damaged by physiological activities, including muscle contraction and tissue injury. To cope with such damage, cells are equipped with mechanisms that can repair membrane damage to a certain degree. Mechanical damage to the cell […]