High-protein diets may help people lose weight and build muscle, but a new study in mice suggests they have a…
Mapping the cumulative health effects of environmental exposures
The genomics revolution has provided powerful insights into genetic risk factors for human disease while also revealing the limits of…
Facial paralysis stigma takes emotional toll, especially when acquired later in life
People with facial paralysis are more likely to face depression and anxiety than the general population, especially if the paralysis…
Liver fibrosis ‘off switch’ discovered in mice
Researchers identified several genetic switches, or transcription factors, that determine whether or not liver cells produce collagen — providing a…
Novel communication between intestinal microbes and developing immune cells in the thymus
Researchers discover microbes regulate the development of specialized immune cells in the thymus that play a critical role in mucosal…
Why cells need acidic lysosomes
Little organs within cells called lysosomes digest unwanted material. And like stomachs, they must be acidic to do so. If…
Engineered capillaries model traffic in tiny blood vessels
3D microvessels have been created to observe how red blood cells transit ultra-small blood vessels. They squeeze single-file through microvessels…
Scanning system in sperm may control rate of human evolution
Maturing sperm cells turn on most of their genes, not to follow their genetic instructions like normal, but instead to…
West Nile virus triggers brain inflammation by inhibiting protein degradation
West Nile virus (WNV) inhibits autophagy — an essential system that digests or removes cellular constituents such as proteins —…
Scientists discover how a curvy, stomach cancer-causing bacterium maintains its shape
A new study shows how a common stomach bacterium is able to keep its corkscrew-like shape as it grows. Disrupting…