For 400 million years, a leading hypothesis claims, Earth was an “RNA World,” meaning that life must’ve first replicated from RNA before the arrival of proteins and DNA. Unfortunately, scientists have failed to find evidence of this “first replicator” or recreate the replication process in the lab under the conditions that conceivably would have [...]
An insidious illness is taking hold among a growing proportion of young people. Little known to the general public, peniaphobia—the fear of becoming poor—is gaining ground among teens and young adults. Discover the causes and implications of this phenomenon. A generation under constant pressure Behind this still little-publicized term lies a very real, often [...]
The COVID pandemic illustrated how urgently we need antiviral medications capable of treating coronavirus infections. To aid this effort, researchers quickly homed in on part of SARS-CoV-2's molecular structure known as the NiRAN domain—an enzyme region essential to viral replication that's common to many coronaviruses. A drug targeting the NiRAN domain would likely work [...]
Summary: A new study shows that coating neural prosthetic implants with the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone helps reduce the body’s immune response and scar tissue formation. This strategy enhances the long-term performance and stability of electrodes used to connect prosthetic limbs to the nervous system. Researchers chemically modified the surface of polyimide electrodes to enable a [...]
A family of healthy bacteria may help 'soak up' toxic forever chemicals in the body, warding off their cancerous effects. Forever chemicals, also known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), are toxic chemicals that have been linked cancer, infertility and birth defects. They're named because they don't naturally break down in the environment or [...]
A new study reveals that blocking ribosomal RNA production rewires cancer cell behavior and could help treat genetically unstable tumors. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences have identified a tumor-suppressive response that could lead to new treatments for cancers that are difficult to treat. [...]
In radiation therapy, precision can save lives. Oncologists must carefully map the size and location of a tumor before delivering high-dose radiation to destroy cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. But this process, called tumor segmentation, is still done manually, takes time, varies between doctors—and can lead to critical tumor areas being overlooked. Now, [...]
Researchers used advanced microscopy to uncover important protein structures. For the first time, two important protein structures in the human body are being visualized, thanks in part to cutting-edge technology at the University of Cincinnati’s Center for Advanced Structural Biology. This breakthrough could lead to the development of more effective therapeutics. The research, conducted [...]
Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that helps clinicians identify brain activity patterns linked to nine types of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, using a single, widely available scan—a transformative advance in early, accurate diagnosis. The tool, StateViewer, helped researchers identify the dementia type in 88% of cases, according to [...]
New research reveals that common food packaging and utensils can shed microscopic plastics into our food, prompting urgent calls for stricter testing and updated regulations to protect public health. Beyond microplastics: The analysis intentionally included larger plastic pieces called mesoplastics (1–10 mm), revealing plastic particles across a wider size range migrate from packaging into [...]
