Salk scientists identify brain circuit used to consciously slow breathing and confirm this reduces anxiety and negative emotions. Deep breath in, slow breath out… Isn’t it odd that we can self-soothe by slowing down our breathing? Humans have long used slow breathing to regulate their emotions, and practices like yoga and mindfulness have even popularized formal techniques like box breathing. Still, there has been little scientific understanding of how the brain consciously controls our breathing and whether this actually has…

Researchers delved deep into the regulation of cobalt active sites to enhance the selectivity of propylene to improve scalability and affordability of the production of this important chemical. Chemical reactions are not always naturally optimized to yield the products in the quantities needed, especially on the scale needed for the amount of industry in the world today. Researchers from East China University of Science and Technology explored the options available to develop a more cost-effective, scalable and straightforward method to…

The return of cells to a stem cell-like state as the key to regeneration. Many living organisms are able to regenerate damaged or lost tissue, but why some are particularly good at this and others are not is not fully understood. Molecular biologists Alexander Stockinger, Leonie Adelmann and Florian Raible from the Max Perutz Labs at the University of Vienna have now made an important contribution to clarifying this question in a new study. In it, they explain the molecular…

… demonstrates efficacy and safety in preclinical models of HER2-positive solid tumors. The p95HER2 protein is found expressed in one third of HER2+ tumors, which represent 4% of all tumors. Led by VHIO investigators, CAR T cells targeting p95HER2 have been engineered to secrete the TECH2Me bispecific antibody. Both therapies specifically and independently recognize tumor cells. In addition, the TECH2Me bispecific antibody activates immune cells within the tumor microenvironment. This dual mechanism of action has demonstrated safety and achieved complete…

MHH researchers are developing an innovative drug to prevent the rejection of donor skin grafts. When people suffer severe burns, there is not only a risk of infection in the wound. The high loss of fluid can also result in life-threatening circulatory shock. Therefore, the destroyed skin must be replaced as quickly as possible. Ideally, the wounds are treated with the patient’s own skin from healthy parts of the body, so-called split-thickness skin grafts. However, the tissue is often insufficient…

Hepatitis E is a common disease worldwide, but it often remains undetected. “There’s no precise data on how often the infection affects the neurological system,” says Michelle Jagst. What is known is that up to 11 percent of patients with certain neurological conditions such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and neuralgic amyotrophy either have HEV antibodies or are infected with the virus. Cells are infected directly In order to find out more, the research group is using a cell model that was…

Impact of Carbon and Nitrogen Signalling on Floral Repressors in Arabidopsis. An international research team, including Dr Justyna Olas who is co-first author on this study, has uncovered fundamental mechanisms regulating flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana, as detailed in a recent publication in the journal Plant Physiology. The study investigates the interplay between carbon and nitrogen signalling pathways and their influence on the expression of the floral repressor FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). Dr Olas, now a junior research group leader…

A study led by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) has revealed how mesenchymal stem cells respond to the viscosity of their environment, a key aspect in their differentiation process. Research led by Manuel Salmeron, ICREA Research Professor at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Glasgow, has improved our understanding of how mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) sense the viscosity of their environment, a key factor in their differentiation into…

UC Riverside scientists have described ‘Uncus,’ the oldest ecdysozoan and the first from the Precambrian period. Everyone has a past. That includes the millions of species of insects, arachnids, and nematode worms that make up a major animal group called the Ecdysozoa. Until recently, details about this group’s most distant past have been elusive. But a UC Riverside-led team has now identified the oldest known ecdysozoan in the fossil record and the only one from the Precambrian period. Their discovery…

… paving the way for personalized, blood-based, 3D-printed implants. Scientists have created a new ‘biocooperative’ material based on blood, which has shown to successfully repair bones, paving the way for personalised regenerative blood products that could be used as effective therapies to treat injury and disease. Researchers from the Schools of Pharmacy and Chemical Engineering at the University of Nottingham have used peptide molecules that can guide key processes taking place during the natural healing of tissues to create living…

…offers a fast and cost-effective way to test drugs. Researchers at the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute and Hospital have reinforced their leading role in infectious disease research by characterising and developing a new study model using Drosophila, which will enable the evaluation of various infectious agents. The Clinical and Experimental Microbiology Unit (UMCiE) at the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), in collaboration with the Comparative Medicine and Bioimage Centre of Catalonia (CMCiB), a strategic project of the institute, has spent…

Cutting back on animal protein in our diets can save on resources and greenhouse gas emissions. But convincing meat-loving consumers to switch up their menu is a challenge. Looking at this problem from a mechanical engineering angle, Stanford engineers are pioneering a new approach to food texture testing that could pave the way for faux filets that fool even committed carnivores. In a new paper in Science of Food, the team demonstrated that a combination of mechanical testing and machine learning can describe…

New Starting Point for Cancer Research. A recent study from the University of Würzburg unveiled a key enzyme involved in producing selenoproteins, opening new strategies for treating certain types of cancer in children. Selenoproteins are crucial for several biological functions, including the breakdown of harmful substances, immune system support, and regulating metabolic processes. However, in specific contexts, these proteins can be misused and shield cancer cells from death. One such protein, glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), is vital in supporting cellular…

Although it is the smallest and lightest atom, hydrogen can have a big impact by infiltrating other materials and affecting their properties, such as superconductivity and metal-insulator-transitions. Now, researchers from Japan have focused on finding an easy way to locate it in nanofilms. In a study published recently in Nature Communications, researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo have reported a method for determining the location of hydrogen in nanofilms. Because they are very small, hydrogen…

Known for its axon guidance properties, new research suggests protein is critical in guiding neural development. Scientists at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA have uncovered an unexpected role for the molecule netrin1 in organizing the developing spinal cord. The researchers discovered that netrin1, which is known primarily as a guidance cue that directs growing nerve fibers, also limits bone morphogenetic protein, or BMP, signaling to specific regions of the spinal cord. This…

Recommendations published in The Lancet Oncology call for good clinical practice of new technologies to modernize decades-old standard of care for brain cancer patients. An international, multidisciplinary team of leading neuro-oncology researchers and clinicians has released new recommendations for good clinical practice — a set of guidelines that helps ensure clinical trial results are reliable, and patients are protected — regarding the use of artificial intelligence methods to more accurately diagnose, monitor and treat brain cancer patients. The team recently…