Health & Medicine
Reactive oxygen species are at the heart of innate immunity
Our innate immune system is our first line of defence against disease. At the heart of this response is an enzyme complex, called NADPH oxidase, which produces a form of reactive oxygen molecule to destroy invading pathogens. Professor Edgar Pick of Tel Aviv University, has made a huge contribution to this field of research, enhancing our understanding of the foundations […]
Autism spectrum disorder and social hierarchy in rats
Autism spectrum disorder impacts the social interaction and behaviour of affected individuals. Valproate is a drug which might induce autism in the children of pregnant women treated with it. It also has a similar effect in rats. Using a rat model, Professor György Lévay of Gedeon Richter Plc., first author Péter Pelsőczi and colleagues studied the behaviour of a group […]
Neuronal cultures to study the brain and neurological disorders
Understanding the brain is essential, for example to treat neurological disorders that affect one in six people worldwide. However, studying the brain is challenging: it is so complex and difficult to access. Cell biologist Dr Daniel Tornero and neurophysicist Dr Jordi Soriano, from the University of Barcelona, developed neuronal cultures that can be used to study mechanisms involved in brain […]
Overcoming resistance to cancer immunotherapy
Immunotherapy, which uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer, is a great step forward in cancer treatment. Unfortunately, however, it is currently ineffective in most patients. This resistance can be caused by a type of cell called a cancer-associated fibroblast, which builds protective defences around tumours. In a recent study, Professor Gareth Thomas and his team at the […]
Inflammatory bowel disease and epithelial barrier function
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) occurs when the epithelial cells lining the gut become weakened, allowing gut microbes to activate immune cells. Gut barrier weakening can be caused by a loss of function of the PTPN2 gene. Professor Declan McCole of the University of California, Riverside and various collaborators have extensively researched the role of the epithelial barrier in IBD, the […]
Using nanoparticles for effective immune system modulation
The development of nanoparticles is increasingly becoming an essential strategy in drug delivery. Professor Aws Alshamsan from King Saud University, Saudi Arabia, is an expert in the field of nanobiotechnology and designs drug delivery systems made of small synthetic polymers to target specific tissues with high effectiveness. These particles are internalised by the immune system, along with the drugs that […]
How binocular vision is shaped by early visual experience
We look at the world with two eyes but we see only one picture. This is possible because the brain can bring together visual signals that originate from the left and right eyes to create a single image. How the brain knows how to do that is not well understood. Through a series of experiments, Drs David Fitzpatrick, Jeremy Chang […]
V2A2: A tool to promote patient agency through effective patient information
The Melanoma Patient Network Europe (MPNE) attaches particular importance to effective scientific patient information. As a patient community with a keen research interest, the network has over the years developed its own methodology and standards on how to rapidly and accurately share scientific information even across language boundaries. Bettina Ryll, Gilliosa Spurrier and Violeta Astratinei, founders of MPNE, have developed […]
Novel mouse models shed light on role of omega-6/omega-3 imbalance in chronic disease
The link between two classes of essential fatty acids – omega-3 and omega-6 – and health has, until now, been unclear. This is partly because it has been difficult for researchers to define exactly what each does in the body. To address this problem, Dr Jing X. Kang of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, USA, developed novel strains […]
Bacterial biofilms: A persisting public health challenge
Foodborne and waterborne diseases are major global health threats, exacerbated by the ability of bacteria to gain new characteristics, constantly evolve towards increased fitness in their environment, and by developing resilience through biofilm formation. Utilising emerging technologies such as elevated hydrostatic pressure and application of novel bacteriocin and bactericidal compounds, Professor Aliyar Cyrus Fouladkhah and his team in the Public […]