Scientists have shown for the first time that neural stem cells can rescue memory in mice with advanced Alzheimer’s disease, raising hopes of a potential treatment for the leading cause of elderly dementia that afflicts 5.3 million people in the US. Transplanted cells ‘nurse’ brain back to health.
Mothers’ health in the days and weeks prior to becoming pregnant may determine the health of offspring much later in life, according to new research. The studies demonstrate that maternal nutrition, protein intake and level of fat in the diet may cause epigenetic changes in the developing fetus that can have long-term health consequences.
Researchers have created magnetically responsive gold nanostars that may offer a new approach to biomedical imaging. The nanostars gyrate when exposed to a rotating magnetic field, and can scatter light to produce a pulsating or “twinkling” effect. This twinkling allows them to stand out more clearly from noisy backgrounds like those found in biological tissue.
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Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has helped many couples conceive healthy children and is generally considered a safe practice. However, a new long-term analysis of PGD in mice suggests that this procedure may increase risks of weight gain and memory decline in adulthood.
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Geoengineering — deliberately manipulating physical, chemical, or biological aspects of the Earth system to confront climate change — could contribute to a comprehensive risk management strategy to slow climate change but could also create considerable new risks, according to a policy statement released by the American Meteorological Society.
Researchers have uncovered the first cases in which HIV almost certainly was transmitted from mothers or other caregivers to children through pre-chewed food.
Researchers have produced nontoxic nanocrystals that efficiently emit blue light and could also play a role in long-term storage of carbon dioxide, a potential means of tempering the effects of global warming.
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In a major advance in obesity and diabetes research, scientists have found that reducing levels of a key enzyme in the brain decreased appetites and increased energy levels.
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Private information scattered all over the Internet and impossible to control. A new system, called Vanish, puts an expiry date on electronic text. Electronic communication sent using Vanish — such as e-mail, Facebook posts and chat messages — would have a brief lifetime and then self-destruct.
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A new report complicates the debate over whether nature or nurture plays the most important role in complex diseases such as psychiatric disorders, heart disease and cancer. Scientists explain how epigenetics (temporary changes in gene function) and gene mutations (permanent, heritable changes) contribute to disease risk within populations, and lays the foundation for public health [...]
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