Articles tagged with: national institutes of health (nih)
Brain Protein Structure Offers Clues for Drug Design Researchers have published the first highly detailed picture of how neurotensin, a molecule that plays an important role in the brain, interacts with its receptor. The achievement may help scientists design better drugs for certain disorders. Neurotensin (see arrow) in the binding pocket of NTSR1. Image […]
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Study Compares Women’s Incontinence Treatments A new study comparing treatments for a type of urinary incontinence in women found that each has benefits and drawbacks. Millions of women experience urinary incontinence, the involuntary loss of urine. Pregnancy and childbirth, menopause and the structure of the female urinary tract make women twice as likely as men […]
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Intestinal Mending Depends on Key Protein Scientists identified a protein that’s essential for mending injuries to the intestinal lining in mice. The finding might have implications for understanding and repairing damage to the human intestinal wall, which can be caused by factors including inflammatory bowel disease, infection and irradiation. Crypts (dark green) are stem-cell-containing […]
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New Insights Into Breast Cancer A careful analysis of genomic data further defined 4 primary subtypes of breast cancer, each with its own biology and survival outlook. One subtype shares many genetic features with high-grade serous ovarian cancer. The findings may help to guide future treatment strategies. Illustration courtesy of NHGRI. Each year about […]
Therapy Repairs Ravaged Immune System Gene therapy can safely restore immune function in children with severe combined immunodeficiency and allow some to stop taking painful weekly injections. The finding, from a small clinical trial, offers hope for children born with this deadly condition. Children with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) can’t produce healthy microbe-fighting white blood […]
Early Antibiotic Use May Affect Weight New research suggests that early-life exposure to antibiotics affects gut microbes and changes how food is metabolized. The findings may explain how antibiotics fatten farm animals. They may also have implications for childhood obesity. For more than 50 years, the agricultural industry has used antibiotics to promote growth in […]
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Gene Therapy Restores Sense of Smell in Mice Mice that were unable to smell from birth gained the ability to smell when researchers used gene therapy to regrow structures called cilia on cells that detect odor. The approach might one day lead to treatments for related human genetic disorders. Cilia on the surface of the […]
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Finding Treasure in “Junk” DNA A vast consortium of researchers has created a view of the human genome that extends well beyond our genes. The findings suggest at least some function for more than 80% of the genome. In a related study, a systematic analysis linked regulatory regions to disease. Over 98% of our DNA […]
Comparing Treatments for Lacunar Stroke Aspirin combined with a drug called clopidogrel is no better than aspirin alone for preventing stroke in people with a history of lacunar strokes, according to a new study. The combination also carries a greater risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. Strokes occur when blood vessels that supply the brain rupture or […]
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MRI Shows Promise for Heart Procedures An experimental MRI method may be as safe and swift as standard X-ray procedures for guiding surgical interventions in the heart. The finding, from a small clinical study, suggests that MRI might one day offer a radiation-free alternative to more widely used X-rays for visualizing heart-related interventions. This […]
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