Circadian Rhythms Help Guide Waste from Brain New research details how the complex set of molecular and fluid dynamics that comprise the glymphatic system – the brain’s unique process of waste removal – are synchronized with the master internal clock that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. These findings suggest that people who rely on sleeping during daytime hours are at greater risk for developing neurological disorders. Continue Reading

Researchers Draw More Links between Vaping, Smoking, Young People, and Coronavirus What do vapers, smokers, and non-smokers with chronic conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes have in common? They all are at higher risk for COVID-19. The scientific explanation behind this is complex and not yet certain — but it may boil down to an enzyme known as ACE2, that lives on the surface of many cells in the lungs and serves as the entry point for the coronavirus. Continue Reading

Each human gut has a viral “fingerprint” New database consists of over 33,000 unique viral populations in the gut Each person’s gut virus composition is as unique as a fingerprint, according to the first study to assemble a comprehensive database of viral populations in the human digestive system. Continue Reading

In one cancer therapy, two halves are safer than a whole Splitting immunotoxins in half could increase their specificity toward cancers, study suggests Splitting one type of cancer drug in half and delivering the pieces separately to cancer cells could reduce life-threatening side effects and protect healthy, non-cancerous cells, a new study suggests. Continue Reading

Reprogramming immune cells to reduce inflammation, promote tissue repair Macrophages are white blood cells that, depending on the signals they get from the immune system, become specialized in either increasing or decreasing inflammation. When macrophages are programmed to be pro-inflammatory, they help to increase inflammation, which is beneficial for fighting infections; when they are programmed to be anti-inflammatory, they help to decrease inflammation. Continue Reading

Key brain region was “recycled” as humans developed the ability to read Part of the visual cortex dedicated to recognizing objects appears predisposed to identifying words and letters, a study finds. Humans began to develop systems of reading and writing only within the past few thousand years. Our reading abilities set us apart from other animal species, but a few thousand years is much too short a timeframe for our brains to have evolved new areas specifically devoted to reading. Continue Reading

A new tool for modeling the human gut microbiome Several thousand strains of bacteria live in the human gut. Some of these are associated with disease, while others have beneficial effects on human health. Figuring out the precise role of each of these bacteria can be difficult, because many of them can’t be grown in lab studies using human tissue. Continue Reading

Masks mandates have major impact, study finds The research described in this article has been published as a working paper but has not yet been peer-reviewed by experts in the field. Masks reduce the spread of Covid-19. But just how much of an effect do they have? A study co-authored by an MIT professor finds that if the U.S. had introduced a uniform national mask mandate for employees of public-facing businesses on April 1, the number of deaths in the U.S. would likely have been 40 percent lower on June 1. Continue Reading

NEW MOLECULE REVERSES ALZHEIMER’S-LIKE MEMORY DECLINE A drug candidate developed by Salk researchers, and previously shown to slow aging in brain cells, successfully reversed memory loss in a mouse model of inherited Alzheimer’s disease. The new research, published online in July 2020 in the journal Redox Biology, also revealed that the drug, CMS121, works by changing how brain cells metabolize fatty molecules known as lipids. Continue Reading