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How short breaks help the brain learn new skills
Researchers discovered that the awake resting brain repeatedly replays compressed memories of a new skill being learned.
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Potential oral treatment for COVID-19 identified
Researchers found that a drug called TEMPOL can shut down a key enzyme that the SARS-CoV-2 virus needs to copy itself.
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Fixing the sickle cell disease gene
Researchers treated sickle cell disease in mice by directly editing the defective hemoglobin gene that causes the disease.
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September 17, 2024 Edition
Blood test predicts 30-year cardiovascular disease risks for women
Researchers found that a blood test to measure levels of three compounds could predict a woman’s risk for cardiovascular disease decades later.
Smart mask for monitoring chemicals in exhaled breath
Researchers developed a smart face mask that can analyze chemicals in breath in real time.
Mosquitoes use infrared detection to help find people
Aedes aegypti, a type of mosquito that spreads diseases such as dengue and Zika, can sense infrared radiation to help locate and bite people.
September 10, 2024 Edition
Personalized deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease
A personalized, adaptive system significantly reduced Parkinson's symptoms and improved quality of life compared with standard deep brain stimulation.
Brain-computer interface helps paralyzed man speak
Researchers developed a highly accurate brain-computer interface that allowed a man whose ability to speak was impaired by ALS to communicate.
Role of glucose metabolism in Alzheimer's disease
Researchers found that proteins involved in Alzheimer's disease inhibit glucose metabolism in the brain, suggesting a novel potential approach for treatment.
August 27, 2024 Edition
How SARS-CoV-2 might cause dangerous inflammation in children
Researchers found one way that SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to a severe complication in children called MIS-C.
Scientists find brain circuit for placebo pain relief
Researchers identified a brain circuit in mice that plays a previously unknown role in providing pain relief. This newly recognized pathway may point to novel approaches for treating pain.
Keto diet enhances experimental cancer therapy in mice
Scientists showed how a ketogenic diet can enhance the effects of an experimental anti-cancer drug and starve pancreatic tumors in mice.
August 13, 2024 Edition
Accurate blood test for Alzheimer's disease
A blood test identified Alzheimer's disease correctly in older adults with about 90% accuracy.
Endometriosis types and ovarian cancer risk
Researchers found that women with certain types of severe endometriosis are at significantly increased risk of ovarian cancer.
How psychedelic drugs alter the brain
Researchers found that psilocybin temporarily disrupts a brain network involved in creating a person’s sense of self.
July 30, 2024 Edition
Study shows how aura may lead to migraine headache
Researchers found that aura altered brain fluid in mice, which flowed directly into part of the peripheral nervous system that detects migraine pain.
Genome editing restores hearing in mice
A genome editing method restored hearing in adult mice with a rare type of genetic hearing loss and might one day help to reverse some types of hearing loss in people.
How primates quickly detect faces
Neurons in an area deep in the primate brain rapidly distinguished faces from other objects, even in peripheral vision.
July 23, 2024 Edition
Gene variant slows form of inherited Alzheimer’s disease
In a family with an inherited form of Alzheimer’s disease, those who carried a gene variant called APOE3Ch had a delay in cognitive impairment and dementia. More research is needed to see whether APOE3Ch has a protective effect in people beyond this ...
Developing treatments for prion diseases
Researchers developed a novel method to turn off prion protein production in mice. The technique could lead to treatments for prion diseases such as mad cow disease.
Testing transmission and infection of H5N1 from cows
Researchers found that an H5N1 flu virus from cows could infect mice and ferrets, but airborne transmission wasn’t very efficient.
July 9, 2024 Edition
Research in Context
Movement after paralysis
This feature explores experimental approaches to allow people living with paralysis to become more independent and improve quality of life.
June 25, 2024 Edition
Quick test could help reduce dementia care disparities
A five-minute, culturally neutral test for cognitive problems improved dementia detection and management in older adults.
AI tool predicts response to cancer therapy
Scientists developed an AI tool that uses routine clinical data to identify cancer patients most likely to respond to immunotherapy drugs called checkpoint inhibitors.
Xylitol may affect cardiovascular health
Higher blood levels of the artificial sweetener xylitol were associated with increased risk of heart attack and stroke in people.
June 11, 2024 Edition
Providing lasting protection from peanut allergy
Children who regularly ate peanut-containing foods early in life had a greatly reduced risk of developing peanut allergy into adolescence.
Scientists map gene-regulating networks in human brain
Researchers created massive, advanced maps of the complex networks that regulate gene function in the brains of people with and without mental disorders.
Drug causes reversible male contraception in mice
Scientists created a compound that causes reversible contraception in male mice.