ScienceDaily: Top Health News

A research group has analyzed how certain immune cells known as innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) develop into mature cells that play a part in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The findings could pave the way for more effective treatments against IBD, a disease that causes considerable suffering and that is linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer.

In a work of systematic biology that advances the field, researchers have identified 16 distinct cell populations in a complex area of the midbrain called the ventral tegmental area, or VTA. The VTA is important for its role in the dopamine neurotransmission involved in reward-directed behavior. Substance use disorders involve dysregulation of these reward circuits, leading to repeated drug-seeking despite adverse consequences.

Researchers undertook a systematic analysis of the molecular building blocks used to engineer therapeutic cells. Their work resulted in a comprehensive rule book for the design of therapeutic cells with improved specificity and safety, and for the eventual customization of cell-based therapies.

A research team has discovered a new chemical reaction that provides a simple, rapid way of making tertiary amines -- swinging the door wide open to the discovery of new medicinal compounds.

A new research study shows how socioeconomic factors affect outcomes for patients being treated for depression even when receiving equal access to care.

A study examined the differences in intratumoral immune responses between male and female cancers of non-reproductive origin.

A new study finds that the percentage of Americans surviving from age 65 to 85 was 19 percentage points higher for someone with at least $300,000 in wealth than for those with no assets. But there was a 37 percentage point difference between those who never smoked and current smokers.

Gut microbiota by-products circulate in the bloodstream, regulating host physiological processes including immunity, metabolism and brain functions. Scientists have discovered that hypothalamic neurons in an animal model directly detect variations in bacterial activity and adapt appetite and body temperature accordingly. These findings demonstrate that a direct dialog occurs between the gut microbiota and the brain, a discovery that could lead to new therapeutic approaches for tackling metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity.

A cell's production of fat molecules can be a key factor in determining what that cell will become.

Deadly brain cancers called diffuse midline gliomas are uniquely dependent on methionine, an amino acid abundant in legumes and poultry.

The growth of human shoulders slows down just before birth and speeds up thereafter; this alleviates the problem of shoulder dystocia. Computed tomography was used to obtain cross-sectional representations of the clavicle in humans, chimpanzees, and Japanese macaques; the researchers then looked at different shoulder-width to birth-risk correlations between humans and the two other primates.

A photocatalyst made using a combination of titanium dioxide and copper oxide nanoclusters inactivates various variant types of novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Scientists have developed this antiviral photocatalyst, in a recent breakthrough, which has been proven to be effective under both darkness and indoor light.