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Genetics

Largest-ever genetic study of epilepsy finds possible therapeutic targets

The largest and most diverse study to date of epilepsy's genetic factors has revealed new potential targets for treatment, both shared by and unique to different subtypes of epilepsy. The findings point to factors involved ...

Immunology

Here's why B cells benefit from booster shots

Certain infectious diseases, such as COVID or the flu, evolve constantly, shapeshifting just enough to outmaneuver our immune systems and reinfect us repeatedly. But subsequent reinfections often don't lead to the most severe ...

Medical research news

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

How doxycycline for STI prevention affects the gut microbiome

Taking a dose of the oral antibiotic doxycycline after a high-risk sexual encounter has dramatically reduced the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in places where the strategy is being tried.

Oncology & Cancer

New imaging technique accurately detects aggressive kidney cancer

A new study led by investigators from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has demonstrated a new, non-invasive imaging technique can accurately detect clear-cell renal cell carcinoma, the most common form ...

Ophthalmology

Researchers use AI to help people see more clearly

Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is on the rise, especially among children. Experts predict that by the year 2050, myopia will affect approximately 50% of the world's population. Researchers believe that an increase ...

Ophthalmology

Stem cell transplants repair macular holes in primate study

Human stem cell transplants successfully repaired macular holes in a monkey model, researchers report October 3 in the journal Stem Cell Reports. After transplantation, the macular holes were closed by continuous filling ...

Medications

Study reveals how an anesthesia drug induces unconsciousness

There are many drugs that anesthesiologists can use to induce unconsciousness in patients. Exactly how these drugs cause the brain to lose consciousness has been a longstanding question, but MIT neuroscientists have now answered ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Discovery solves baffling mystery around Gulf War Illness in veterans

In a world-first discovery, Griffith University researchers have discovered that faulty cell function in veterans suffering from Gulf War Illness (GWI), also known as Gulf War Syndrome (GWS), is likely caused by intense exposure ...

Neuroscience

Study pinpoints origins of creativity in the brain

Have you ever had the solution for a tough problem suddenly hit you when you're thinking about something entirely different? Creative thought is a hallmark of humanity, but it's an ephemeral, almost paradoxical ability, striking ...

Genetics

How a gene for obesity affects the brain

Obesity is a complicated condition, caused by a combination of genetics, the food environment, behavior, and other factors. For millennia, getting enough food to survive and thrive was difficult. For most people, it's now ...

Medical research

Protein droplets likely don't cause Parkinson's, study suggests

Liquid-liquid phase separation is not a precursor to formation of amyloid fibrils, a pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease, shows a recent study. Rather, the formation of protein into liquid droplets may help to dissolve ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Scientists identify 'unconventional' new pathway for TB vaccines

An "unconventional" immune response now identified by scientists from the Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI) is a potential new pathway for developing new vaccines for tuberculosis (TB), according ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

A novel and unique neural signature for depression revealed

As parents, teachers and pet owners can attest, rewards play a huge role in shaping behaviors in humans and animals. Rewards—whether as edible treats, gifts, words of appreciation or praise, fame or monetary benefits—act ...