Medical research

Favine protein potentially protects against vascular disease

Atherosclerosis, the clogging of the arteries with fatty plaques, is a major cause of death worldwide. Human atherosclerosis often involves calcification (or a build-up of calcium) in the arteries, and thrombosis, where a ...

Medical research

When macrophage digestion goes wrong

The exchange of gases between the air we breathe and our blood takes place via alveoli—tiny air sacs in our lungs. For this process to run smoothly, the epithelial cells of the alveoli produce a substance called "surfactant" ...

Medical research

Studying fruit flies to better understand depression

Human beings and fruit flies have very little in common—at first sight. However, by studying these flies, it is in fact possible to find out more about human nature, particularly when it comes to depressive disorders.

Medical research

Innate immunity: The final touch for antimicrobial defense

If bacteria enter the body, it often takes just a few minutes for the innate immune system to recognize them as foreign and set the immune defense in motion. Receptors of the immune system that recognize bacterial cell wall ...

Medical research

Intervening to stop bone loss

Bone remodeling in the body involves a balancing act between osteoblasts, cells that build bone, and osteoclasts, cells that break it down. Diseases such as osteoporosis, arthritis, and periodontitis involve bone loss, and ...

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