Category Biology/Biotechnology

Brain cells that produce the protective coating around nerve fibers can become dysfunctional with age and may actively contribute to cognitive decline, according to new research.

A study found that people with more severe cognitive decline had changes to nerve fibers and myelin—the protective coating around nerve fibers that helps messages travel efficiently through the brain. The study is published in the journal Nature Medicine.

Experiments in mice showed that disrupting oligodendrocytes—the cells that produce myelin—also altered the coating and impaired cognitive performance.

Experts say the findings overturn the longstanding view that these cells are always supportive of healthy brain function and could pave the way for new treatment...

Chronic pain, pain that persists or returns for more than three months, can affect people’s emotional well-being and is often accompanied by difficulty concentrating or remembering things. While they can be effective for some patients, available treatments for chronic pain do not always relieve all the other symptoms associated with it.

Some medical researchers have been exploring the potential of dietary interventions to relieve chronic pain and other connected symptoms. One of these is intermittent fasting, which entails alternating set periods of eating with periods during which people drink only water or unsweetened tea and coffee.

Researchers at Zhengzhou University and its First Affiliated Hospital recently conducted a...

For people living with diabetes, managing blood sugar can mean constantly watching the clock, keeping meals and medications on schedule and staying alert to changes in glucose levels. While little can be done about timed meals, researchers have developed a biological system that detects rising blood sugar levels and automatically responds by releasing medication to bring glucose back down.

In a recent study published in...

Japan has one of the world’s fastest-aging populations, but maintaining independence into very old age remains a growing public health challenge...