Category Biology/Biotechnology

Melanoma patients receiving therapy that makes it easier for their immune system to kill cancer cells respond to treatment better when their diet is rich in fiber, according to a large, international research collaboration that includes the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy.

Published today in Science, the study led by the University of Texas and the National Institutes of Health is a promising development in the fight against multiple types of cancer including melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, the researchers said.

Nationwide, melanoma is the fifth-most common cancer...

Interesting patterns of brain activity emerge during musical analysis exercises. Researchers in Japan used magnetic resonance imaging to study the brains of secondary school students during a task focused on musical observation. They found that students trained to play music from a young age exhibited certain kinds of brain activity more strongly than other students. The researchers also observed a specific link between musical processing and areas of the brain associated with language processing for the first time.

Professor Kuniyoshi L...

Microplastics — tiny pieces of plastic less than 5 mm in length — are everywhere, from bottled water to food to air. According to recent estimates, people consume tens of thousands of these particles each year, with unknown health consequences. Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology found that people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have more microplastics in their feces than healthy controls, suggesting that the fragments could be related to the disease process.

The prevalence of IBD, which includes ...

Exercise not only trains the muscles but can also prevent the develop...