Category Biology/Biotechnology

This is a grid cell from the entorhinal cortex (EC) of the mouse brain, firing repeatedly and uniformly in a grid-like pattern. When a mouse moves through its environment, grid cells are activated, with each cell representing a specific location. This creates a triangular coordinate system that allows for spatial navigation. Several grid cells create a triangular coordinate system that allows for spatial navigation. The accumulation of tau protein in the brain of a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease was shown to disrupt the function of grid cells, causing problems with navigation. The findings explains why Alzheimer’s patients tend to wander and get lost. Credit: Lab of Karen Duff, PhD, Columbia University Medical Center

Finding may explain why many Alzheimer’s disease patients wander...

In vivo demonstration of cardiac assist in a porcine model of acute heart failure (Video courtesy of Ellen Rouche/Harvard SEAS)

Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital researchers have developed a customizable soft robot that fits around a heart and helps it beat, potentially opening new treatment options for people suffering from heart failure. The soft robotic sleeve twists and compresses in synch with a beating heart, augmenting cardiovascular functions weakened by heart failure. Unlike currently available devices that assist heart function, Harvard’s soft robotic sleeve does not directly contact blood. This reduces the risk of clotting and eliminates the need for a patient to take potentially dangerous blood thinner medications...

Fibri(nogen) drives repair after acetaminophen-induced liver injury via leukocyte αMβ2 integrin-dependent upregulation of MMP12

A team of MSU researchers has uncovered a new pathway in the body that stimulates liver repair. Using an experimental model of high-dosage acetaminophen, the team found that liver injury activated blood clotting, which then stimulated liver repair. Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in more than 600 medications and is a leading cause of drug-induced liver failure in the United States if used above the recommended dosage.

“This pathway of repair has never been described before and could lead to new strategies to promote liver repair,” said Luyendyk, an associate professor of pathobiology and diagnostic investigation...

Human Hair fiber

In a new study, UCSD researchers investigate why hair is incredibly strong and resistant to breaking. The findings could lead to the development of new materials for body armor and help cosmetic manufacturers create better hair care products. Hair has a strength: weight ratio comparable to steel. It can be stretched up to 1.5X its original length before breaking. They examined at the nanoscale level how a strand of human hair behaves when it is deformed, or stretched. Hair behaves differently depending on how fast or slow it is stretched. The faster hair is stretched, the stronger it is.

Hair consists of 2 main parts – the cortex: made up of parallel fibrils, and the matrix, with an amorphous structure...