Category Biology/Biotechnology

Cell-permeable peptide shows promise in nerve cell regeneration

Research team unlocks clues to repairing damaged nerves
Expression of G3BP1 acidic domain in CNS neurons facilitates axon regeneration. Credit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2411811122

Each year, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), millions of people in the U.S. are affected by spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries, along with neuro-developmental and degenerative diseases such as ADHD, autism, cerebral palsy, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease.

Assistant Professor Pabitra Sahoo, of Rutgers University-Newark’s Department of Biological Sciences, has made it his life’s work to understand how our neurological system becomes damaged by these injuries and conditions, and when and how neurons in our central and peripheral nervous systems re...

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Can we find floating vegetation on ocean planets?

An illustration depicting seasonal changes in floating vegetation and the resulting periodic changes in water surface reflectance. It is expected to become a novel indicator in searching for life on ocean planets.(credit: Astrobiology Center)

Recent advances in astronomical observations have found a significant number of extrasolar planets that can sustain surface water, and the search for extraterrestrial life on such planets is gaining momentum. A team of astrobiologists has proposed a novel approach for detecting life on ocean planets. By conducting laboratory measurements and satellite remote sensing analyses, they have demonstrated that the reflectance spectrum of floating vegetation could serve as a promising biosignature...

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Magnetic microrobots remove blood clots from sheep iliac artery

Magnetic microrobots remove blood clots from sheep iliac artery
The engagement with the blood clot for volume reduction and revascularization of blood flow is achieved through three methods: mechanical fragmentation using an untethered magnetic robot (UMR), chemical lysis employing fibrinolytics, and a hybrid approach that combines both fragmentation and chemical lysis to mitigate the risk of peripheral emboli or hemolysis. Credit: Applied Physics Reviews (2025). DOI: 10.1063/5.0233677

Researchers at the TechMed Center of the University of Twente and Radboud University Medical Center have removed blood clots with wireless magnetic robots. This innovation promises to transform treatment for life-threatening vascular conditions like thrombosis.

Cardiovascular diseases such as thrombosis are a major global health challenge...

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New study identifies unique white matter astrocytes with regenerative potential

New study identifies unique white matter astrocytes with regenerative potential
Characterization of proliferative white matter astrocytes. Credit: Nature Neuroscience (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41593-025-01878-6

A research team has identified different subtypes of white matter (WM) astrocytes, including a unique type with the ability to multiply and potentially aid in brain repair. Using single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics, the scientists mapped astrocyte diversity across different brain regions and species, providing the first detailed molecular profile of WM astrocytes.

The team was led by Dr. Judith Fischer-Sternjak from Helmholtz Munich and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, alongside Prof. Magdalena Götz from Helmholtz Munich, LMU and the Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy)...

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