Category Health/Medical

Could help determine which patients are likely to benefit from new Alzheimer’s drugs. A newly developed blood test for Alzheimer’s disease not only aids in the diagnosis of the neurodegenerative condition but also indicates how far it has progressed, according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Lund University in Sweden.

Several blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease are already clinically available, incl...

You may have heard of the fantastic-sounding “dark side of the genome.” This poorly studied fraction of DNA, known as heterochromatin, makes up around half of your genetic material, and scientists are now starting to unravel its role in your cells.

For more than 50 years, scientists have puzzled over the genetic material contained in this “dark DNA.” But there’s a growing body of evidence showing that its proper functioning is critical for maintaining cells in a healthy state. Heterochromatin contains tens of thousands of units of dangerous DNA, known as “transposable elements” (or TEs)...

Researchers at Columbia Engineering have for the first time used DNA to help create 3D electronically operational devices with nanometer-size features.

“Going from 2D to 3D can dramatically increase the density and computing power o...

The mammalian immune system is an evolutionary wonder. It’s capable of recognizing and destroying cancer cells, and it can deploy armies of antibodies against viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi.

Among the lesser-spotlighted roles of the immune system is how a particular T cell helps maintain homeostasis—fostering a balanced and stable metabolic environment—in fat cells. It’s a role that has captured the investigatory eye of an elite team of immunologists.

Having a stronger understanding of the dynamic metabolic activities and signaling pathways in fat tissue can aid new strategies to treat obesity, a major global health concern...