Category Health/Medical

In mice, zinc helps thymus of the immune system regrow and immune-cell recovery after bone marrow transplant. Zinc’s immune-boosting properties are well-established, but scientists haven’t known exactly how it works. In a new study published online March 25 in the journal Blood, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center scientists reveal two ways the mineral supports immunity and suggest how it could be used to improve health.

Using mice, the team discovered that zinc is needed for the development of disease-fighting immune T cells and prompts regeneration of the thymus, the immune organ that produces T cells.

“This study adds ...

New material prevents inexpensive catalysts from degrading. Engineers at the University of Illinois Chicago are among a collaborative team that has developed a material that could give fuel cell systems a competitive edge over the battery systems that currently power most electric vehicles.

In contrast to lithium batteries, fuel cell technology relies on catalyst-driven chemical reactions to create energy. Lithium batteries can typically achieve a range of 100-300 miles on one charge, but they also are vulnerable to the high cost of cathode materials and manufacturing and require several hours to charge...

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and their international collaborators have discovered that a protein critical in the embryonic stages of life is reactivated in certain cases of mesothelioma, offering clues into the origin of this aggressive cancer.

The study published today in the journal Nature Communications.

“Together with our basic research and clinical collaborators, we have discovered that in numerous mesothelioma tumors, the Hand2 protein has been turned back on, possibly altering the cells of the tumor,” said Christian Mosimann, PhD, lead author of the study and associate professor of pediatrics in the section of developmental biology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus...

The immune system’s white blood cells, which are produced in the bone marrow, mostly help to defend against bacteria and injury, but sometimes they can turn against the body—for example, in cardiovascular disease, their inflammatory aggression can harm arteries and the heart. New research in Nature Immunology that was led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) provides insights into the pathways that increase or decrease the bone marrow’s output of these cells. The findings may lead to new treatments for conditions that arise when the balance of white blood cell production goes awry.

Senior author Matthias Nahrendorf, MD, Ph.D...