Category Health/Medical

Like finding that needle in the haystack every time, your T cells manage what seems like an improbable task: Quickly finding a few invaders among the many imposters in your body to trigger its immune response.

T cells have to react fast and do so nearly perfectly to protect people from diseases. But first, they need a little “me” time.

Rice University researchers suggest that has to do with how T cells “relax” in the process of binding to ligands—shor...

In 2005, University of California, Berkeley, researchers made the surprising discovery that making conjoined twins out of young and old mice—such that they share blood and organs—can rejuvenate tissues and reverse the signs of aging in the old mice. The finding sparked a flurry of research into whether a youngster’s blood might contain special proteins or molecules that could serve as a “fountain of youth” for mice and humans alike.

But a new study by the same team shows that similar age-reversing effects can be achieve...

Scientists isolate powerful coronavirus-neutralizing antibodies from COVID-19 patients and successfully test in animals. A team led by Scripps Research has discovered antibodies in the blood of recovered COVID-19 patients that provide powerful protection against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes the disease, when tested in animals and human cell cultures.

The research, published today in Science, offers a paradigm of swift reaction to an emergent and deadly viral pandemic, and sets the stage for clinical trials and additional tests of the antibodies, which are now being produced as potential treatments and preventives for COVID-19.

“The discover...

Researchers have created a device that can integrate and interact with neuron-like cells. This could be an early step to an artificial synapse for use in brain-computer interfaces. In 2017, Stanford University researchers presented a new device that mimics the brain’s efficient and low-energy neural learning process...