Category Health/Medical

Researchers have discovered how a molecular ‘machine’ — that drives inflammation in a range of diseases — turns off in healthy cells. Credit: Kate Schroder, The University of Queensland

A discovery could be the key to stopping damage caused by uncontrolled inflammation in a range of common diseases including liver disease, Alzheimer’s and gout. University of Queensland researchers have uncovered how an inflammation process automatically switches off in healthy cells, and are now investigating ways to stop it manually when it goes awry. UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) researcher Associate Professor Kate Schroder said this inflammation pathway drove many different diseases...

This graphical abstract depicts the findings of Jang et al., which show that it is actually the small intestine that clears most dietary fructose, and this is enhanced by feeding. High fructose doses spill over to the liver and to the colonic microbiota for metabolism.

Princeton University researchers report that in mice, fructose, a sugar found in fruit, is processed mainly in the small intestine, not in the liver as had previously been suspected. Sugary drinks and processed high-sugar foods overwhelm the small intestine and spill into the liver for processing. Additionally, the authors learned that the ability of the small intestine to process fructose is higher after a meal. The work appears February 6 in the journal Cell Metabolism.

Evidence from previous animal and human studies has s...

Lower BDNF levels observed in bipolar disorder patients may lead to reduced EGR3 levels. A dysfunctional pathway impairs several biological functions, including abnormal structural brain changes and cognitive and functional decline (known as neuroprogression). Disrupted neural circuits may explain the impaired neuroplasticity and resilience, increasing vulnerability to stress and mood episodes, all well-known characteristics of BD.

A new article reveals a novel potential drug target for bipolar disorder and offers new insights into the underlying biology of this lifelong and devastating mental illness. Bipolar Disorder (BD) is a multifactorial brain disorder in which patients experience radical shifts in mood and undergo periods of depression followed by periods of mania...

“Green” sunscreens could soon be easier to make, thanks to a new laboratory method for the production of a key ingredient. Credit: Estrada Anton/Shutterstock.com

Although it’s been a tough winter for many people in the U.S., summer is coming. And that means backyard barbeques, fun on the beach and, of course, slathering on sunscreen. But one particular environmentally friendly sunscreen ingredient has been difficult to obtain – shinorine, could only be harvested from nature. Scientists now report in ACS Synthetic Biology the laboratory production of that compound.

Sunscreen is key to protecting the skin from carcinogenic UV radiation. However, some synthetic sunscreen components can accumulate in aquatic environments and potentially cause harm by acting as hormone disruptors...