Category Health/Medical

This image illustrates the beginning stages of an influenza infection and shows what happens after the influenza viruses enter the human body. Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

A team co-led by a University of California, Riverside professor, has found a long-sought-after mechanism in human cells that creates immunity to influenza A virus, which causes annual seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics.The research could have broad implications on the immunological understanding of human diseases caused by RNA viruses including influenza, Ebola, West Nile, and Zika viruses.

“This opens up a new way to understand how humans respond to viral infections and develop new methods to control viral infections,” said Prof. Shou-Wei Ding...

Image: Old C. elegans expressing a specific alternative splicing event tagged by either green or red fluorescent protein, well-fed (left) or on dietary restriction (right). Worms on dietary restriction maintain a youthful splicing pattern (as seen in young worms) compared to the well-fed worm population at the same age. Credit: Image courtesy of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

For the 1st time, a causal link between RNA splicing and aging has been revealed. The finding sheds light on the biological role of splicing in lifespan and suggests that manipulating specific splicing factors in humans might help promote healthy aging...

2-hour moderate-intensity exercise in the exercise trial; Early PP, early postprandial period; Late PP, late postprandial period.

The researchers also found timing of exercise may play a role in how beneficial it is for your metabolism. The study’s senior author, Katarina Borer, said the study illustrates that small changes can make a difference, such as watching the kinds of foods you eat and not exercising at an inappropriate time. The study reported that when people ate 3 meals containing just 30% carbohydrates over a 24-hour period, they had a 30% reduction in their after-meal insulin resistance and insulin levels. People who are resistant to insulin have a higher risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

When people ate 3 meals containing 60% carbohydrates over 24 hours, there was no s...

The atomic structure of influenza A virus nucleoprotein. Credit: Jane Tao/Rice University

A new type of vaccine may allow for a new approach to generating live virus vaccines which could conceivably be adapted to any type of virus. Published in the journal Science, the Peking University team outlines how they modified an influenza virus causing it to incite an immune response without a risk of infection.

Most vaccines today contain viruses that have been killed or weakened to the point that they are unlikely to cause an infection when injected into a healthy patient. Such vaccines work by causing the immune system to target similar viruses if found in the body before they have a chance to multiply, causing an infection...