Saturated fatty acids activate lung immune cells, leading to hyperinflammatory responses. Image credit:©iStock.com, magicmine People with obesity can experience obesity-associated asthma. Unlike asthma induced by allergens, obesity-associated asthma is characterized by inflammatory macrophages and monocytes and high levels of neutrophils in the lungs.1 The mechanisms underlying this immune cell activation in the lung and its…
Immune cells can send signals between the gut-brain axis, but researchers found that these cells also migrate into the brain in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Image credit:© Istock, Yury Pronin The gut is home to a richly diverse community of microbes and nearly 80 percent of the body’s immune cells. This menagerie of…
This webinar will be hosted live and available on-demand Wednesday, October 8th, 202511:00 am – 12:00 PM Researchers increasingly use microelectrode array (MEA) recordings of in vitro neuronal networks for drug efficacy and safety testing during pharmaceutical development. At the Tohoku Institute of Technology, a team of scientists led by Ikuro Suzuki recently collected and…
A steady flow of ions across cellular channels is crucial for heart and brain health. Image credit:© Istock, Plawgo plawgo Much like a city, the body relies on electricity to power its functions. Electrical currents keep the heart beating on pace, relax and contract muscles, and flow from neuron to neuron. To modulate the flow…
Tiny gas sensors that detect bacterial odors may provide a rapid, low-cost way to diagnose infections and guide treatment. Image credit:© Istock, Scharvik It’s a typical day at the general practitioner’s office. As the street bustles with activity, a patient walks in, complaining of pain in his bladder, frequent urination, and a burning sensation while…
Cordyceps military produces fruiting bodies that sprout from the remains of caterpillar pupa. Image credit:Chengshu Wang Dark clouds loom over a mountain in Gansu, China as a harvester bends over the ground to gather tiny orange stalks sprouting from dead insect-husks. These orange stocks are Cordyceps militarya fungus known locally as pupa grass. Its relative,…
This webinar will be hosted live and available on-demand Tuesday, October 28th, 20254:00 pm – 5:30 pm and Precision medicine enabled by genetic and molecular profiling advances helps scientists and clinicians more easily tailor diagnostics and treatments for a range of conditions. Researchers increasingly gain novel insights into cancer treatment and therapy resistance by employing…
Life leaves epigenetic marks all over the genome, resulting in a variety of phenotypes that define health and diseases. New technologies enable scientists to study—even edit—the epigenome. Image credit:© Istock, self Epigenetics refer to DNA modifications that may affect phenotype but don’t alter the nucleotide sequence itself. Epigenetic changes can often be passed down generations,…
