First Sighting of the Spade-Toothed Whale
The spade-toothed whale (Mesoplodon traversii) is a little known species of beaked whales. They were first discovered in 1872 when bone fragments were found on…
Biology News
Early Treatment Triggers Significant Improvements in Children with ASD
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, a team of scientists measured changes in brain activity after two five-year-olds with ASD received pivotal response treatment, finding that…
General Anesthetic Induces Slow Oscillations, Disrupts Brain Communication
Little is known about general anesthetics, the drugs that put patients in a coma-like state, feeling no pain or discomfort while being operated on. A…
Blind Mole Rats May Hold Cellular Clues to Effective Treatments for Cancer
New cell cultures from two species of blind mole rats, Spalax judaei and Spalax golani, behave in ways that render them impervious to the growth…
Dutch Company Will Start Selling Gene Therapy Treatment in 2013
A Dutch company, uniQure, states that it will start selling the first human gene therapy to be approved in the West by mid-2013. They expect…
Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy Has Increased Risks
HMS researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center examined the current literature on the safety and efficacy of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use in…
Synthetic Antioxidant Suppresses Symptoms of Huntington’s Disease in Mice
A team of scientists have designed a synthetic antioxidant, XJB-5-131, that targets mitochondria and suppresses symptoms of Huntington’s disease in mice. There’s new hope in…
Genes Related to Host-Microbe Interactions Linked to IBD
A newly published study identified 71 additional genetic associations for IBD and suggests a strong overlap between IBD susceptibility genes and genes tied to the…
Flashes of Light Can Break Habits
The addition of a light-sensitive protein to a small part of a rat’s brain allowed researchers to silence the neurons in the infralimbic cortex (ILC)…
Daily Multivitamin Usage Cut Cancer Risk By 8% in Men
A new study following men has shown that taking multivitamins daily reduced the total risk of cancer by 8%. The study used Centrum Silver multivitamin,…
The Most Comprehensive Catalog of Human Genome Variations
An international team of more than 1,000 scientists participated in a new study showing an integrated map of genetic variation from 1,092 human genomes. A…
Why Children Believe Hiding Their Eyes Makes Them Disappear
Young children think that they can hide themselves from others by covering or closing their eyes. This is something that most parents and teachers quickly…
Sequencing DNA from Individual Cells Yields Dramatic New Information
Nicolas Navin wanted to work out the sequence from individual cancer cells to see how they had mutated and diverged as the cancer grew. Back…
Magnesium Supplements Could Improve Memory and Cognitive Ability
After a decade of research hinting that magnesium supplements could potentially boost your memory and cognitive abilities, it’s finally being put into a small clinical…
People with Redhead Pigment are More Susceptible to Skin Cancer
Redheads with fair-skin are more susceptible to the damaging effects of the Sun. A new study indicated that the pigment responsible for this coloring has…
New Analysis Focuses on “Pre-Feelings” & Ability to Anticipate Near Future
A new study reports that presentiment without any external clues may exist. Researchers from Northwestern University analyzed the results of 26 studies published between 1978…
Reaction to Placebo Effect May Be Genetic
The reason why some people tend to respond to treatments that have no active ingredients might be down to genetics. A new study indicates that…
Aspirin Can Extend the Life of Colorectal Cancer Patients
A newly published study shows that aspirin can be effective in prolonging survival among patients whose colorectal cancer tests positive for a mutation in the…