After a spinal cord injury, cells in the brain and spinal cord change to cope with stress and repair tissue. A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Nature Neuroscience, shows that this response is controlled by specific DNA sequences. This knowledge could help develop more targeted treatments.

When the central nervous system is damaged - for example, in a spinal cord injury - many cells become reactive.

Protein kinases are the molecular switches of the cell. They control growth, division, communication, and survival by attaching phosphate groups to other proteins. When these switches are stuck in the "on" position, they can drive cancer and other diseases. Not surprisingly, kinases have become one of the most important drug target families in modern medicine: today, more than 80 kinase inhibitors are FDA-approved, and nearly twice as many are in clinical development.

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and collaborators have reported early success with a novel mRNA-based therapy designed to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The findings, published in the November 26 online issue of Nature Biotechnology, show that in preclinical studies in mice and human lung tissue in the lab, the therapy slowed bacterial growth, strengthened immune cell activity, and reduced lung tissue damage in models of multidrug-resistant pneumonia.

A Garvan-led clinical trial has found that using a common and inexpensive type 2 diabetes drug reduces insulin needs in type 1 diabetes, opening doors for improved management of the condition.

For years doctors have prescribed metformin, an old but common type 2 diabetes medication, to treat insulin resistance in type 1 diabetes. This has been largely based on anecdotal evidence.

Ageing is defined as the deterioration of function overtime, and it is one of the main risk factors for numerous chronic diseases. Although ageing is a complex phenomenon affecting the whole organism, it is proved that the solely manifestation of ageing in the haematopoietic system affects the whole organism. Last September, Dr. M. Carolina Florian and her team revealed the significancy of using blood stem cells to pharmacologically target ageing of the whole body, thereby suggesting rejuvenating strategies that could extend healthspan and lifespan.

Rutgers neuroscientist Peng Jiang was visiting his hometown of Qianshan, a city in China’s Anhui province, when a neighbor came to his parents’ house with a story that would stay with him.

The man’s mother had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in her early 60s. After nearly a decade of decline, she no longer recognized her own son. One morning, she looked at him and asked gently, "How is your mother doing? Is she well?"

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have clarified how spermine - a small molecule that regulates many processes in the body's cells - can guard against diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's: it renders certain proteins harmless by acting a bit like cheese on noodles, making them clump together. This discovery could help combat such diseases.