Sickle cell anemia is an inherited blood disorder where red blood cells become sickle/crescent shaped. It causes frequent infections, swelling in the hands and legs, pain, severe tiredness and delayed growth or puberty. Treatment typically focuses on controlling symptoms and may include pain medicines during crises; hydroxyurea to reduce the number of pain episodes; antibiotics and vaccines to...

A new study adds to a growing body of evidence that organoids -- lab-grown collections of cells that mimic a patient's tumor -- are a promising avenue for drug discovery to improve outcomes in patients with cancer, particularly rare cancers for which clinical data on drug effectiveness is often lacking.

There has been debate over the best treatment for a certain type of stroke caused by a blockage of a large artery in the brain. A new meta-analysis finds that people who have this kind of stroke who can be treated within four-and-a-half hours after their symptoms start may do better after their stroke when treated with both a clot-busting drug and physical clot removal, compared to physical...

A new study suggests that people with mild traumatic brain injuries may be more likely to have cognitive impairment, cognitive decline or both one year later, compared to people who were not injured. People with poor cognitive outcomes were also more likely to have other symptoms like anxiety and lower satisfaction with life.

Huntington's, Alzheimer's, ALS, and multiple other neurodegenerative diseases share a commonality: they are all characterized by proteins (different ones for each disease) aggregating in neurons within the brain and nervous system. Now, scientists have found that the cells have the mechanisms to clear those aggregates -- they just fail to activate them.

Using powerful tools and techniques developed in the field of structural biology, researchers have discovered new details about the human immunodeficiency virus, HIV.

Research uncovers new information about the role that forest edges play in buffering global impacts of climate change and urbanization.

Astrophysicists combine current scientific understanding about the Earth with broader questions about how life alters a planet to ask: if a planet with life has a life of its own, can it also have a mind of its own? The research raises new ideas about the ways in which humans might tackle global issues such as climate change.

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill was the largest marine oil spill in United States history. The disaster was caused by an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, taking 11 lives and releasing nearly 210 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Twelve years and hundreds of millions of dollars later, scientists are still working to understand where all this oil ended up, a...

As the green crab invasion in Washington state worsens, a new analysis method could help contain future invasions and prevent new outbreaks using water testing and genetic analysis.

A study has proved that it is possible to convert blood type safely in donor organs intended for transplantation. This finding is an important step towards creating universal type O organs, which would significantly improve fairness in organ allocation and decrease mortality for patients in the waitlist.

To enhance the regeneration of bone, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2, or BMP-2. However, it is expensive and only moderately effective. It also produces side effects -- some severe. Researchers may have a viable, less risky alternative: messenger RNA. This well-known platform for vaccines has already proven to be safe in human use by...

Researchers have discovered a specific antimicrobial skin cell and the role it plays in acne development, which could result in more targeted treatment options.

Untrained, captive orangutans can complete two major steps in the sequence of stone tool use: striking rocks together and cutting using a sharp stone, according to a new study.

Scientists analyzing one of the largest genomic datasets of plants have discovered how the first plants on Earth evolved the mechanisms used to control water and 'breathe' on land hundreds of millions of years ago. The study has important implications in understanding how plant water transport systems have evolved and how these might adapt in future in response to climate change.

Breakthrough Starshot plans to send microscopic probes to Alpha Centauri using lightsails. Previous conceptions of these structures have imagined them being passively pushed by light from the sun, but Starshot's laser-based approach requires rethinking the sail's shape and composition so it won't melt or tear during acceleration to relativistic speeds.

The Gnat Ogre is a tiny predator that grabs other insects out of the air, catching them with extreme precision. New research reveals how and may have implications for future nature-inspired innovations.

Proteins are the 'workhorses' in every living cell and constitute the chemical basis of life. These little machines are required to turn food into energy, to manage motion and brain activities and to fight off bacteria and viruses. The function of proteins is tightly controlled in response to changing conditions, when for instance an organism encounters stress and needs to adapt. Researchers...

A future vaccine providing protection against a wide range of coronaviruses that jump from their original animal hosts to humans -- including SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19 -- may be possible, say researchers.

Researchers have shown that commensal microbes in the mouth, in contrast to commensal microbes colonizing other body surfaces, e.g., the gut or skin, modulate immune responses in the jaw bone that promote bone-resorbing osteoclasts and bone loss. In a preclinical model, depleting healthy commensal microbes in the mouth, using an antiseptic oral rinse, was shown to protect against this bone loss.

Public perceptions of climate change, the future cost and effectiveness of climate mitigation and technologies, and how political institutions respond to public pressure are all important determinants of the degree to which the climate will change over the 21st century, according to a new study.

Researchers have studied the immune system of pairs of monozygotic twins to identify the influence of the environment and of genetics in cases of multiple sclerosis. In the process, they may have discovered precursor cells of the disease-causing T cells.

Researchers have identified a case of a sudden evolutionary change. In a new study, the scientists describe a population of columbines that have lost their petals, including the characteristic nectar spurs. The finding adds weight to the idea that adaptation can occur in large jumps, rather than merely plodding along over extended timespans.

We give meaning to our world through the categorization of objects. When and how does this process begin? By studying the gaze of one hundred infants, scientists have demonstrated that, by the age of fourth months, babies can assign objects that they have never seen to the animate or inanimate category. These findings reveal measurable changes in neural organization, which reflect the transition...