New data collected by University of Minnesota Medical School researchers demonstrate a clear connection between nicotine withdrawal and poor eating habits. Their findings point to the opioid system, the brain functions responsible for addiction and appetite regulation, as a possible…
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Mechanism for development of rare colorectal cancer subtype identified
Researchers from Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, recently discovered a mechanism to explain what drives the formation of mucinous colorectal adenocarcinoma (MAC), a rare subtype of colorectal cancer (CRC), and…
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Researchers investigate inhibitory mechanism in Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a form of progressive dementia interfering with daily living. It is caused by the decline in the number of brain cells resulting in the deterioration of our mental abilities. One of the main reasons for the…
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New mechanism by which senescent cells turn on genes encoding for tumor-regulating factors
Scientists at The Wistar Institute identified a new mechanism of transcriptional control of cellular senescence that drives the release of inflammatory molecules that influence tumor development through altering the surrounding microenvironment. The study, published in Nature Cell Biology, reports that…
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Epigenetic mechanism contributing to lifelong stress susceptibility discovered
An epigenetic modification that occurs in a major cell type in the brain’s reward circuitry controls how stress early in life increases susceptibility to additional stress in adulthood, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have learned….
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Scientists reveal mechanism that causes irritable bowel syndrome
KU Leuven researchers have identified the biological mechanism that explains why some people experience abdominal pain when they eat certain foods. The finding paves the way for more efficient treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and other food intolerances. The study,…
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A brain mechanism underlying ‘vision’ in the blind is revealed
Some people have lost their eyesight, but they continue to ‘see.’ This phenomenon, a kind of vivid visual hallucination, is named after the Swiss doctor Charles Bonnet, who described in 1769 how his completely blind grandfather experienced vivid, detailed visions…
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Study sheds light on brain mechanism activated by uncertainty
Tel Aviv University researchers examined the brain’s reactions in conditions of uncertainty and stressful conflict in an environment of risks and opportunities. The researchers identified the areas of the brain responsible for the delicate balance between desiring gain and avoiding…
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Possible blood-clotting mechanism in COVID-19 found
Why so many COVID-19 patients get blood clots (thrombosis) remains uncertain. But scientists at Uppsala University and the University Hospital have now identified a mechanism they believe to be implicated. A particular protein triggers a part of our immune system…
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Mechanism that may lead to metabolic memory and sustained diabetes complications
For people with diabetes, vascular complications like kidney disease and atherosclerosis, which can lead to poor health and even death, are seen at increased rates. In a new Nature Metabolism study, researchers led by City of Hope’s Rama Natarajan, Ph.D.,…
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