Health News

Increased risk for autism appears to be linked to the Y chromosome, a study has found, offering a new explanation for the greater prevalence of autism in males.

A new study reveals how the duplication of the salivary amylase gene may not only have helped shape human adaptation to starchy foods, but may have occurred as far back as more than 800,000 years ago, long before the advent of farming.

The Autism Transitions Research Project has released new findings that underscore critical challenges and opportunities in transitioning autistic youth into adulthood.

A new computational model analyzes the factors that help determine whether debunking efforts will persuade people to change their beliefs about the legitimacy of an election.

A recent breakthrough study has introduced a novel methodology that significantly enhances the accuracy of epidemiological estimates for infectious diseases like COVID-19.

Researchers have developed a novel training protocol for brain-computer interfaces in a study with rhesus monkeys. The method enables precise control of prosthetic hands using signals from the brain alone. Researchers were able to show that the neural signals that control the different hand postures in the brain are primarily important for this control, and not, as previously assumed, signals that control the movement’s velocity. The results are essential for improving the fine control of neural hand prostheses, which could give paralyzed patients back some or all of their mobility (Neuron).

Initial prescriptions of benzodiazepines, a class of drugs used to treat anxiety and sleep problems after a stroke may include too many pills for adults ages 65 or older, finds new study.

Neuroscientists have uncovered a mechanism that controls the reactivation of neural stem cells, which are crucial for repairing and regenerating brain cells. The research offers exciting potential for advancing our understanding and treatment of common neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Novel chemical compounds from a fungus could provide new perspectives for treating colorectal cancer, one of the most common and deadliest cancers worldwide. Researchers have reported on the isolation and characterization of a previously unknown class of metabolites (terpene-nonadride heterodimers). One of these compounds effectively kills colorectal cancer cells by attacking the enzyme DCTPP1, which thus may serve as a potential biomarker for colorectal cancer and a therapeutic target.

A new vaccine provides hope for treating and even preventing the highly contagious and difficult-to-treat Clostridioides difficile infection, more commonly known as C. difficile or C. diff. In animal models, this first mRNA-LNP C. difficile vaccine was found to protect against C. difficile first-time infections and relapsing infections by inducing a robust immune response, promote clearance of existing C. diff bacteria from the gut, and even overcome deficits in host immunity to protect animals after infection, according to researchers. The results will pave the way for clinical trials of the vaccine.