Possible target for drugs to combat the yo-yo effect

28-Mar-2023

Many people who have dieted are familiar with the yo-yo effect: after the diet, the kilos are quickly put back on. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research and Harvard Medical School have now shown in mice that communication in the brain changes during a diet: The nerve ...

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Rare, mysterious plant chemical to potential anticancer drug candidate

28-Mar-2023

Plants produce all types of curious chemicals. Some deter predators. Some smell wonderful. Some even have medicinal value. One of these hidden gems is (–)-jerantinine A (JA), a molecule with remarkable anticancer properties, produced by a plant calledTabernaemontana corymbosa. Unfortunately, ...

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Effect of kynurenine pathway on retinal health deciphered

27-Mar-2023

Metabolic pathways consist of a series of biochemical reactions in cells that convert a starting component into other products. There is growing evidence that metabolic pathways coupled with external stress factors influence the health of cells and tissues. Many human diseases, including retinal ...

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Researchers discover a way to fight the aging process and cancer development

27-Mar-2023

Damage in the human genome can be repaired. But this works better in germ cells, sperm and eggs, than in normal body cells. Responsible for this is the DREAM protein complex, which prevents the activation of all available repair mechanisms. A research team at the University of Cologne has now ...

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Start-ups for environmentally friendly batteries and nanoparticles for cancer therapy in planning

27-Mar-2023

Two young Empa scientists each receive an Empa Entrepreneur Fellowship to develop innovative products based on their research. Abdessalem Aribia is developing environmentally friendly and safe batteries, while Subas Scheibler is working on nanoparticles for cancer therapy. The Empa Entrepreneur ...

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Scientists have sequenced the composer’s genome using five genetically matching hair locks

24-Mar-2023

The study shows Beethoven was predisposed to liver disease, and infected with Hepatitis B, which – combined with his alcohol consumption – may have contributed to his death. Furthermore, DNA from modern relatives points to an extramarital ‘event’ in Beethoven’s paternal line. Johannes Krause, ...

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Transparency of study results in a public dashboard

24-Mar-2023

Clinical trials are the “backbone of evidence-based medicine”: This is where new drugs and treatments are tested on humans for the first time. The results of such trials are therefore highly relevant. But unfortunately many clinical trial results from German universities are not published at all ...

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Why we can't keep our hands off chocolate bars and co.

24-Mar-2023

Chocolate bars, crisps and fries - why can't we just ignore them in the supermarket? Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research in Cologne, in collaboration with Yale University, have now shown that foods with a high fat and sugar content change our brain: If we regularly eat ...

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Start-up aims to revolutionize treatment of severe diseases

23-Mar-2023

Seamless Therapeutics, a Dresden based start-up of the Technische Universität Dresden, announced a $12.5 million (€11.8M) seed financing round which will accelerate further development of its designer recombinases, a novel gene editing platform to transform the treatment of severe diseases. ...

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Study could lead to therapies against skin and intestinal diseases in the medium term

23-Mar-2023

Researchers at the Universities of Bonn and Singapore have discovered a new intracellular "smoke detector." The sensor warns of damage to the mitochondria - the microscopic power plants that supply the cell with energy. If it does not function properly, chronic skin diseases can result. The ...

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