Memory, learning and cognitive flexibility depend on a protein ‘off-switch’ in the brain, according to a breakthrough discovery made by an international research collaboration co-led by the University of Warwick. This new knowledge could enable us to better understand

A good night of sleep entails about eight hours of blissful immobility – a state of near paralysis that, though welcome at night, would be inconvenient during the day. In a recently published paper, Rockefeller scientists shed new light on the transitions between a wakeful, active state and the stillness of sleep. Through a series
Read More

Humans can accurately sense the position, speed and torque of their limbs, even with their eyes shut. This sense, known as proprioception, allows humans to precisely control their body movements. Despite significant improvements to prosthetic devices in recent years, researchers have been unable to provide this essential sensation to people with artificial limbs, limiting their
Read More

Building on two decades of research, investigators at University of Texas (UT) Southwestern have determined that “cellular housekeeping” can extend the lifespan and health span of mammals. A study jointly led by Drs. Salwa Sebti and Álvaro Fernández, postdoctoral researchers in the Centre for Autophagy Research, found that mice with persistently increased levels of autophagy
Read More

Scientists have zeroed in on a culprit that spurs damaging inflammation in the heart following a heart attack. The guilty party is a type of immune cell that tries to heal the injured heart but instead triggers inflammation that leads to even more damage. Further, the researchers have found that an already approved drug effectively
Read More

In research published recently, Babraham Institute researchers have shown that some tumours use not one but two levels of protection against the immune system. Knocking out one level boosted the protective effects of the second and vice versa. The research demonstrates that a two-pronged approach targeting both cell types simultaneously may offer a promising route
Read More

Amblyopia, commonly known as “lazy eye,” is a visual disorder common in children. The symptoms often are low acuity in the affected or “lazy” eye and impaired depth perception. Researchers have long believed that the impaired vision by one eye is a consequence of exaggerated eye dominance that favours