Eurekalert

Mitochondria - the 'batteries' that power our cells - play an unexpected role in common diseases such as type 2 diabetes and multiple sclerosis, concludes a study of over 350,000 people conducted by the University of Cambridge.The study, published today in Nature Genetics, found that genetic variants in the DNA of mitochondria could increase the risk of developing these conditions, as well influencing characteristics such as height and lifespan.

Researchers from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) and the IDIBELL, led by Eva González-Suárez at the CNIO, have found that the hyperactivation of the RANK pathway plays a double function in breast cells: in the early stages of cancer, it activates senescence, which has a protective effect and delays the appearance of tumours; in more advanced stages, RANK-induced senescence favours the accumulation of stem cells, which promotes tumour growth and aggressiveness.

What The Study Did: Online search data were used to assess changes in home birth information seeking across the United States and United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What The Study Did: Hospital discharge rates, hospitalization outcomes and demographic factors were examined among U.S. patients with ischemic stroke before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What The Study Did: Researchers assessed the feasibility of using positive behavior supports to promote the use of face coverings in school-aged children with autism spectrum disorders and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) attending a summer program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Researchers have developed an innovative way to convert plastics to ingredients for jet fuel and other valuable products, making it easier and more cost effective to reuse plastics. The researchers in their reaction were able to convert 90% of plastic to jet fuel and other valuable hydrocarbon products within an hour at moderate temperatures and to easily fine-tune the process to create the products that they want.

Sugars attach to certain RNA molecules on the outside membrane of the cell. The newly discovered "glycoRNAs" may be involved in immune signaling.

A new study finds errors in convective/large-scale rainfall partitions can potentially cause different climate responses and considerable uncertainties in climate projections.

"Heat not burn" product found to deliver less nicotine than cigarettes, has lower nicotine delivery than Juul, and was less effective in reducing urges to smoke, finds study by Queen Mary University of London.

Scientists at Skoltech Center for Energy Science and Technology have developed an enriched and scalable approach for increasing the capacity of a broad range of metal-ion battery cathode materials. An important advantage of the approach is its scalability. The process requires no sophisticated conditions and is relatively safe. Additionally, the reducing agents can be recycled after they react with the cathodes because their redox chemistry is reversible. These features make the method promising for large-scale applications.

The way in which banks react to climate risks and uncertainty could impact financial stability as well as the world's transition to a low-carbon economy. A new study by researchers from IIASA and the Vienna University of Economics and Business explored the role that banks' expectations about climate-related risks will play in fostering or hindering an orderly low-carbon transition.

Yerkes NPRC/Emory University and Institut Pasteur researchers have determined adding a combination immunotherapy to antiviral therapy (ART) is effective in generating highly functional natural killer (NK) cells that can help control and reduce simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in animal models. This finding is key for reducing reliance on ART and developing additional treatment options to control HIV/AIDS.

Researchers at the University of Adelaide have found several grape varieties native to Cyprus, which tolerate drought conditions better than some international varieties popular in Australia, contain chemical compounds responsible for flavours preferred by Australian consumers.

Despite lower exercise volume, HIIT was as effective as endurance running for improving exercise capacity and spatial memory. Researchers at the University of Tsukuba found that activity-specific physiological adaptations in the muscles and increased signaling and neurogenesis in the hippocampus underlie these improvements. Findings also suggested that benefits can potentially be optimized by tailoring exercise time and intensity.

Japanese researchers have discovered that cysteinylated albumin (oxidized albumin) in serum can be used as an early diagnostic marker for diabetic kidney disease. Compared with urinary albumin, serum oxidized albumin not only reflects renal pathology at an earlier stage, but can also predict the progression of renal pathology by its degree of elevation. The researchers believe that it can be used as a new diagnostic marker for early diagnosis of diabetic kidney disease.

Scientists from Hokkaido University have used species survey and climate data to identify two marine biodiversity refugia in the Eastern Bering Sea - regions where species richness, community stability and climate stability are high.

A new study led by KAIST researchers using fruit flies reveals how protein deficiency in the diet triggers cross talk between the gut and brain to induce a desire to eat foods rich in proteins or essential amino acids. This finding reported in the May 5 issue of Nature can lead to a better understanding of malnutrition in humans.

An international team of researchers has analyzed the function of the histone demethylase KDM5A in multiple myeloma, one of the three major hematological cancers, and clarified the mechanism by which it promotes myeloma cell proliferation. They also developed a novel KDM5 inhibitor and showed that it inhibits cancer cell growth in a myeloma mouse model. The researchers expect that new therapies targeting KDM5A will be developed in the future.

A rare syndrome has been observed in people following vaccination against Covid-19. This involves thrombosis at unusual sites in the body, associated with a low thrombocyte count and a clotting disorder. In medical jargon, this syndrome is referred to as VITT (vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia). Doctors at MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital have now successfully treated an acute instance of this syndrome.

The Oncotarget article provides evidence that antitumor activity and prolonged stable disease are achieved with Z-endoxifen despite prior tamoxifen therapy.