Body

Aspirin's reign as "the wonder drug" may have a serious challenger if new research by a team of scientists from the United States and Brazil pans out. That's because they have identified an enzyme, called "soluble guanylate cyclase" or "sGC," which shows potential for treating a range of illnesses from breast cancer to erectile dysfunction. The complete research report, which is co-authored by Nobel laureate Ferid Murad, has been published online in The FASEB Journal.

Publication in Genes & Development: researchers at the Université libre de Bruxelles, ULB develop new techniques to assess the fate of stem cells in vivo.

The trace element zinc has an impact on the essential metabolic functions of most living organisms. New research carried out by the Chair of Animal Nutrition at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has found that even minimal zinc deficiency impairs digestion, albeit without any typical symptoms such as skin problems or fatigue. Hence, short-term zinc deficiency in the diet should be avoided.

Scientists at the University of York have led the first full-scale national assessment of metal contamination in bats, showing that many bats in the UK contain levels of metals high enough to cause toxic effects.

With bat species across the world in decline, exposure to chemicals is one of many potential threats to the species, along with urbanisation, loss of habitats, decline in food and water, agricultural intensification and climate change.

Future Martian explorers might not need to leave the Earth to prepare themselves for life on the Red Planet. The Mars Society have built an analogue research site in Utah, USA, which simulates the conditions on our neighbouring planet.

In a recent scholarly exchange of ideas, experts address how the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) honors both religious diversity and sexual orientation diversity in its accrediting practices.

PITTSBURGH, June 9, 2016 - Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a unique method for detecting antibodies in the blood of patients in a proof-of-principle study that opens the door to development of simple diagnostic tests for diseases for which no microbial cause is known, including auto-immune diseases, cancers and other conditions.

In the search for low-emission plant-based fuels, new research could lead to sustainable alternatives to fossil fuel-based products.

Scientists have identified new steps in the way plants produce cellulose, the component of plant cell walls that provides strength, and forms insoluble fibre in the human diet.

The findings may lead to improved production of cellulose and guide plant breeding for specific uses such as wood products and cellulosic ethanol fuel, which is estimated to have roughly 85 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than fossil fuel sources.

ITHACA, N.Y. - Got LED light? Display cases and grocery stores increasingly do, and that's bad news for milk drinkers.

London, United Kingdom, 8 June 2016: The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016) show for the first time that an individual's exposure to air pollution may have a direct role in triggering disease activity as well as airway inflammation in children and adolescents with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). This study, conducted in Brazil, has confirmed a direct link between an individual's personal exposure to fine pollution particles and their lupus disease activity.

A new approach to terrorism: military tactics are not the only option

A University of Kent expert in International Conflict Analysis who investigates conflict resolution approaches to terrorism presents a new critique of the effectiveness of traditional counter terrorism measures, advising they are not the only option.

London, United Kingdom, June 9, 2016: Two new studies presented at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016) have shown that the use of gene profiling designed to predict a positive response to treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients is following the lead from its use in cancer treatment. Prompt identification of those RA patients not responding to treatment supports timely switching to alternative treatment, reducing the chance of long-term joint damage and avoiding money being wasted on ineffective drugs.

London, United Kingdom, June 9, 2016: The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016) found a doubled risk of pre-malignant cervical changes, and potentially also an increased risk of cervical cancer, among women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) compared to the general female population. The highest risks were found in women with SLE who were treated with immunosuppressant drugs.

June 9, 2016 -- Research conducted at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Public Health Solutions examined the reasons why men who have had sex with both men and women choose not to disclose their sexual orientation -- particularly to their wives and girlfriends. Results show that men wanted to avoid the stigma and homophobia they felt certain would lead to strong negative emotional reactions and profound changes in their relationships. Findings are published online in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior.

Scientists believe they can now remove disease-causing mitochondrial DNA from human embryos, providing new cures for previously untreatable conditions, but the policy signals coming from Washington DC are in stark contradiction, according to a new Viewpoint essay published in JAMA June 9, 2016.