eLife: digests

Growing arteries

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:43:53 +0000

A study in transgenic zebrafish and mice identifies previously unknown genetic switches involved in the formation of new blood vessels.

Thrill of the chase

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 16:22:13 +0000

A study in mice reveals a new role for CGRP neurons in coordinating responses to threats of different severity.

Aging cells, rising risks

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 13:33:55 +0000

Age-related changes in breast luminal epithelial cells may drive some breast cancers and offer potential screening and prevention targets.

Polarized cells

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 16:35:05 +0000

Three Wnt signaling proteins help to organize cells in the gonads of a nematode worm.

How to undo an R-loop

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 12:55:22 +0000

A molecular machine called the Smc5/6 complex helps repair an intricate form of genetic damage.

One organoid, multiple regions

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 15:38:55 +0000

A single molecular signal enhances the complexity of human brain organoids, inducing the emergence of multiple distinct brain regions.

A lipid takes the wheel

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Microscopy reveals how a lipid in the cell membrane called PI(4,5)P₂ controls the activity of an important receptor that relays signals in to cells.

Waste removal

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

A type of bacteria found in the gut helps regulate uric acid levels in the blood of geese and mice.

Untangling pancreatic cancer inflammation

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 15:20:11 +0000

A network of interactions between the cell’s internal scaffolding and immune system proteins reveals drug targets to fight a deadly pancreatic cancer.

A complex genome for a simple worm

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 14:59:43 +0000

DNA sequencing reveals that the Xenoturbella bocki genome is comparable to that of other animals, providing insights into this worm’s evolution.

A potential drug target for Parkinson’s disease

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 13:56:12 +0000

The CISD1 protein appears to play a role in causing symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in some genetically inherited cases.

Remnants of ancient viruses

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 14:48:06 +0000

Studying how endogenous viral elements have evolved in monkeys may help us treat prostate cancer and other diseases in humans.

Expanding the knowledge of electrical synapses

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 14:42:17 +0000

A new approach known as expansion microscopy helps dissect the organization of a structure that allows neurons to exchange signals via direct cell-cell connections.

Understanding the adolescent brain

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 11:22:51 +0000

Experiments in male rats shed light on how parts of the brain involved in addiction differ during adolescence.

Terminating stem cells

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 15:30:08 +0000

Stem cells in the optic lobe of fruit flies are eliminated during development through a combination of mechanisms.

Running scared

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 14:53:39 +0000

Pavlovian fear conditioning triggers active fear responses as well as freezing.

Immobilizing pancreatic cancer

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 14:42:15 +0000

A protein known as CYRI-B is required for cancer cells to spread in a mouse model of pancreatic cancer.

Swabbing for safer births

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Measuring the levels of proteins related to antimicrobial immune responses in the vaginal fluids of pregnant individuals helps predict those at higher risk of giving birth early.

Gene family of thousands

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 14:44:13 +0000

Zebrafish have many more immune system genes than previously thought.

Evading the immune system

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

A protein from human cytomegalovirus interacts with HLA-I molecules to prevent the immune system from detecting infected cells.

Walk this way

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 10:21:52 +0000

‘Digital insoles’ with embedded motion and pressure sensors are a promising new tool to better diagnose and monitor disorders of the bones, muscles, and joints.

Facing the right direction

Thu, 30 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Mathematical modelling reveals why the neurons responsible for tracking the direction of the head during flight are connected in a certain way in insects.

Editing a vaccine

Tue, 28 May 2024 11:01:44 +0000

A modified version of the tuberculosis BCG vaccine is more effective at protecting mice against the infection than the original vaccine.

What does it take to hunt together?

Tue, 07 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Computer simulations based on artificial intelligence shed light on whether high-level cognitive processes are required for collaborative hunting.

Prostate cancer treatment and body composition

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

A clinical trial shows a link between the levels of a circulating hormone and changes of body composition in prostate cancer patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy.

Investigating blood cancer relapses

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Acute myeloid leukemia cells can become resistant to cancer treatment without gaining new DNA mutations by changing which parts of the DNA are active.

One drug, many outcomes

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Responses to ketamine can vary greatly among individuals, which may explain why it is ineffective at treating some patients with depression.

Sniffing out O-GlcNAcylated proteins

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

A tool for identifying which proteins in the fruit fly brain have undergone a chemical change known as O-GlcNAcylation reveals how this process may impact olfactory learning.

Understanding autism

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 16:40:59 +0000

Experiments using cells from people with different types of autism spectrum disorders reveal shared disruption of fundamental developmental processes and a key signaling pathway.

Cutting too soon

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 17:00:12 +0000

Inhibiting the activity of a self-cleaving ribozyme increases the levels of a protein important for learning and memory.

Reducing kidney harm from traditional medicine

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 17:34:17 +0000

A mouse study reveals that increasing the levels of a protein called PSTPIP2 can protect the kidney from a compound found in herbal remedies.

Anti-cancer drug

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 17:26:08 +0000

A new form of the drug triptolide kills pancreatic cancer cells in mice with fewer side effects than the original molecule.

Modelling motion with RatInABox

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Researchers have developed RatInABox, a computational toolkit to build models for the brain’s role in navigational behaviour.

Computational schizophrenia

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

A model of neural circuits reveals how disrupting connections within these networks can affect wider patterns of brain activity.

Violent games, violent brains?

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 07:30:09 +0000

New evidence helps to better understand how violence in video games may affect empathy.

Who will be on the move?

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 15:31:08 +0000

A new machine learning algorithm can help identify whether oral cancer will spread.

Opportunistic microbes

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 14:35:55 +0000

Traits that help yeast and other microbes survive in their natural environment may also enable the microbes to cause opportunistic infections in animals.

Clearing the debris

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Single-cell RNA sequencing sheds new light on how immune cells remove dead cells from wounds in mice and humans.

Regulating LRRK2

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 10:31:53 +0000

A newly discovered Rab12-dependent mechanism helps to recruit and increase the activity of an enzyme involved in Parkinson’s disease at the membrane of lysosomes.

Investigating antifungal tolerance

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 16:42:46 +0000

A refined single-cell sequencing technique provides insight into how pathogenic fungi respond to drugs.

A non-winning combination

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 14:01:13 +0000

Malaria parasites can rapidly evolve resistance to treatment containing two different drugs that both inhibit the DHODH enzyme.

Old drugs, new tricks

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 11:13:35 +0000

A family of drugs used to treat patients with osteoporosis may be linked with a reduced risk of COVID-19, a preliminary study shows.

Obesity and grey matter

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 15:14:21 +0000

Analysing 30,000 MRI scans of the human brain provides new insights into the connections between obesity and parts of the brain involved in cognition.

The journey to adult sleep

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Comparing the brains of children, teenagers and adults provides insights into how two patterns of electrical activity that occur during sleep become coupled together.

Fighting pancreatic cancer

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Early pancreatic cancer symptoms may be nonspecific and occur in an unpredictable order, but a study suggests mining electronic health data may help clinicians find early warning signs.

Beyond breathing

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 15:20:14 +0000

Subgroups of neurons in the brain that controls breathing can be manipulated to control other processes, including heart rate and blood pressure.

A spoonful of (UDP)-sugar

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Combining computational and lab-based methods helps to identify how certain carbohydrates activate an important class of cell receptors involved in the immune response.

Bile-sensing bacteria

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 15:36:45 +0000

Unraveling how the bacterium that causes cholera senses and responds to bile acid in the human gut may help scientists develop new treatment and prevention strategies.

The eye of the beholder

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Retinas in awake mice respond more quickly and strongly than isolated tissue samples, highlighting the importance of studying them in live animals.

Secondary cancer connections

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Certain types of cancers may be linked with an increased risk of developing a second cancer in another tissue.