News by Subject Biology

A stem cell biologist from City University of Hong Kong (CityU), together with his collaborators, has developed a novel strategy, called in vivo priming, to 'train' the stem cells to stay strong after implantation to the damaged heart via the 3D-printed bandage-like patch. The positive results of the study show that an in vivo priming strategy can be an effective means to enhance cardiac repair.

Identifying interventions that improve vaccine efficacy in older persons is vital to deliver healthy ageing for an ageing population. Immunologists at the Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK, have identified a route for counteracting the age-related loss of two key immune cell types by using genital wart cream to boost immune response to vaccination in aged mice. After this validation in mice, the findings offer an attractive intervention to tailor the make-up of vaccines for older people.

In the current situation when the fear of virus infections in the public is common, it is good to remember that some viruses can be extremely beneficial for mankind, even save lives. Such viruses, phages, infect bacteria. The research conducted at the University of Jyväskylä shed some light on the phage therapy history. It revealed that Brazil was a strong user and developer of phage therapy in 1920-40's. The research was published in Lancet Infectious Diseases -publication on March 2020.

Columbia scientists have provided new insights into how mutations in a gene called TBK1 cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that robs patients of movement, speech and ultimately, their lives. The researchers found that ALS-associated mutations in TBK1 can have both positive and negative effects on the progression of disease in mice genetically modified to have ALS-like symptoms.