News & HighlightsNews
Scientists identify genetic factors that may cause some people to become obese
New research on leptin, a hormone that regulates appetite, reveals a previously unknown mechanism that may be responsible for at least 10 percent of obesity cases. The findings could help identify individuals with treatable forms of the condition.
Researchers discover a weakness in a rare cancer that could be exploited with drugs
Researchers have identified a rare type of cancer cell that cannot make cholesterol, a key nutrient. By targeting this deficiency, scientists may be able to develop new strategies for treating the disease.
Lysin therapy offers new hope for fighting drug-resistant bacteria
Increasingly, bacteria do not succumb to antibiotics. Rockefeller researchers have developed a new class of antimicrobial drug, lysin, with one compound showing promising results in a clinical trial—suggesting that an alternative to antibiotics may be on the horizon.
First mapping of cells in the early human placenta to advance research on problem pregnancies
Scientists have made the first comprehensive inventory of cells present in the human placenta of the first trimester, a stage when many pregnancy complications are thought to arise. The findings could fuel new research on conditions such as preeclampsia and pre-term birth.
Genetic mutation identified as culprit in rare infectious disease
Researchers have uncovered the genetic factors that make some people susceptible to Whipple's disease, an intestinal inflammatory disorder that causes diarrhea, pain, and weight loss.
Sohail Tavazoie promoted to professor
Sohail Tavazoie, a physician-scientist who studies the genes that regulate a tumor’s ability to metastasize, has been promoted to professor.
From infection-dodging stem cells, new tactics for research on viral disease
Among other superpowers, stem cells have a knack for fending off viruses like dengue and zika. Scientists have gained new insight into these curious defense strategies—knowledge they say could fuel the development of drugs against a range of diseases.
Scientists caution that a rare childhood liver cancer can spread to the brain
A new report details three cases of secondary brain tumors in people with fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma. The researchers say imaging tests could improve treatment for patients whose cancer spreads to the brain from the liver.
In brief: Tweaking RNA protects cells from harmful inflammation
New research has helped explain what goes wrong in Aicardi-Goutières syndrome, a rare brain disorder. Patients with the disease have genetic abnormalities that may put their cells at risk of accidentally triggering an antiviral response.
In brief: Mutation explains why some people are more vulnerable to viral brain infection
Scientists identified mutations in a single gene that impair immunity to viruses in a region of the brain called the brain stem.
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