New cellular player involved in obesity discover

The prevalence of obesity, a disease considered a serious public health problem, is increasing globally. In Portugal, almost half of the population is overweight and close to one million adults suffer from obesity. Known as a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, obesity is associated with chronic inflammation in fat tissues. New strategies to fight this […]

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The brain’s frontal lobe could be involved in chronic pain, according to research

A University of Toronto scientist has discovered the brain’s frontal lobe is involved in pain transmission to the spine. If his findings in animals bear out in people, the discovery could lead to a new class of non-addictive painkillers. For 20 years, Min Zhuo, a professor of physiology in the Faculty of Medicine, has been intrigued by invisible pain, in particular chronic […]

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Changes to specific MicroRNA involved in development of Lou Gehrig’s disease

A new Tel Aviv University study identifies a previously unknown mechanism involved in the development of Lou Gehrig’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The research focuses on a specific microRNA whose levels were found to decrease as a result of ALS-causing muscular mutations. The study highlights, for the first time, the importance of toxic muscle-secreting molecules in the pathology […]

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Study discovers new molecular mechanism likely involved in cancer metastasis

Cancer is most devastating when it metastasizes—when tumor cells break away, travel through the bloodstream, and then attach elsewhere, only to grow another tumor. A significant amount of scientific research has focused on finding ways to prevent metastasis. For some time, scientists have understood that a particular biochemical pathway, known as the PDK1 pathway, is active in metastasizing cancer cells. […]

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