In a step forward for genetic engineering and synthetic biology, researchers have modified a strain of Escherichia coli bacteria to be immune to natural viral infections while also minimizing the potential for the bacteria or their modified genes to escape into the wild.
Now, in a surprising new discovery, Harvard Medical School researchers have found that a class of regulatory T cells (Tregs) made in the gut play a role in repairing injured muscles and mending damaged livers.
In an even more unexpected twist, the researchers found that gut microbes fuel the production of Tregs, which act as immune healers that go on patrol around the body and respond to distress signals from distant sites of injury.
Research in mice shows bacteria hijack communication between nerve and immune cells in the meninges — the protective layers that shield the brain from infection.
Face blindness, a mystifying condition that can trick us into believing we recognize people we’ve never met or make us fail to recognize those we have, has been previously estimated to affect between 2 and 2.5 percent of people in the world.
Now, a new study by researchers at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and the VA Boston Healthcare System is providing fresh insights into the disorder, suggesting it may be more common than currently believed.
Swiss biotech executive, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Ernesto Bertarelli has pledged $75 million through the Bertarelli Foundation to advance basic scientific discovery, therapeutic science, and a culture of entrepreneurship at Harvard Medical School.
New research links history of concussions to elevated risk for high blood pressure among former NFL players . The link between concussion and high blood pressure persisted even after controlling for known hypertension risk factors.
Nationwide study shows integrated health systems yield marginal increases in quality of care with higher costs for medical services, compared with care delivered by independent hospitals and physician practices. Proponents of health system mergers have argued that consolidation brings higher value care.
A $50 million gift from Woburn, Mass.-based Cummings Foundation will build upon and amplify the work of the late Paul Farmer, a champion of global health.
The gift establishes the Paul Farmer Collaborative of Harvard Medical School and the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) in Rwanda. It will be divided equally between the two institutions.
Patients under the care of specialists who trained with the patients’ primary care physicians (PCPs) reported being treated with a more concerned manner, receiving clearer explanations, and experiencing greater engagement in shared decision-making, among other benefits, the study found.
New research suggests that former professional football players may face accelerated aging, despite past research showing they have life spans similar or longer than the general population
In the new study, retired football players reported shorter health spans — defined as years free of disease – than men in the general population
Two age-related diseases — arthritis and dementia — were found more commonly among former football players, compared with men of the same age in the general population
Additionally, hypertension and diabetes were more common among younger former players, those ages 25 to 29, compared with same-age men from the general population.
The results warrant further study to define the biochemical, cellular, and physiologic mechanisms behind premature aging in former football players
Analysis shows steep increases in organ donations, transplantations during large motorcycle rallies. The increase in organ donations and transplantations appears to be driven by well-documented increases in crash-related deaths during large motorcycle rallies.
At a glance:
New open-source data science platform aims to optimize AI-driven drug discovery
Platform can help alleviate challenges of drug discovery, overcome common hurdles in machine-learning design and performance
Platform serves as bridge for computer scientists and life sciences researchers