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Stem cells are not only key players in tissue regeneration, they are also capable of taking direct action against bacteria. By actively fighting colonizing bacteria, gastric stem cells protect themselves against damage that can lead to cancer.

Researchers have discovered a mysterious group of neurons in the amygdala -- a key center for emotional processing in the brain -- that stay in an immature, prenatal developmental state throughout childhood

New research funded by Breast Cancer Now has shown that a drug commonly used to treat Type 2 diabetes could make breast cancer cells susceptible to new treatments.

A team led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers says it has identified two protein biomarkers in urine that may one day be used to better diagnose acute interstitial nephritis, an underdiagnosed but treatable kidney disorder that impairs renal function in the short term and can lead to chronic kidney disease, permanent damage or renal failure if left unchecked.

Some MRSA infections could be tackled using widely-available antibiotics, suggests new research. A team of scientists used genome sequencing technology to identify which genes make MRSA susceptible to a previously defined combination of drugs. They identified a number of mutations centered around a protein known as a penicillin-binding protein 2a or PBP2a.

A new study of cells called pericytes in a mouse model of the human brain have suggested that they play a previously unknown role in brain health. Pericytes secrete a substance that keeps neurons alive, even in the presence of leaky blood vessels that foul brain matter and result in cognitive decline.

New research suggests that regular use of certain types of commonly-prescribed drugs used to treat bladder conditions, Parkinson’s disease and depression, could significantly increase the risk of dementia in later life.

In a paper published today in the journal Pain, a Montreal-based research team has shown, for the first time, that there are alterations in the bacteria in the gastrointestinal tracts of people with fibromyalgia.

After identifying altered gut microbiota in young mice with food allergies; an oral therapy was found to replenish bacteria, which also prevented food allergy and suppressed the established disease.

Researchers have pinpointed one specific group of bacteria, called Veillonella, that they found was enriched in the gut microbiome of Boston Marathon runners after completing the 26.2 mile race and in an independent group of 87 elite and Olympic athletes after competitions. Veillonella bacteria isolated from marathon athletes and given to mice increased the animals’ performances in laboratory treadmill tests by 13% compared to control bacteria.