ScienceDaily

In most people, the lung-infecting pathogens known as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) trigger mild cold-like symptoms. But in infants and seniors, these viruses can cause severe pneumonia and even death. Vaccines against both viruses, however, have been difficult to design. Now, scientists have analyzed the structure and stability of a critical RSV and hMPV protein to better design vaccines that target it.

A research team found that Creativity Camp, a two-week arts intervention delivered as a day camp, had a positive impact on mental health and well-being in adolescents with depression.

A new nasal whooping cough vaccine showed an ability to prevent both infection and transmission of the disease in mice. Current vaccines offer treatment but fail to halt transmission of the bacteria that cause the disease.

New research now can identify more proteins, or biomarkers, in blood plasma, including those linked to specific diseases like cancer. By identifying these biomarkers earlier, medical researchers can create better diagnostic tests and drugs that target diseases sooner, improving patient outcomes.

When pain signals are passed along the nervous system, proteins called calcium channels play a key role. Researchers have now pinpointed the exact location of a specific calcium channel fine-tuning the strength of pain signals. This knowledge can be used to develop drugs for chronic pain that are more effective and have fewer side effects.

Researchers have used machine learning and supercomputer simulations to investigate how tiny gold nanoparticles bind to blood proteins. The studies discovered that favorable nanoparticle-protein interactions can be predicted from machine learning models that are trained from atom-scale molecular dynamics simulations. The new methodology opens ways to simulate efficacy of gold nanoparticles as targeted drug delivery systems in precision nanomedicine.

New research has found that a flavanol-rich cocoa drink can protect the body’s vasculature against stress even after eating high-fat food.

The mechanisms underlying skin renewal are still poorly understood. Interleukin-38 (IL-38), a protein involved in regulating inflammatory responses, could be a game changer. A team has observed it for the first time in the form of condensates in keratinocytes, the cells of the epidermis. The presence of IL-38 in these aggregates is enhanced close to the skin’s surface exposed to atmospheric oxygen. This process could be linked to the initiation of programmed keratinocyte death, a natural process in the epidermis. This study could bring new perspectives for the study of human epidermis and the illnesses that affect it.

A new study found that specific insecticides, called neonicotinoids, were found at high concentrations in some ground and surface water sources that could affect drinking water.

A new study found that policies to curtail the use of single-use plastic bags in grocery stores and other retail outlets in Austin and Dallas, Texas, resulted in people buying more plastic bags, a behavior that continued after the rules were no longer in place.