Interleukin-12 -- a messenger molecule of immune cells -- was long considered to trigger the development of psoriasis. Now, researchers have shown that interleukin-12 does not actually cause the skin disease but protects against it. This also explains why common psoriasis drugs that block the messenger show insufficient treatment efficacy.

A new model sheds light on the function of a protein that is a major player in cancer growth, and their results could one day help researchers determine better ways to stop the spread of cancer.

A Hox gene, a major developmental gene that regulates the identity of structures on the segments of black-tailed bumblebees (Bombus melanopygus), turns on a complex set of downstream genes that ultimately drive segmental changes in bumblebees’ pigmentation, according to new research. Bumblebees exhibit exceptional color diversity, with the approximately 260 species displaying more than 400 [...]

By generating a specific mutation in lab mice, researchers determined that a protein domain in an enzyme called adenosine deaminase 1 p150 is necessary for binding and editing certain RNA molecules. Mutant mice showed inhibited growth after birth, as well as abnormally developed organs. Interestingly, their brains showed characteristics similar to encephalopathy seen in humans suffering from Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS), a genetic inflammatory disorder. This work could help revolutionize treatment methods for AGS.

The discovery could pave the way for advances in electronics, energy storage and sustainability.

Researchers have successfully trialed two new qPCR assays to help detect the presence of transmissible AMR using water and wastewater samples. The scientists present a DNA-based testing method that provides a surrogate for monitoring AMR, which will make AMR screening cheaper and more accessible around the world.

Researchers working with primary care patients in China have discovered that a simple questionnaire and airflow measurement test could identify adults suffering with undiagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new study reveals.

Researchers have found that two populations of stem cells in the lung multiply during and after a viral respiratory infection, sometimes triggering a detrimental remodeling process that can cause persistent lung disease long after the virus has been cleared.

Increased air pollution in recent years has exacerbated health risks for people who suffer from pulmonary diseases and these dynamics underscore the importance of increasing the efficacy of drug delivery devices that administer active pharmaceutical ingredients to treat respiratory illnesses. Researchers describe developing a computational evaluation of drug delivery through both pressurized metered-dose inhalers and dry powder inhalers to determine how the process can be improved.

Inhibiting necroptosis, a form of cell death, could yield a new treatment approach for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an inflammatory lung condition also known as emphysema, new research shows. The study revealed elevated levels of necroptosis in patients with COPD. By inhibiting necroptosis activity in the lung tissue of COPD patients the researchers found a significant reduction in chronic airway inflammation and lung damage.