Cardiovascular disease continues to lead as the primary cause of death across the globe, taking millions of lives every year. Damage caused by these diseases is particularly difficult to repair, since the heart has minimal ability to regenerate itself. But what if we could reprogram the body’s own cells to restore damaged tissue? This question has been tackled by scientists at Korea University, led by Dr. Myeong-Hwa Song.

Everyone knows the health risks of carrying too much fat around the waist and hips, but UVA Health scientists are developing a noninvasive way to assess the health risks of unseen fat around the heart.

Giving more blood to anemic patients after a heart attack may save lives, according to a Rutgers Health–led study. The study, published in NEJM Evidence, affirms research conducted in 2023 that suggested mortality rate or recurrent heart attacks were more frequent in anemic patients who received less blood.

A new gene editing tool that helps cellular machinery skip parts of genes responsible for diseases has been applied to reduce the formation of amyloid-beta plaque precursors in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign report.

Researchers with the Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY Graduate Center (CUNY ASRC) have unveiled a critical mechanism that links cellular stress in the brain to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

A discovery has highlighted lithium—a drug long used to treat bipolar disorder and depression—as a potential therapy for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This research, conducted by a team at the Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) led by Director Kim Eunjoon, reveals that lithium can restore brain function and alleviate behavioral symptoms in animal models of ASD caused by mutations in the Dyrk1a gene.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in individuals over 65, characterized by abnormal changes in the macular, resulting in reduced vision and distorted objects. Dry AMD accounts for 90% of all AMD cases, with relatively mild vision impairment; however, approximately 30% progress to the severe vision loss associated with wet AMD within 10 years.

Whenever a sink overflows, the flooding is usually caused by a blockage that has built up in the drains. Similarly, as we age, our bodies are flooded by aging, or senescent cells, which have stopped dividing but, instead of dying, remain active and build up in body tissues. Recent studies have shown that getting rid of these cells might delay age-related diseases, reduce inflammation and extend lives. Despite the great potential, however, there is currently no drug that can target these cells directly and efficiently.