https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. All over the body are tiny sensors called nociceptors whose job is to spot potentially harmful stimuli and send warning signals to the brain and spinal cord, helping protect us from injury or tissue damage. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-scientists-artificial-pain-receptor-intensity.html Materials Science Sun, 18 Jan 2026 13:10:01 EST news687625645 Using simulations, robots, and live fish, scientists at EPFL and Duke University have replicated the neural circuitry that allows zebrafish to react to visual stimuli and maintain their position in flowing water. They provide a complete picture of how brain circuits, body mechanics, and the environment work together to control behavior. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-roboticists-reverse-zebrafish-sensorimotor.html Plants & Animals Wed, 22 Oct 2025 13:18:22 EDT news680357887 Studying the process of brain formation illuminates just how much of development is a series of tiny miracles. Only a few weeks after a human egg is fertilized, a sheet of cells called the neural plate widens, stretches and rolls up to create a tube. This delicate dance of cells forms what will become our brain and spinal cord, the basis for our thoughts, feelings and actions. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-scientists-cells-brain.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 21 Aug 2025 15:09:24 EDT news675007754 A team of researchers at Rowan University has developed an injectable biomaterial that could significantly improve recovery outcomes following spinal cord injuries. The study, recently published in the journal Biomaterials, introduces a multifunctional hydrogel system designed to address the complex biological environment that hinders regeneration in the central nervous system. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-biomaterial-dual-therapies-nerve-spinal.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 30 Jun 2025 12:19:04 EDT news670504741 Research teams have created a versatile set of gene delivery systems that can reach different neural cell types in the human brain and spinal cord with exceptional accuracy. These delivery systems are a significant step toward future precise gene therapy for the brain that could safely control errant brain activity with high precision. In contrast, current therapies for brain disorders mostly treat only symptoms. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-scientists-gene-delivery-cells-brain.html Biotechnology Thu, 22 May 2025 13:11:37 EDT news667138289 The axolotl is renowned for its extensive ability to regenerate organs and body parts, including its spinal cord. Studies on spinal cord regeneration, however, have focused on axolotl cells next to an injury site, leaving the brain's role in regeneration a relative mystery. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-axolotl-tail-injury-distant-neurons.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 22 May 2025 13:11:23 EDT news667138273 Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a technique that enables efficient delivery of therapeutic proteins and RNA to cells. The method, published in Nature Communications, shows promising results in animal studies to deliver gene editors and protein therapeutics. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-extracellular-vesicles-delivery-advanced-medicines.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 30 Apr 2025 12:22:03 EDT news665234521 Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a relatively rare but very serious disease of the nervous system. A cure is not yet possible. ALS slowly destroys the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord responsible for voluntary muscle control. The result is progressive muscle paralysis, leaving many patients wheelchair dependent. As the disease progresses, individuals find it increasingly difficult to speak, swallow, and breathe. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-cellular-protein-aggregation-neurodegenerative-disease.html Biochemistry Thu, 17 Apr 2025 14:19:59 EDT news664118396 In vertebrates, the skeleton of different regions of the body arises from different precursor cells. Researchers at the University of Basel have now discovered that these skeletal cells do not just differ in their developmental origin, but also in their gene regulation—which may be a key to the vertebrates' evolutionary success story. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-cartilage-bone-paths-skeleton-formation.html Evolution Thu, 27 Mar 2025 12:45:06 EDT news662298301 Converting one type of cell to another—for example, a skin cell to a neuron—can be done through a process that requires the skin cell to be induced into a "pluripotent" stem cell, then differentiated into a neuron. Researchers at MIT have now devised a simplified process that bypasses the stem cell stage, converting a skin cell directly into a neuron. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-skin-cells-neurons-cell-therapy.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 13 Mar 2025 11:00:09 EDT news661066073 Sister cells are a pair of cells that share the same mother cell. In a new study published in Developmental Cell, researchers led by Université de Montréal (UdeM) professor Greg FitzHarris show how the early mouse embryo gets rid of the defective or unneeded cells in pairs. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-sister-cells-fate-cytoplasmic-bridge.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 25 Feb 2025 12:31:02 EST news659709061 From the very moment an egg is fertilized, life begins with a remarkable process: cells start dividing and replicating to make copies of themselves. Yet this process is not flawless. Errors can occur when genetic material is copied, creating "unfit" cells that don't work properly. To keep development on track, cells employ a fascinating quality control system called cell competition. However, much about this mechanism remains unclear. https://phys.org/news/2024-12-foxo3-protein-unfit-cells-healthy.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 17 Dec 2024 11:37:04 EST news653657821 A team of scientists led by Professor Annette Beck-Sickinger from the Institute of Biochemistry at Leipzig University has made an important advance in pain relief research. They discovered that hederagenin, a naturally occurring substance found in the medicinal plant ivy, binds to the pain regulation receptor. Extracts of ivy (Hedera helix) have antispasmodic and analgesic effects in phytomedicine. https://phys.org/news/2024-12-pain-relief-naturally-hederagenin-receptor.html Biochemistry Mon, 09 Dec 2024 11:46:02 EST news652967161 Northwestern Medicine scientists have uncovered new details about how the spinal column forms in developing vertebrates, according to a study published in Developmental Cell. https://phys.org/news/2024-12-zebrafish-insights-spinal-column.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 02 Dec 2024 15:52:41 EST news652377153 When a vertebrate embryo develops, a group of cells self-organizes into the neural tube, eventually becoming the brain and the spinal cord. This involves specific signals, but how these signals are interpreted by developing cells remains unclear. A team of researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) now has more insights—thanks to miniature 2D organs and rubbery silicone molds. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-tissue-temporally.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 27 Nov 2024 12:30:04 EST news651933001 A team of neurobiologists at Harvard Medical School's Howard Hughes Medical Institute has uncovered the neural mechanism involved in the unique way hairy animals such as dogs shake themselves when wet. In their study published in the journal Science, the group applied oils to the necks of mice while looking for a response from several mechanosensory neurons. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-dogs-biologists-neural-mechanism-hairy.html Plants & Animals Fri, 08 Nov 2024 11:10:01 EST news650286178 Octopuses are fascinating. Their eight arms gracefully whip through water and can accomplish extraordinary tasks like using tools and opening jars. While humans have one spinal cord attached to their brain, in octopuses, it's almost like each arm has its own spinal cord (minus the actual spine) and nervous system. These arms can even initiate a response without consulting the brain. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-unique-3d-mysteries-octopus-arms.html Plants & Animals Wed, 23 Oct 2024 16:45:00 EDT news648920682 Researchers from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) and the College of Engineering are collaborating on a project that uses harmless strains of E. coli bacteria to disrupt the bacteria responsible for urinary tract infections (UTIs). The new project aims to develop special, slow-release gels that will disperse the helpful bacteria and provide relief for people who develop UTIs frequently. The paper is published in the journal Infection and Immunity. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-harmless-strain-coli-bacteria-urinary.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 18 Sep 2024 12:33:14 EDT news645881585 Alternative splicing is a genetic process where different segments of genes are removed, and the remaining pieces are joined together during transcription to messenger RNA (mRNA). This mechanism increases the diversity of proteins that can be generated from genes, by assembling sections of genetic code into different combinations. This is believed to enhance biological complexity by allowing genes to produce different versions of proteins, or protein isoforms, for many different uses. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-cells-alternative-splicing-gene.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 02 Sep 2024 05:00:01 EDT news644242810 Zebrafish are members of a rarefied group of vertebrates capable of fully healing a severed spinal cord. A clear understanding of how this regeneration takes place could provide clues toward strategies for healing spinal cord injuries in people. Such injuries can be devastating, causing permanent loss of sensation and movement. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-zebrafish-strategy-regrow-spinal-cord.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 15 Aug 2024 05:00:01 EDT news642847292 A team of neurobiologists at Howard Hughes Medical Institute has taken a closer look at Krause corpuscles and learned more about their role in the sexual behavior of mice. In their study, published in the journal Nature, the group analyzed the nerve structure in both the penis and clitoris in mice. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-closer-role-krause-corpuscles-play.html Plants & Animals Wed, 26 Jun 2024 10:20:02 EDT news638614841 Bodybuilders and cellular mechanisms agree generating protein is a heavy lift. To complete the task, cells rely on complexes called spliceosomes. These molecular machines snip extra bits out of our genes' RNA copies and piece together precise instructions for protein-building. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-spliceosomes-technique-tracks-proteins-involved.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 10 Jun 2024 10:33:42 EDT news637234419 Figuring out a better way to connect nerve cells to bioelectronics will be the next technological leap in health care, and the Neurobiological Interfaces Lab at Binghamton University is at the forefront of research on the topic. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-hydrogel-chemistry-microfabrication-miniaturize-components.html Polymers Tue, 21 May 2024 15:30:43 EDT news635524240 A team of researchers has recently demonstrated the utility of employing a previously established screening system to probe the interactions between small molecules and RNA. Their study is published in Communications Chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-probing-small-molecule-rna-interactions.html Biochemistry Tue, 21 May 2024 10:17:57 EDT news635505473 Researchers from Bochum and Dortmund have created an artificial cell environment that could promote the regeneration of nerves. Usually, injuries to the brain or spinal cord don't heal easily due to the formation of fluid-filled cavities and scars that prevent tissue regeneration. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-scientists-positively-hydrogels-survival-growth.html Biochemistry Tue, 20 Feb 2024 09:31:10 EST news627643868 A protective mineral coating identified by University of Wisconsin–Madison biomedical engineering researchers could allow powerful messenger RNA therapeutics like COVID-19 vaccines to be stored at room temperature, making them more accessible to lower-resourced communities across the world. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-mineral-coatings-enable-shelf-stable-mrna.html Biochemistry Wed, 20 Dec 2023 08:10:06 EST news622282201 A Johns Hopkins materials scientist and a team of collaborators have developed a tiny device that may hold promise for restoring mobility to those with lower limb paralysis, a condition affecting approximately 1.4 million Americans. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-tiny-spinal-big-impact-paralysis.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 27 Nov 2023 11:39:03 EST news620307541 To carry out all of life's functions, proteins must be produced from instructions carried by genes within DNA and delivered to the cell's protein-making machinery by messenger RNA. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-scientists-reveal-rna-spliced.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 24 Nov 2023 11:21:03 EST news620047261 Northwestern Medicine scientists have developed a molecular "scaffold" capable of enhancing electrical activity and growth in neurons, which may prove useful in treating spinal cord injuries, according to recent results published in ACS Nano. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-molecular-scaffold-approaches-spinal-cord.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 26 Oct 2023 09:12:04 EDT news617530322 In a new study in mice, a team of researchers from UCLA, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and Harvard University have uncovered a crucial component for restoring functional activity after spinal cord injury. The neuroscientists have shown that re-growing specific neurons back to their natural target regions led to recovery, while random regrowth was not effective. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-scientists-regenerate-neurons-mice-paralysis.html Cell & Microbiology Sat, 23 Sep 2023 14:00:02 EDT news614508471