Ancient DNA present in humans may be linked to major psychiatric disorders like depression, researchers have said. DNA sequences originating from ancient infections are found in the brain, with some contributing to susceptibility for conditions like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression, a study found. About 8% of the genome (the complete set of DNA) is made ... Read More »
Scientists Discover Atmosphere on Super Earth Planet that Could Pave Way for Life
A thick atmosphere has been detected around a planet that’s twice as big as Earth in a nearby solar system, researchers said. The so-called super Earth — known as 55 Cancri e — is among the few rocky planets outside our solar system with a significant atmosphere, wrapped a blanket ... Read More »
Two Nights Of Broken Sleep Can Make People Feel Years Older
Two nights of broken sleep are enough to make people feel years older, according to researchers, who said consistent, restful slumber was a key factor in helping to stave off feeling one’s true age. Psychologists in Sweden found that, on average, volunteers felt more than four years older when they ... Read More »
Breast Cancer Drug Breakthrough Could Benefit Women Regardless Of Their Age
Treating patients who have a common form of breast cancer with immunotherapy, as well as chemotherapy, before and after surgery could be effective regardless of their age or if they have gone through the menopause, according to a study. Pembrolizumab, sold under the brand name Keytruda, targets and blocks a specific protein on the surface of certain ... Read More »
Scientists Divided Over Whether Record Heat Is Acceleration Of Climate Crisis
Record temperatures in 2024 on land and at sea have prompted scientists to question whether these anomalies are in line with predicted global heating patterns or if they represent a concerning acceleration of climate breakdown. Heat above the oceans remains persistently, freakishly high, despite a weakening of El Niño, which has ... Read More »
Two New Rare Covid Vaccine Side Effects Revealed By Global Study of Over 99 Million People
A global study of over 99 million people across eight countries has identified two new harmful but very rare side effects of Covid-19 vaccines, an advance that could lead to better health monitoring of immunised people. Researchers part of an international collaboration called the Global Vaccine Data Network (GVDN) hosted at the University of Auckland ... Read More »
Tiny Lab-Made Proteins ‘Hold Great Promise’ to Treat Alzheimer’s
A breakthrough with a new class of lab-made proteins “holds great promise” in enhancing the body’s defence against neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study. These lab-made protein polymers can enhance the body’s antioxidant response, known to be crucial for protection against many debilitating neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and ... Read More »
Scientists Find 85 Planets That Could Be Home To Alien Life
Astronomers have found 85 possible planets that could be home to alien life. The distant worlds – which themselves are not yet confirmed – are thought to have temperatures that would make them cool enough to sustain life, the scientists who find them say. The exoplanets are similar in size to Jupiter, Saturn ... Read More »
New Drug Offers Hope to Patients With Life-Threatening Heart Condition
People diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition have been given fresh hope thanks to a ground-breaking new drug, researchers say. A study shows that patients with transthryretin amyloid cardiomyopathy, (ATTR-CM), now the most commonly diagnosed form of amyloidosis (protein build up in the body), benefited significantly when they took the drug ... Read More »
Earth On Verge Of Five Catastrophic Climate Tipping Points, Scientists Warn
Many of the gravest threats to humanity are drawing closer, as carbon pollution heats the planet to ever more dangerous levels, scientists have warned. Five important natural thresholds already risk being crossed, according to the Global Tipping Points report, and three more may be reached in the 2030s if the world ... Read More »