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Many displaced girls in Uganda trapped in cycles of sexual, physical violence
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Nearly 36% of forcibly displaced adolescent girls and young women living in urban informal settlements in Kampala, Uganda, reported that their first sexual experience was nonconsensual — which, for many, marked the beginning of a cycle of sexual and physical violence perpetrated by their intimate partners or other people, a recent study […]
Study: A cellular protein, FGD3, boosts breast cancer chemotherapy, immunotherapy
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A naturally occurring protein that tends to be expressed at higher levels in breast cancer cells boosts the effectiveness of some anticancer agents, including doxorubicin, one of the most widely used chemotherapies, and a preclinical drug known as ErSO, researchers report. The protein, FGD3, contributes to the rupture of cancer cells disrupted […]
How do bacteria become resistant to antibiotics?
Pathogens like “nightmare bacteria” NDM-CRE become resistant to antibiotics by sharing resistance genes, and education about proper antibiotic stewardship is essential to slowing the spread of resistance, says microbiologist Brenda Wilson.
Monitoring stress from the surface of the body
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Today, my laboratory looks more like a scene from a sci-fi film than a psychology research space. Wires snake across tables, sensors lay carefully arranged on trays, and a bucket of ice water sits in the corner, quietly waiting its turn. This work is part of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s department […]
New AI tool helps match enzymes to substrates
The new AI-powered tool EZSpecificity can help researchers determine how well an enzyme fits with a desired target, helping them find the best enzyme and substrate combination for applications from catalysis to medicine to manufacturing.
What risks does sickness pose in pregnancy?
Infection while pregnant produces inflammatory factors and fever, which have adverse effects on fetal development, says prenatal neurodevelopment expert Adrienne Antonson
Retraining after a lapse in endurance exercise adds to muscle gains, study finds
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — New research offers potential good news for those who’ve lapsed at the gym. The study found that mice that voluntarily ran on an exercise wheel for four weeks, stopped for four weeks and ran again for another four weeks saw unexpected gains. The second bout of wheel running led to a bigger […]
Study identifies hotspots of disease-carrying ticks in Illinois
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Scientists analyzed the distribution of three potentially harmful tick species in Illinois, identifying regions of the state with higher numbers of these ticks and, therefore, at greater risk of infection with multiple tick-borne diseases. The study found that, of the three species tracked, the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, is most prevalent […]
Study: Muscle-building response to weight training differs among high-protein animal foods
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new study tracked the acute muscle-building response in adults engaged in a weight-training exercise who were fed either high-fat or lean ground pork burgers with the same amount of protein in each. The findings surprised the scientists, adding to the evidence that muscle-protein synthesis in response to weight-training and a post-exercise […]
Long-term alcohol use suspends liver cells in limbo, preventing regeneration
Excessive alcohol consumption can disrupt the liver’s unique regenerative abilities by trapping cells in limbo between their functional and regenerative states, even after a patient stops drinking, researchers at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and collaborators found in a new study. This in-between state is a result of inflammation disrupting how RNA is spliced during the protein-making process, the researchers found, providing scientists with new treatment pathways to explore for the deadly disease.
High-volume antibody testing platform could accelerate disease research and treatment development
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Antibodies are the critical targeting agents of the immune system and the crux of immune therapy and vaccine development, but studying them is slow, expensive and labor-intensive. Now, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a new high-volume method that can rapidly build and test large numbers of antibodies at […]
Kidney fibrosis linked to molecule made by gut bacteria
A molecule made by bacteria in the gut can hitch a ride to the kidneys, where it sets off a chain reaction of inflammation, scarring and fibrosis — a serious complication of diabetes and a leading cause of kidney failure — according to a new study from researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Mie University in Japan. The group also developed a new antibody that could counter it.