Health & Fitness

A new study is causing fresh doubts about the safety of genetically modified crops. The research found Bt toxin, which is present in many GM crops, in human blood.

Bt toxin makes crops toxic to pests, but it has been claimed that the toxin poses no danger to the environment and human health; the argument was that the protein breaks down in the human gut. But the presence of the toxin in human blood shows that this does not happen.

India Today reports:

“Scientists ... have detected the insecticidal protein ...  circulating in the blood of pregnant as well as non-pregnant women. They have also detected the toxin in fetal blood, implying it could pass on to the next generation.”

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Researchers found that glatiramer acetate, a prescription drug currently used to treat patients with multiple sclerosis, improved memory in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

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Scientists have found that a process in cells may limit infectivity of SARS-CoV-2, and that mutations in the alpha and delta variants overcome this effect, potentially boosting the virus's ability to spread.

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New data shows how inflammatory reactions can be resolved by changes to the metabolism of macrophages. Danger signals released by damaged cells during inflammation play a role during this process. 'Rewiring' the mitochondria in the macrophages protects them against overloading and can thus improve the way in which parts of damaged cells are eliminated and resolve the inflammatory reaction.

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Using cutting-edge genetic engineering, researchers have developed a model to study hereditary kidney disease with the help of tropical frogs. The method allows them to collect large amounts of data on anomalies, which can then be analyzed using artificial intelligence. The research opens up new opportunities in the search for new treatment approaches for the hitherto incurable disease.

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Researchers have identified several metabolites in the blood whose levels are altered by coffee consumption. Levels of 3 of these coffee-related metabolites were significantly associated with individuals' risk of developing chronic kidney disease.

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What can sponges tell us about the evolution of the brain? Sponges have the genes involved in neuronal function in higher animals. But if sponges don't have brains, what is the role of these? Scientists imaged the sponge digestive chamber to find out.

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Tackling pollution from the emission of nitrogen compounds, particularly ammonia, could reduce many of the 23.3 million years of life that were lost prematurely across the world in 2013 due to nitrogen-related air pollution, an international study has discovered using a modeling framework.

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It is essential for cells to control precisely which of the many genes of their genetic material they use. This is done in so-called transcription factories, molecular clusters in the nucleus. Researchers have now found that the formation of transcription factories resembles the condensation of liquids. Their findings will improve the understanding of causes of diseases and advance the development of DNA-based data storage systems.

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A new study has identified an RNA molecule that suppresses prostate tumors. The scientists found that prostate cancers develop ways to shut down this RNA molecule to allow themselves to grow. According to the new research -- conducted in mice implanted with human prostate tumor samples -- restoring this so-called long noncoding RNA could be a new strategy to treat prostate cancer that has developed resistance to hormonal therapies.

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Researchers have discovered a new approach for using visible-light to structurally modify bioactive molecules in chemical reactions, providing a possible sustainable alternative to traditional methods that could be used in the design and production of new medicines.

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Need another reason to cut back on sugary foods and drinks, apart from an expanding waistline? They're not helping the environment, contributing to a higher cropland, water scarcity and ecological footprint, according to a new review.

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As the latest Call of Duty video game is released in the UK today, and with Battlefield 2042 and a remastered Grand Theft Auto trilogy to follow later this month, new research finds no evidence that violence increases after a new video game is released.

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A new study reveals that pets can be infected with the alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2, which was first detected in southeast England and is commonly known as the UK variant or B.1.1.7.

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Researchers are optimizing polymer-coated nanoparticles to increase their permeability across this barrier and consequently the delivery of encapsulated drugs in the brain.

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