According to the public databases, there are currently approximately 1,900 locations  in the human genome that produce microRNAs (miRNAs), the small and powerful non-coding molecules that regulate numerous cellular processes by reducing the abundance of their targets.  New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) this week adds another roughly 3,400 such locations to that list. Many of the miRNA molecules that are produced from these newly discovered locations are tissue-specific and also human-specific. The finding has big implications for research into how miRNAs drive disease.

Study in mice could lead to better treatment and prevention for humans.

A specialist x-ray machine used by Northampton General Hospital for the treatment of skin cancer has been upgraded thank to collaboration with the Open University.

The current outbreak of the plague in Madagascar shines a light on the need for new approaches to treat the ancient pathogen. A new UNC study unexpectedly unravels a long-held theory on how a fleabite leads to infection.

Scientists from UNC-Chapel Hill have created a new way to investigate epigenetic mechanisms important in diseases ranging from Alzheimer’s to cancers.

Technique could allow study of viral infections, cell division and photosynthesis in new detail.

With a low price tag and mild flavor, tilapia has become a staple dinnertime fish for many Americans. Now it could have another use: helping to heal our wounds.

A Washington University in St. Louis drug discovery program has received three grants totaling more than $5 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop new therapeutics for respiratory diseases. The target illnesses range from the common cold to life-threatening lung disease. 

Experiments at SLAC that help explain bacterial adaptive defenses could aid in disease prevention.

Most identifiable bacteria are harmless, but a few are linked to disease or are treatment-resistant.

Many people imagine robots today as clunky, metal versions of humans, but scientists are forging new territory in the field of 'soft robotics.' One of the latest advances is a flexible, microscopic hand-like gripper. The development could help doctors perform remotely guided surgical procedures or perform biopsies.

Compounds in red wine improve fat burning, especially in the liver, and may improve overall liver function