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Utrophin increase in muscle cells after transcriptional adaptation normalises cell function in Duchenne muscular dystrophy Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a rare hereditary disease with severe consequences such as muscle atrophy. It is caused by some mutations in the dystrophin gene, which results in disrupted gene expression.

Researchers from Basel, Bonn and Paris decipher the surprising role of tiny eye movements Even when we think we can hold our gaze completely still, our eyes make tiny, involuntary movements. While these "fixation movements" should actually impair our vision, a new study shows that they actually help us to recognize fine details more clearly.

In addition to the traditional press releases, Leipzig University provides information on current topics in the form of short news items. This time about two high-ranking research publications from the Faculty of Medicine. More strength in the muscles: Researchers discover new mechanism for male sex hormone Researchers at Leipzig University Medicine and Shandong University in China have discovered a new mechanism by which a male sex hormone, which is essential for muscle and bone function, can exert its effect.

Body weight and body mass index alone say too little about whether someone will develop metabolic disorders. A new atlas of cells in adipose tissue could now help to decipher why some overweight people remain healthy and others do not. The results have been published in the journal Cell Metabolism with the lead participation of Leipzig University Medicine.

People watching videos of sneezing or sick people show increased activity at the junction of brain regions and the immune system that react to potential dangers. At the same time, the concentration of antibodies in their saliva increases. Findings from a study conducted by researchers in the University of Hamburg's Department of Biology indicate that a significant part of the immune system responds even before a pathogen enters the body.

Researchers at Leipzig University Medicine and Shandong University in China have discovered a new mechanism by which a male sex hormone, which is essential for muscle and bone function, can exert its effect. Based on these findings, new drugs with fewer side effects could be developed that are used, for example, to strengthen the muscles of immobile patients.

Researchers from Basel, Bonn and Paris reveal the surprising benefit of tiny eye movements Even when we think we are holding our gaze perfectly still, our eyes make tiny, involuntary movements. While these "fixational eye movements" might seem like they would blur our vision, new research reveals they actually help us see fine details more clearly.

How can nerve pathways in the brain be visualized to improve the planning of complex surgeries? A research team from the Lamarr Institute and the University of Bonn, in collaboration with the Transla

A large proportion of the approximately six million patients in Germany suffering from type 2 diabetes are overweight. The effect of insulin is impaired in these patients. The cause of this insulin resistance has been sought primarily in metabolically active organs for a long time. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim have now shown that the effects of insulin on the innermost cell layer of blood vessels, the endothelium, are of great importance for insulin resistance in fat tissue and muscle.

How does the body regulate the activity of insulin-producing cells in order to react quickly to changing conditions? Researchers at the University of Würzburg have investigated this question. The hormone insulin plays a central role in the metabolism of many living organisms. When food is plentiful, insulin promotes the absorption and storage of energy.

Scientists from DZNE, University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn provide new evidence that preventing brain inflammation is a promising approach for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Their findings, based on studies in cell culture, mice and tissue samples from patients, may contribute to the development of more effective therapies.

An enzyme called Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 5 is a key factor in protein quality in heart muscle cells A disrupted protein degradation process in heart muscle cells can lead to a range of severe heart diseases.

The stillbirth rate in Europe has been steadily improving over the last few decades, but there are some exceptions. In Germany and Belgium, rates have significantly increased since 2010, while other European countries have seen declines or stability. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) have investigated how factors like increasing maternal age and multiple births may have influenced these trends and differences across Europe.

Adhesion GPCRs are a group of cell surface sensors that are associated with many bodily functions and diseases. However, they have not yet been sufficiently investigated in order to use them for therapies. The Collaborative Research Center 1423 at Leipzig University aims to change this. Scientists from the Faculty of Medicine have now developed an innovative numbering system for the GAIN domain, a protein domain that is common to all adhesion GPCRs.

New research shows how cancer develops in children who are predisposed to Wilms' tumor. This could help to predict the development of tumors before they fully form or to develop new, targeted therapies. Wilms' tumor is a form of kidney cancer that mainly affects children under the age of five. In Germany, around 100 children are diagnosed with it every year.

Study Reveals for the First Time That Membrane Tension Regulates Cellular Repair One moment of carelessness and bang - you have cut your finger. It bleeds, but after a while the wound heals by itself. Every day, individual cells in our body also suffer "wounds" in their protective layer, the cell membrane, and have to repair them again.

Researchers from around the world have studied the genome of over 150,000 people with bipolar disorder Genetic factors play a major role in the development of bipolar disorder. In an effort to better understand the underlying biology, researchers are constantly examining the genome of people with bipolar disorder.

An international team led by Harvard University, ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich has revealed in a new study that trust in scientists is at a moderately high level worldwide. The majority of those surveyed would like researchers to be involved in politics and society. Simone Dohle from the Research Laboratory for Health and Risk Communication (HRCL) helped collect the data for Germany.

For the first time, researchers have observed how HIV penetrates the nuclear pores to the genome of human immune cells Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics and the University of Heidelberg have discovered how Hi viruses enter the nucleus of a human cell. The conical protein capsules in which the genetic material of the pathogens is packed accumulate at nuclear pores in human immune cells such as macrophages and pass through them.

Bonn researchers test the use of various large language models to analyze radiological reports Artificial intelligence (AI) and above all large language models (LLMs), which also form the basis for ChatGPT, are increasingly in demand in hospitals. However, patient data must always be protected. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn have now been able to show that local LLMs can help structure radiological findings in a privacy-safe manner, with all data remaining at the hospital.