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The transition from the esophagus to the stomach is a delicate region from a medical point of view, often associated with pathological disorders leading to cancer. An international research team has now gained new insights into this region. These pave the way for new prevention and treatment options.

Bonn researchers develop method for three-dimensional image processing to solve the mystery of kidney inflammation Many kidney diseases are manifested by protein in the urine. However, until now it was not possible to determine whether the protein excretion is caused by only a few, but severely damaged, or by many moderately damaged of the millions of small kidney filters, known as glomeruli.

A hug can have a beneficial effect. Even when it comes from a robot. Touch can do a lot of good - so far, so good. But to what extent do humans benefit from it? How much touch is allowed? Who should touch and where? When we experience physical contact - does it even have to be with another human? A research team from Bochum, Duisburg-Essen and Amsterdam analyzed over 130 international studies with around 10,000 participants to answer these questions.

A hug can have a soothing effect. Even if it comes from a robot . Touch can do a lot of good - so far, so good. But to what extent do people benefit from it? How much touch is allowed? Who should touch and where? Does it even have to be another person with whom we come into physical contact? A research team from Bochum, Duisburg-Essen and Amsterdam analyzed over 130 international studies with around 10,000 participants to answer these questions.

Researchers from the Institute of Experimental Molecular Imaging at RWTH Aachen University publish results on the identification of suitable tumor patients in clinical trials for nanoparticle-based cancer therapies . Nanomedical formulations have attracted increasing public attention since the development of coronavirus vaccines.

Viruses need hosts. Whether it's measles, the flu or coronavirus, viral pathogens cannot multiply or infect other organisms without the assistance of their hosts' cellular infrastructure. However, humans are not the only ones affected by viruses: animals, plants and even microorganisms can all serve as hosts.

Virus, plant, fish: three working groups give an insight into their research It is only 80 to 120 nanometers in size, but has a big impact: the influenza virus. The pathogen is usually responsible for the annual flu season by infecting healthy body cells, multiplying in them, being released from the cell again and infecting other cells.

Researchers at Leipzig University and Ulm University have developed a new method to isolate HIV from samples more easily, potentially making it easier to detect infection with the virus. They focus on peptide nanofibrils (PNFs) on magnetic microparticles, a promising tool and hybrid material for targeted binding and separation of viral particles.

Satiety, nausea or anxiety can all lead to a loss of appetite. Delaying eating can be a healthy move by the body to prevent further damage and to gain time for regenerating. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence now identified the circuit in the brain that prevents mice from eating when they feel nauseous.

HIRI scientists have identified a small RNA that influences the sensitivity of the intestinal commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron to certain antibiotics. The intricacies of how intestinal bacteria adapt to their environment have yet to be fully explored.

Candida albicans is a fungus that occurs naturally in the digestive tract of most people. However, the fungus is not always harmless. It can cause mild to severe infections throughout the body. A toxin, Candidalysin, is involved in these infections. It appears to be of central importance in vaginal infections in particular.

Tiny organisms such as bacteria and fungi help to promote the health and function of plant roots. It is commonly assumed that the composition of these microbes is dependent on the properties of the soil. However, an international team of researchers led by the University of Bonn has now discovered when studying different local varieties of maize that the genetic makeup of the plants also helps to influence which microorganisms cluster around the roots.

UV radiation in the sunlight causes sunburn and increases the risk of skin cancer by damaging our DNA but also our RNA. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg, Germany, have now unveiled a cellular shield that protect cells from the harmful effects of damaged RNA caused by ultraviolet radiation.

The toxin Candidalysin of the yeast Candida albicans is incorporated into an unusual protein structure during an infection, the composition of which has so far been a mystery to scientists. Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI) have now succeeded in deciphering the function of this unusual arrangement.

Adhesion GPCRs are a group of G protein-coupled receptors associated with many bodily functions and diseases in humans. Scientists at Leipzig University have discovered a new receptor - which they have named "mayo" - and found that it influences the development of the small intestine and heart function in fruit flies, and that these phenomena may also be relevant in humans.

Even if they attack the same target in the bacterial cell, the cellular response to different antibiotics can vary. There is an urgent need for new antimicrobial strategies to keep pathogens in check. This applies specifically to Gram-negative bacteria, which are protected from antibiotic intervention by a thick second membrane.

Ribosomes, the "translation factories" of the cell, are cellular organelles that play a central role in protein synthesis, a vital process for all living organisms. These tiny structures themselves consist of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and proteins and are essential for the survival and normal functioning of the cell, as the proteins they produce are required for nearly all cellular processes, including structure, function, and regulation.

Freiburg research team discovers mega-protein complex with surprising properties in mitochondria Mitochondria provide the majority of the body's energy supply and are considered the power plants of the cells. The energy comes from cellular respiration, in which metabolic products are burned in the inner mitochondrial membrane.

Every year, more than 20,000 people in Germany die from blood cancer. In children, blood cancer is even the most common type of cancer. Donations of stem cells from bone marrow or blood increase the chance of survival for people suffering from leukemia or other forms of blood cancer. However, it can take years between the registration of those willing to donate and their actual donation.

Research teams from Leipzig and Magdeburg have taken a significant step towards the prevention of acute kidney disease. Under the leadership of Berend Isermann, Professor of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics at the University of Leipzig and Peter Mertens, Director of the University Clinic for Kidney and Hypertension Diseases, Diabetology and Endocrinology in Magdeburg, a new type of protective system has been identified in the kidney.