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Study shows multiple pathways connect early life adversity to later life health Early experiences in an animal's life can have a significant impact on its capacity to thrive, even years or decades later, and DNA methylation may help record their effects. In a study of 256 wild baboons, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and Duke University found that resource limitation during early life was associated with many differences in DNA methylation, a small chemical mark on the DNA sequence that can affect gene activity.

Team involving the University of Freiburg has developed a new method for analyzing the basement membrane in the human lung Metastases are largely responsible for the mortality of patients with solid cancers; the prognosis of cancer patients is significantly reduced when metastases are diagnosed. To date, there are no methods that allow a reliable prediction of the probability of future metastases.

Too much niacin increases the risk of cardiovascular disease Niacin, also known as vitamin B3, is freely available as a dietary supplement . Why do some people have an increased risk of heart attack and stroke even without classic risk factors such as high cholesterol? An international research team has taken an open-ended look at what circulates in the bloodstream of affected people and distinguishes them from others.

A diet based on resistant starch promotes a favorable composition of the gut microbiome in obese people. This leads to weight reduction and measurable positive health outcomes such as improved insulin sensitivity. These were the findings of an international research team led by Professor Weiping Jia from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Professor Aimin Xu from the University of Hong Kong and Professor Gianni Panagiotou from Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

In Western Europe, the number of children and adolescents who do not identify with their sex assessed at birth and who therefore seek help is rapidly increasing. A recently published updated systematic review evaluates the current evidence on the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex-hormones in minors with gender dysphoria as insufficient, and therefore emphasizes the particular importance of psychological and psychotherapeutic interventions for this vulnerable group.

Bonn researchers find connection between autobiographical memory and aphantasia When people lack visual imagination, this is known as aphantasia. Researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), the University of Bonn and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) investigated how the lack of mental imagery affects long-term memory.

Joint research led by scientists at Freie Universität Berlin reaches another milestone Rocketvax AG, together with the German Research Foundation (DFG), has financially supported a study carried out as part of a joint project of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF, National Research Program "Covid-19," NRP 78) and the German Research Foundation (DFG) "Recoding the SARS-CoV-2 Genome - A Multidisciplinary Approach to Generate Live-Attenuated Coronavirus Vaccines.

Immune cells must learn not to attack the body itself. A team of researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) has discovered a previously unknown mechanism behind this: other immune cells, the B cells, contribute to the "training" of the T cells in the thymus gland.

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, the University Hospital Bonn and the University of Bonn have created an open-source platform known as A-SOiD that can learn and predict user-defined behaviors, just from video. The results of the study have now been published in the journal "Nature Methods".

Microbiologist Bodo Philipp on the adaptability of micro-organisms and the benefits and risks for humans A team headed by Prof. Bodo Philipp and Dr. Johannes Holert from the Institute of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology has found bacteria in Münster's wastewater which can completely decompose a substance called "TRIS" (tris hydroxymethyl aminomethane), and the researchers were able to throw light on the metabolic pathway.

Researchers at the University Hospitals of Dresden and Bonn of the DFG Transregio 237 and from the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation2 at the University of Bonn have made progress clarifying why patients with myotonic dystrophy 2 have a higher tendency to develop autoimmune diseases. Their goal is to understand the development of the disease, and their research has provided new, potential therapeutic targets.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the most common and most dangerous bacterial pathogens impacting humans, causing infections of the gastrointestinal tract, pneumonia, wound infections and even blood poisoning. With the aim of discovering therapeutically exploitable weaknesses in Klebsiella, a research team from the Balance of the Microverse Cluster of Excellence at the University of Jena has taken a close look at the molecular biology of the bacteria and was able to uncover the importance of a small, non-coding ribonucleic acid (sRNA for short) for the gene regulation of K. pneumoniae.

Physical activity in everyday life has the potential to compensate for the negative consequences of being alone on well-being - especially in psychologically and neurobiologically vulnerable people. Social isolation and loneliness are major societal problems. Their negative impact on mental health has been exacerbated worldwide by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an uniquely extensive study, researchers were able to demonstrate the clinical benefits of schema therapy in the context of inpatient treatment. This therapy is therefore a promising alternative for the treatment of severe depression. Schema therapy is increasingly being used as a psychotherapeutic method.

Research team at the University of Göttingen aims to overcome digital barriers in the healthcare sector Digitalisation offers enormous opportunities within the healthcare sector: The evaluation of radiological image files using artificial intelligence can reduce the workload of radiologists, while the electronic maternity pass can improve the care of mothers-to-be.

Researchers investigate how individual characteristics and the design of food choice -nudges- influence support for their adoption You may not realise it, but -nudge- has been used by businesses, policy-makers and governments for years to prod the public into making different choices. Small changes in our environment can -nudge- us into different behaviours without restricting the options available to us.

TUM coordinates global research on health literacy The World Health Organization (WHO) has established a new collaborating center at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). The center will develop a global survey to learn more about people's ability to use health information. Member states may use this survey to determine their population's degree of health literacy.

Core problem of urban-rural divide is not a lack of emergency care for heart attacks, but poorer disease prevention in rural areas In Germany, more people aged 65 and over die from heart attacks in rural areas than in cities. Contrary to popular belief, this is probably not due to poorer emergency medical care, but because more people suffer heart attacks in rural areas. However, the protection of patients' personal data makes it difficult to announce specific recommendations for action in Germany.

Cancer treatment: possible trigger for radiodermatitis identified During radiotherapy, some cancer patients develop radiodermatitis, a severe inflammation of the skin. A recent study suggests that skin bacteria play an essential role in this: Breast cancer patients whose skin microbiome was disturbed prior to treatment also developed radiodermatitis.

The environment of retinal nerve cells plays a crucial role in the processing of visual signals. The processing of visual information begins with a targeted and balanced communication between nerve cells in the retina via synapses. Proteins in the vicinity of nerve cells play an important role in the development, maturation, and function of these synapses.