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It has long been assumed that it is necessary to use different exposure therapies to treat different fears. A new study from Bochum challenges this view. Exposure therapy for a specific fear can also help reduce other fears. This is the conclusion reached by psychologists at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, who studied 50 people with a fear of spiders and heights.

Natural killer cells of the innate immune system can permanently remain in infected tissue and thus contribute to immunological memory. Researchers at the University of Würzburg have now discovered this. A team of the Max Planck Research Group for Systems Immunology led by Würzburg immunologist Georg Gasteiger has published surprising findings about cells of the innate immune system, the natural killer cells, in the journal Immunity: During local infections in the skin, these cells can migrate into the tissue and remain there long-term.

Brown fat cells convert energy into heat - a key to eliminating unwanted fat deposits. In addition, they also protect against cardiovascular diseases. Researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the Transdisciplinary Research Area "Life & Health" at the University of Bonn have now identified the protein EPAC1 as a new pharmacological target to increase brown fat mass and activity.

IT specialists and physicians develop new method for recognising genetic aberrations Decisions on treatment for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) - a highly aggressive form of leukemia - are based, among other things, on a series of certain genetic features of the disease; but at the time when a diagnosis is made, this information is not available.

Certain combinations of gut bacteria protect stem cell transplantation patients After stem cell transplantation, the donated immune cells sometimes attack the patients' bodies. This is known as graft versus host disease or GvHD. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Universitätsklinikum Regensburg (UKR) have shown that GvHD is much less common when certain microbes are present in the gut.

Defective ion channel in sperm flagellum renders men infertile and frustrates medically assisted reproduction In half of the couples that are unable to conceive a child, the infertility is due to the man. A new study identifies the defective function of 'CatSper', an ion channel controlling calcium levels in sperm, as a common cause of seemingly unexplained male infertility.

New epigenetic inhibitor is also effective in treatment-resistant prostate cancer cells More than 65,000 men fall ill with prostate cancer each year in Germany. Twelve thousand of them develop a treatment-resistant form which eventually ends in death. Now, a team of researchers from the Medical Faculty at the University of Freiburg has developed an active substance that might in future represent a new treatment option.

Research team led by Göttingen University investigate how health warnings influence purchases Society seems addicted to sugar, but individuals who consume large quantities increase their risk of obesity and other health problems. Can warning labels on sweets curb consumption? Researchers at the University of Göttingen have investigated how such labels can influence purchasing behaviour.

Inflammation of the heart muscle following a viral infection can impede cardiac function in the long term Inflammation of the heart muscle, also known as myocarditis, is a serious consequence of a viral infection. This can impede the heart's ability to pump blood in the long term. In a current study, researchers of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Freiburg have discovered a new approach for treating myocarditis.

Pathogenic bacteria use molecular "shuttle services" to fill their injection apparatus with the right product Many bacterial pathogens use small injection apparatuses to manipulate the cells of their hosts, such as humans, so that they can spread throughout the body. To do this, they need to fill their syringes with the relevant injection agent.

Test subjects who That is the finding of a 45-person study by researchers in the Department of Biology at Universität Hamburg in cooperation with the University of Tübingen. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports. Secretory immunoglobulin A (slgA) in our saliva is the most important antibody for fighting respiratory pathogens.

The African Matabele ants are often injured in fights with termites. Their conspecifics recognise when the wounds become infected and initiate antibiotic treatment. The Matabele ants ( Megaponera analis ), which are widespread south of the Sahara, have a narrow diet: They only eat termites. Their hunting expeditions are dangerous because termite soldiers defend their conspecifics - and use their powerful mandibles to do so.

Researchers have identified a mechanism that promotes the breakdown of harmful protein deposits. If it malfunctions, it can lead to Parkinson's disease. NEMO, a protein that is primarily associated with signaling processes in the immune system, prevents the deposition of protein aggregates that occur in Parkinson's disease.

Researchers investigate consensus building in virtual teams during the Covid-19 pandemic Virtual working offers many opportunities, but also harbors risks. In addition to the known disadvantages - less personal contact, communication and coordination difficulties - external crises can pose an additional challenge, especially if employees at different locations work together across local or national borders and are affected to varying degrees by a crisis.

Researchers at the University of Tübingen have discovered a novel antibiotic substance from the human nose that can be used against pathogenic bacteria. Named epifadin, the molecule is produced from specific strains of the bacterial species Staphylococcus epidermidis , which occur on the mucous membrane of the inside wall of the nose.

Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in Germany. People who suffer from it often lose control when eating and consume large amounts of food. Anja Hilbert, Professor of Behavioral Medicine at Leipzig University, is investigating how the disorder can be cured. In a recent pilot study, she and her research team found a positive effect of food-related neurofeedback.

The pathogens want to benefit as long as possible from the food supply that life in the vector mosquitoes offers them Instead of being transmitted to humans as quickly as possible, malaria parasites develop in mosquitoes for up to twelve days and even run the risk of not being transmitted. Mathematical modelling allowed  researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin to study the evolution of malaria parasites over hundreds of generations.

Researchers have identified the steps for the biosynthesis of the chemotherapeutic agent for cancer therapy Part of modern cancer therapy is the use of toxic chemicals, called chemotherapeutics, that kill the tumor. Unfortunately, these chemicals are often very complex, difficult to obtain and thus expensive.

Optoacoustic imaging method RSOM shows severity of the disease Changes in small blood vessels are a common consequence of diabetes development. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Helmholtz Munich have now developed a method that can be used to measure these microvascular changes in the skin - and thus assess the severity of the disease.

Most diseases are caused by proteins that have spun out of control. Unfortunately, so far, conventional drugs have been able to stop only a fraction of these troublemakers. A new class of drugs known as Protacs holds great promise in pharmaceutical research. They mark proteins for targeted degradation by the cell's own protein disposal system.