Peer Reviewed

Researchers from The University of Osaka found that both inhibitory and activating killer immunoglobulin-like receptors on natural killer (NK) cells were able to bind repetitive interspersed family proteins expressed on the surface of malaria-infected red blood cells. The role of these proteins in triggering both inhibitory and stimulatory responses from NK cells makes them extremely promising targets for the development of therapies and vaccines for malaria.

Stress-responsive gene pushes pancreatic insulin-producing cells toward dysfunction, fueling diabetes

How halogens uncover the hidden history of lunar crust formation and the striking lunar surface dichotomy.

The study reveals that uneven buildup of amyloid beta between the eyes may cause thinning differences in the retina, appearing early in cognitive decline. This eye-based asymmetry could offer a simple, non-invasive way to detect cognitive frailty at its earliest stages.

Using iPS cells, veterinary medicine has made a step forward in creating a stable MSC supply

Researchers from The University of Osaka have developed a way to efficiently prepare the “magic states” necessary for quantum computers to be resistant to errors. Their technique, called “zero-level distillation,” involves working with qubits at the physical or zeroth level as opposed to higher, more abstract levels. The spatial and temporal overhead of quantum computers prepared from these states using this technique is around several dozen times lower than that of those prepared from conventional methods.

A research team led by SUTD has created nanoscale glass structures with near-perfect reflectance, overturning long-held assumptions about what low-index materials can do in photonics.

Serendipitous discovery of djerfisherite in Ryugu grain challenges current paradigm of the nature of primitive asteroids.

Research groups from National Taiwan University (NTU), and City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) developed a new class of small organic molecules for efficient cancer photothermal therapy.

An international team of researchers including Kavli IPMU has for the first time observed a new class of exotic atomic systems—highly charged muonic ions.

A research team from The University of Osaka and Institute of Science Tokyo has developed a groundbreaking class of mRNA medicines that can sense changes in the body and autonomously adjust their therapeutic effect. This innovation paves the way for precision treatments that are not only more effective, but also safer—by producing just the right amount of medicine based on real-time biological signals.

Researchers from The University of Osaka found that Oxr1 and Ncoa7 regulate the vacuolar-type proton pump ATPase on the membrane of the Golgi apparatus and trans-Golgi network to maintain their luminal pH. Inhibition of Oxr1 and Ncoa7 function disrupts glycosylation, a key enzymatic process that takes place in these organelles, providing new insight into the mechanisms underlying congenital disorders of glycosylation.

A research team at The University of Osaka has unveiled the molecular mechanism behind genome ejection from adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, a crucial delivery vehicle in gene therapy. The study reveals that the N-terminal region of the VP1 protein, a component of the AAV capsid, undergoes structural changes upon heating, facilitating the release of the therapeutic genetic material. This discovery offers new guidelines for vector design and stability assessment, promising more efficient and safer gene therapies.

Mixing two or three alkyl-π liquids can achieve the right combination of functions for soft electronics.

Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University observe and model how the enzyme ADAR1 interacts with double-stranded RNA, which may be useful for future cancer treatment strategies.

Researchers from The University of Osaka found that EGR1-expressing CD14+ monocytes and CD8+ T cells with a type II interferon signature are associated with scleroderma renal crisis and interstitial lung disease, respectively, in patients with systemic sclerosis. Understanding the specific immune cell abnormalities underlying different clinical manifestations of the disease could help predict and prevent serious complications.

University of the Philippines – Diliman researchers tested various artificial intelligence prediction models to determine the antimicrobial resistance of E. coli using genetic data and laboratory test results from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database.

Improved production of compounds from methanol and Komagataella phaffii yeast achieved through DNA alteration

SPARK Taiwan has catalyzed innovation, commercialization, and talent development, solidifying Taiwan's position as a rising global leader in biotechnology.

Deep-brain imaging in awake mice reveals how light resets the circadian clock by activating complex SCN neuron networks.

Researchers developed a safe and simple sublimation method that produces sheets of atomically-thin semiconductor crystals. This could streamline the process for creating faster, more efficient computers.

Solvent polarity controls drug-loading capacity of metal–organic framework carriers

A new study found that land use (agricultural or forested) and the season (wet or dry) significantly impact groundwater quality, but in different ways.

A surgeon can excise breast cancer from the body, but even the most skilled scalpel may not be able to remove every cell — especially when the cells have spread from the original disease site elsewhere in the body. This proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells involves many still unknown molecular means, but researchers at Hiroshima University have elucidated at least one mechanism, involving protein receptors that bind to one another. With the discovery, they may have also uncovered how short chains of protein building blocks could serve as a novel anticancer drug.

The Kaiser effect, which is known as a stress memory effect, predicts that seismic events occur only when the previous maximum stress is exceeded. However, the Kaiser effect has only been tested at room temperature in laboratories. Here, we performed deformation experiments on natural olivine at high pressures and high temperatures. We have successfully confirmed a stress memory effect in strongly deformed olivine at high pressures and high temperatures.

A new study reveals striking international differences in how doctors approach the sensitive issue of tracheostomy invasive ventilation (TIV) for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Cultural norms and healthcare systems appear to significantly influence physician attitudes and, consequently, patient choices regarding this life-sustaining treatment.

Although psychosomatic medicine is regarded as a branch of psychiatry in many countries, some of its diagnostic concepts are not fully encompassed by mainstream psychiatric diagnostic systems. When these two systems are integrated, the interrelationships among various diagnoses and their associations with psychopathologies remain to be elucidated.

Near the eastern coast of Luzon, Philippines is the Benham Bank, an underwater seamount taller than the country's highest peak, Mt. Apo. Researchers from the University of the Philippines' Marine Science Institute discovered that it is a thriving ecosystem full of unique, untouched biodiversity.

Researchers from The University of Osaka have shown the crucial role of iron metabolism in sex determination in mice. In male embryos, activation of the Sry gene, responsible for the correct development of testes, is dependent on the intracellular iron levels. Insufficient iron reduces the activation of Sry and can even cause some genetically male embryos to develop as female. This study indicates the importance of adequate iron levels in pregnant mothers for healthy embryonic development.

The stem cell-based embryo model and actual human embryos share many characteristics but are distinctly different. However, internationally, not everyone agrees on the definitions and what we should and should not do in using this research model.