SMART, a new software package developed by researchers at UC San Diego, can make studying signaling processes significantly easier. Results could accelerate research in fields across the life sciences, such as systems biology, pharmacology and biomedical engineering.

Antibodies can improve the rehabilitation of people with acute spinal cord injury. Researchers at 13 clinics in Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Spain have investigated this with promising results. For the first time, it was possible to identify patient groups that displayed a clinically relevant treatment effect. A follow-up study will start in December 2024.

The ancient vomeronasal receptor type-1 (ancV1R) is highly conserved across species and plays a key role in pheromone detection. Investigation of its role in the sexual and social behavior of mice by researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan, provides novel insights for future research on pheromone sensing and animal behaviors. The study found that the absence of ancV1R in female mice was linked to a poor mating response and increased stress levels.

An Osaka Metropolitan University-led research team found out how AHCC, a standardized extract of cultured Lentinula edodes mycelia, might be able to suppress the progression of liver fibrosis.

Houston Methodist researchers have discovered that certain components of so-called “good” cholesterol -- high-density lipoproteins (HDL) – may be associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease. The research team describe their findings in a paper titled “HDL-Free Cholesterol Influx into Macrophages and Transfer to LDL Correlate with HDL-Free Cholesterol Content” in the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology’s Journal of Lipid Research.