Category Health & Wellness
Exploring the matrix to uncover hidden drivers of ovarian cancer
To clump together and form living tissue, cells secrete molecules that create structure. But that structure isn’t always healthy, and understanding how it goes bad could reveal more about the way cancer develops.
Mental health in pregnancy may affect development of newborns’ brains
Until recently, researchers knew little about the relationship between an expectant mother’s mental health and the subsequent development of her baby. A new study suggests a possible link.
Manipulating how yeast cells work could lead to new medical treatments
Megan McClean, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering, studies cellular signaling pathways, the biological networks that transform external signals into internal decisions such as whether to grow or die.
A video game can change the brain, may improve empathy in middle schoolers
In the experimental game, a robot crash lands on an alien planet. In order to rebuild the spaceship, players must, as the robot, build rapport with the aliens by deciphering their emotions.
A stent-free future for common cardiovascular ailments
An interdisciplinary team of investigators from UW–Madison and Ohio State believes once the new approach to maintaining open blood vessels is fully developed, it could benefit millions of patients.
Eating crickets can be good for your gut, according to new clinical trial
The study shows consuming crickets can help support the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, and that eating crickets is not only safe in large amounts but may also reduce inflammation in the body.
Cellular communication system in mice helps control female fertility
UW-Madison researchers have discovered that two genes work together to construct a cellular communication system in the ovaries of mice to maintain healthy eggs.
Scientists discover cause of aging-related disease in mice, then reverse its symptoms
UW–Madison researchers have shown that mice making too much of a human protein called AT-1 show signs of early aging and premature death, which are also symptoms of the human disorder progeria.
The bladder can regenerate like nobody’s business and now we know why
New research from the UW–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine shows that non-bladder cells from a nearby anatomical structure called the Wolffian duct can actually help the bladder mend itself.
Nanoparticles improve tumor treatment in mice
In mouse models of human lung cancer, the improved drug inhibited tumor growth more effectively than the standard drug. “Ultimately, our goal is to get this into human beings,” says pharmacy professor Glen Kwon.
National Atmospheric Deposition Program moves to hygiene lab
The NADP monitors North America’s precipitation and atmosphere for a range of chemicals, and uses the data to determine trends in where pollution is concentrated and over what period of time.
Wisconsin researchers receive $60 million from NIH for ‘All of Us’ research program
By partnering with 1 million diverse people who share information about themselves over many years, "All of Us" will enable research to more precisely prevent and treat a variety of health conditions.
Childhood stress leaves lasting mark on genes
How does stress put some children at risk of psychiatric disorders when they grow up? To find out, researchers compared their genomes to those of kids whose childhoods were relatively tranquil.
Researchers trace Parkinson’s damage in the heart
Heart attacks, diabetes and other disorders cause similar damage to nerves in the heart. Those patients and potential therapies could also benefit from the new visualization method, says Parkinson's disease researcher Marina Emborg.
Finding a weak link in the frightful parasite Schistosoma
More than 250 million people, mostly in Africa and Asia, have schistosomiasis, which kills an estimated 280,000 each year. “We don’t get that many aha! moments in our lives as scientists,” says a researcher. “This was one of them.”
PATH Award offers promise for advancing biomedical science at UW–Madison
Assistant Professor John-Demian Sauer has been awarded a 2018 Burroughs Wellcome Award that supports biomedical scientists who are early in their careers and advancing fields in the basic biomedical sciences that are undervalued or underfunded. John-Demian Sauer
The Ride gets research into gear
The Ride is a signature cycling event that premiered in September 2016, sending hundreds of riders across eastern Dane County to raise money for cancer research on the UW–Madison campus.
Sussman to lead Genome Center of Wisconsin
Mike Sussman, longtime director of the UW–Madison Biotechnology Center, has announced that he is stepping down from that position to serve as director of the genome center. Chris Bradfield has been named interim Biotechnology Center director.
Zika virus infection may multiply risk of miscarriage, stillbirth
Researchers at six National Primate Research Centers (NPRCs) combined results from individual studies to find that 26 percent of pregnancies in 50 monkeys infected with Zika virus during the first trimester of pregnancy ended in miscarriage or stillbirth.
Study points researchers toward new therapies for fragile X syndrome
A UW–Madison study showed that the absence of the protein FMRP can unbalance critical molecular processes within adult brain cells and lead to the neural and cognitive changes seen in fragile X.