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NHLBI Mandates Justification for Animal Use in Research Grant Applications by 2027

NHLBI Mandates Justification for Animal Use in Research Grant Applications by 2027

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) will require all grant applications submitted from January 2027 onwards to include an explicit justification for the use of animal models. This justification, to be placed in the application's Abstract section, must explain why animal models are necessary and why alternative methods are inferior. This new requirement aligns with the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) broader initiative to accelerate efforts in replacing, reducing, and refining animal use in research through New Approach Methodologies (NAMs). The NIH's Unified Strategy, announced earlier this year, aims to prioritize human-based research, particularly for chronic health issues affecting Americans, while reducing reliance on animal models. The NHLBI supports this strategy and encourages the development and use of NAMs in heart, lung, blood, and sleep research, citing examples like 3D 'valve-like assembloids' from human stem cells and lung iPSCs resources.
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Endocrine Society Opposes NIH Proposal to Withhold Peer Review Impact Scores

Endocrine Society Opposes NIH Proposal to Withhold Peer Review Impact Scores

The Endocrine Society has formally opposed proposed changes by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) regarding the reporting of outcomes from its peer review process. Specifically, the Society objects to the NIH's proposal to withhold an investigator's final overall impact score from applicants. Peer review is a critical mechanism for evaluating the scientific rigor and merit of research proposals. The Endocrine Society emphasizes that the impact score, when combined with reviewer comments, provides invaluable feedback to applicants. This feedback helps researchers understand how their applications were scored and prioritized against others. The Society argues that removing this score would diminish transparency and devalue the peer review process itself. This proposed change is outlined in NIH notice NOT-OD-26-088.
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Penn State Researchers Receive NIH Grant to Study Aging's Impact on Long-Term Memory

Penn State Researchers Receive NIH Grant to Study Aging's Impact on Long-Term Memory

Penn State Associate Professor of Biology Janine Kwapis has been awarded a two-year, $432,575 grant from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Aging (NIA). This funding will support her research into how aging affects long-term memory, specifically focusing on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying cognitive decline. The research aims to understand why memory updating, the ability to modify existing memories with new information, becomes impaired with age and why memories become rigid. Kwapis's preliminary work in mice suggests that memory impairments may stem from disrupted 'overlap' between neuronal ensembles. Her team will manipulate the activity of repressive histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3), a protein that inhibits gene expression, to investigate its role in age-related memory deficits and explore potential therapeutic targets to improve memory flexibility in older adults. The grant is part of NIH’s R21 award mechanism, designed to foster new areas of inquiry and early...
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Northwestern University Scientists Identify Neurons Linked to Cannabinoid-Induced Anxiety in Mice

Northwestern University Scientists Identify Neurons Linked to Cannabinoid-Induced Anxiety in Mice

Scientists at Northwestern University have identified a specific group of neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala that may be responsible for anxiety-like behavior induced by cannabinoids under stressful conditions. The study, published on October 2 in the journal Nature Communications, involved experiments with mice exposed to a threatening odor derived from fox urine. Before exposure, mice were administered either a placebo or a synthetic cannabinoid drug. The researchers observed that mice given the cannabinoid exhibited increased freezing behavior and reduced exploration of the odor source, indicating heightened anxiety. This behavior correlated with increased activity of somatostatin neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala, a brain region known for its role in processing fear and stress. Brain activity was monitored using a small implanted microscope, and analysis of brain tissue revealed that the cannabinoid weakened a natural mechanism that typically restrains the activity of these som...
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High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Improves Cognitive Function in Adolescents

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Improves Cognitive Function in Adolescents

A recent study investigated the acute effects of a 6-minute bodyweight High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) session on the executive function of 12-13-year-olds in a school setting. The study, involving 42 participants, utilized a crossover design where individuals completed both a HIIT and a control condition. Researchers assessed inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility using tasks such as Flanker, Visual 2-back, and Colour-Shape Switch. The findings indicated that a single HIIT session led to a greater reduction in reaction time on the Visual 2-back task, which measures working memory, without compromising accuracy. Furthermore, cognitive flexibility accuracy remained stable after HIIT, whereas it declined in the control condition. No significant changes were observed in inhibitory control. These results suggest that short bursts of intense physical activity can positively impact specific cognitive functions in adolescents within a real-world educational environment.
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Einstein Researchers Uncover Mechanism Behind 'Zombie Cell' Accumulation with Age, Proposing New Therapeutic Strategy

Einstein Researchers Uncover Mechanism Behind 'Zombie Cell' Accumulation with Age, Proposing New Therapeutic Strategy

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine have identified a key mechanism explaining why 'senescent cells,' often referred to as 'zombie cells,' accumulate in the body with age. These cells, which have ceased dividing but remain in tissues, contribute to chronic inflammation and age-related diseases. The study, published in Nature Aging, reveals that a decline in chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA), a cellular recycling process, impairs both the senescent cells themselves and the immune cells (macrophages) responsible for clearing them. Experiments in mice demonstrated that restoring CMA activity reduced the buildup of these zombie cells and mitigated signs of inflammation and fibrosis. The research also found that senescent cells from older mice, unlike those from younger mice, failed to increase CMA activity, leading to the secretion of toxic substances that can 'zombify' healthy cells and hinder macrophage function. Human lung tissue analysis suggests these findings are relevant to conditions li...
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New Study Reveals Complex Wolbachia Patterns in Hawaiian Mosquitoes, Impacting Chikungunya and Dengue Control Efforts

New Study Reveals Complex Wolbachia Patterns in Hawaiian Mosquitoes, Impacting Chikungunya and Dengue Control Efforts

A recent study published in the journal Parasites & Vectors has provided a detailed analysis of Wolbachia infection patterns in the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) across the Hawaiian Islands. This mosquito species is a significant vector for diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. The research, led by Sangwoo Seok and senior authors Eric P. Caragata and Yoosook Lee of the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory at the University of Florida, found that Wolbachia is nearly universally present in Hawaiian Aedes albopictus populations, with 98.5% of tested mosquitoes infected. However, the composition of these infections is more complex than previously assumed. While every infected specimen carried the wAlbB strain, only 28.6% were superinfected with wAlbA, meaning the majority carry only a single Wolbachia strain. This finding deviates from the typical assumption of double infection for this species. The study also revealed sex-specific differences in infection dynamics, with females mo...
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Understanding Fall Foliage: How and When Colors Change

Understanding Fall Foliage: How and When Colors Change

Learn how fall foliage develops and the factors that influence its timing and vibrancy. Discover tips for planning your next leaf-peeping adventure.
USA TodayUSA Today
Trump offers to help Russia combat pneumonic plague after worker's death

Trump offers to help Russia combat pneumonic plague after worker's death

Trump offered to help Russia combat pneumonic plague after the death of a lab worker in Siberia.
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H5N5 Bird Flu Confirmed in Scottish Backyard Flock, Prompting Control Zones

H5N5 Bird Flu Confirmed in Scottish Backyard Flock, Prompting Control Zones

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N5 has been confirmed in a small backyard flock of chickens in Ness, Isle of Lewis, Scotland. This marks the first confirmed H5N5 HPAI outbreak in the UK since October 1. Following the confirmation, a 3km Protection Zone and a 10km Surveillance Zone were immediately declared around the affected premises on October 2. The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) has stated that these disease control zones will remain in effect until all control and surveillance activities are completed and no further suspect cases are under investigation. The risk of H5 HPAI in wild birds in Great Britain is currently assessed as medium, while the risk to poultry is considered low, provided that stringent biosecurity measures are consistently applied. Poultry keepers are being urged to maintain high standards of biosecurity, including strict separation between different animal types on mixed farms and accurate recording of feed and water consumption to detect potential health issues ear...
AP NewsAP News
California scientist wins a Nobel Prize, then makes school lunches for his kids

California scientist wins a Nobel Prize, then makes school lunches for his kids

Dr. Karl Deisseroth spent hours fielding congratulatory calls after learning that he had won a Nobel Prize for medicine for helping to open a new field of brain science called optogenetics