Caltech

Articles tagged with "BIO"

05/21/2013

Katie Neith

When infections occur in the body, stem cells in the blood often jump into action by multiplying and differentiating into mature immune cells that can fight off illness. But repeated infections and inflammation can deplete these cell populations, potentially leading to the development of serious blood conditions such as cancer. Now, a team of researchers led by biologists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has found that, in mouse models, the molecule microRNA-146a (miR-146a) acts as a critical regulator and protector of blood-forming stem cells (called hematopoietic stem cells, or HSCs) during chronic inflammation, suggesting that a deficiency of miR-146a may be one important cause of blood cancers and bone marrow failure.

11/20/2012

A Fresh Look at Psychiatric Drugs

Drugs for psychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia often require weeks to take full effect. "What takes so long?" has formed one of psychiatry's most stubborn mysteries.

10/31/2012

Developmental Bait and Switch

Katie Neith

During the early developmental stages of vertebrates—animals that have a backbone and spinal column, including humans—cells undergo extensive rearrangements, and some cells migrate over large distances to populate particular areas and assume novel roles as differentiated cell types. Understanding how and when such cells switch their purpose in an embryo is an important and complex goal for developmental biologists. A recent study, led by researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), provides new clues about this process—at least in the case of neural crest cells, which give rise to most of the peripheral nervous system, to pigment cells, and to large portions of the facial skeleton.

10/25/2012

Progress for Paraplegics

Michael Rogers

Caltech engineers, who last year helped enable a paraplegic man to stand and move his legs voluntarily, have developed a new method to automate the system, which provides epidural electrical stimulation to people with spinal-cord injuries. This advancement could make the technology widely available to rehab clinics and thousands of patients worldwide. It would also reduce the system's training time and costs for hospitals and clinics and make it easier for patients to continue their rehabilitation at home.

10/16/2012

Two Faculty Members Named Packard Fellows

Marcus Woo

Two Caltech faculty members have been awarded Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering.

10/12/2012

Wordy Worms

Katie Neith

Lurking in the crevices of our planet are millions and millions of microscopic worms. They live in soil, plants, water, ice, wildlife, and sometimes even humans.

10/08/2012

Traveling with Purpose

Katie Neith

Pamela Bjorkman has been studying HIV at Caltech since 2005. In the lab, she has made significant gains in the fight against the virus, developing antibodies that neutralize most strains.

10/02/2012

Caltech Biologist Named MacArthur Fellow

Katie Neith

Sarkis Mazmanian, a microbiology expert at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) whose studies of human gut bacteria have revealed new insights into how these microbes can be beneficial, was named a MacArthur Fellow and awarded a five-year, $500,000 “no strings attached” grant.

09/26/2012

Ready for Your Close-Up?

Katie Neith

As the saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words." For people in certain professions—acting, modeling, and even politics—this phrase rings particularly true. Previous studies have examined how our social judgments of pictures of people are influenced by factors such as whether the person is smiling or frowning, but until now one factor has never been investigated: the distance between the photographer and the subject. According to a new study by researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), this turns out to make a difference—close-up photo subjects, the study found, are judged to look less trustworthy, less competent, and less attractive.

09/20/2012

Moving Targets

Katie Neith

At any given moment, millions of cells are on the move in the human body, typically on their way to aid in immune response, make repairs, or provide some other benefit to the structures around them. When the migration process goes wrong, however, the results can include tumor formation and metastatic cancer. Little has been known about how cell migration actually works, but now, with the help of some tiny worms, researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have gained new insight into this highly complex task.

09/25/2012

Two Caltech Researchers Receive NIH Director's Awards

Katie Neith

Two members of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) faculty have been given National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director's Awards. The awards are administered through the NIH's Common Fund, which provides support for research deemed to be both innovative and risky.