In a massive scientific effort funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), hundreds of researchers have helped to map the connections between hundreds of thousands of neurons in the mouse brain and then overlayed their firing patterns in response to visual stimuli. This breakthrough is a critical piece of foundational science to build toward understanding how our brains process visual information to reconstruct the images we see every day.

UCLA researchers have identified type 5 collagen as a key factor in kidney fibrosis, revealing its potential as a biomarker to predict chronic kidney disease progression.

A repurposed anti-cancer drug, Cilengitide, was found to reduce kidney scarring and slow disease progression in preclinical models, suggesting a possible precision medicine approach for high-risk patients.

The team now seeks to develop a blood test to measure type 5 collagen levels, which could help identify patients at greater risk for kidney failure and guide targeted treatment strategies.

A small protein involved in neurodegeneration leading to Parkinson’s disease also drives a type of skin cancer known as melanoma, according to new research led by Oregon Health & Science University.

Van Andel Institute scientists and collaborators have developed a new method for identifying and classifying pancreatic cancer cell subtypes based on sugars found on the outside of cancer cells. These sugars, called glycans, help cells recognize and communicate with each other. They also act as a cellular “signature,” with each subtype of pancreatic cancer cell possessing a different composition of glycans.