Professor Gideon Wasserberg at UNC Greensboro has been awarded a prestigious $3.7 million National Institutes of Health R01 grant to advance his research on controlling sand flies, the vectors of the parasitic disease leishmaniasis. Leishmaniasis affects more than 1 million people each year and is found in approximately 90 countries in tropical and arid regions of the world, putting approximately 1 billion people at risk.

The World Institute of Kimchi (President: Hae Choon Chang), a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT, has confirmed in a new study that bacteriophages, which were previously considered a ‘nuisance’ during the process of food fermentation, actually play the role of key helpers that facilitate the survival of lactic acid bacteria (LAB).

A study unveils a novel strategy to combat Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by targeting muscle health. Researchers found that skeletal muscles, through the protein Cathepsin B (Ctsb) released during exercise, can protect cognitive function. In AD-model mice, boosting muscle Ctsb improved memory and motor skills, even without reducing classic brain plaques. The treatment promoted hippocampal cell growth and restored critical protein balance, revealing a powerful muscle-brain connection. This work suggests exercise, gene therapy or drugs that enhance muscle Ctsb could offer a promising new avenue against cognitive decline.