University of North Carolina

Researchers at UNC have discovered that a common lab molecule, used to label DNA, can trigger a runaway process that eventually leads to cell death. But the team says this could have a positive use too, as a potential cancer treatment.

Contraceptives like the pill may be effective, but messing with hormones has a range of unpleasant side effects. Now researchers are experimenting with a new non-hormonal contraceptive based on antibodies, which stops sperm swimming through mucus.

Researchers have discovered a set of neurons in the mouse brain that appear to control physiological responses to fear, like heart palpitations and pupil dilations. Tests in mice suggest this region could be a new drug target for anxiety treatments.

A new study has found young cancer survivors show high expression of a gene known to be an effective marker of aging. The researchers say this genetic biomarker could identify cancer survivors most at risk of later-life frailty due to their treatment.

Scientists have thrown further weight behind the theory that Parkinson's could originate in the gut, with an investigation of the digestive system revealing possible tell-tale signs at the earliest stages of the disease.

While there are drugs that help reduce the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in joints, those medications can have unpleasant side effects in other parts of the body. An experimental new light-based system, however, is being designed to change that.

Back in 2015, we heard about a skin patch that had been used to treat diabetes in mice. It's now come a step closer to use on humans, as it's been successfully trialed on diabetic pigs.

Not only do many people walk around with their eyes glued to their smartphones, but a lot of them also wear headphones. With that in mind, scientists are developing headphones that warn their wearers when vehicles are approaching.

Nowadays, the Milky Way is a pretty quiet galaxy – but just a few million years ago its central black hole sent off huge flares of radiation.

A global study into the genetic origins of anorexia suggests the illness is not just a psychiatric condition but also a metabolic disorder. The research revealed metabolic genetic variants unique to those suffering from this chronic eating disorder, and not seen in other psychiatric conditions.

By guiding evolution, scientists have managed to manipulate micro-organisms into producing useful new drugs and materials, but it’s a time-consuming process. Now, UNC researchers have developed a new tool that speeds up the process in mammalian cells, creating new therapeutics in a matter of days.

​When a clot blocks a blood vessel in the heart, a heart attack is the unfortunate result. Frequently, surgery is required in order to remove that clot. Thanks to an experimental new drug-delivery system, however, that approach may become increasingly unnecessary.