University of Southern California

Hospital patients often pick up dangerous, hard to treat infections. An experimental vaccine given on arrival to hospital could protect against a range of drug-resistant bacteria and fungi, by activating a different arm of the immune system.

Researchers have uncovered the mechanism by which our taste buds detect ammonium chloride, exemplified by the distinct taste of salty licorice. They say the discovery provides evidence for the existence of a sixth basic taste.

A phase 2 clinical trial is currently exploring a new technique to slow the progression of type 2 diabetes. The simple outpatient surgery can be conducted in the early stages of diagnosis and delay the need for insulin shots.

ALS is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease with poor outcomes, but a pair of new studies may point towards a more optimistic future. In tests in human cells and live mice, scientists identified promising new targets for potential treatment.

A study has shed important light on migraine development by leveraging cutting-edge imaging technology to gain a new perspective on structures in the brain, which revealed enlarged spaces around the blood vessels in people suffering the condition.

Researchers working with a remote population in the Amazon have found the group experiences extraordinarily low rates of dementia. The study follows on from prior findings that the same group displayed almost no cases of age-related heart disease.

Scientists have managed to watch memories form inside the brains of live fish in real time. And the results were intriguing – synapses formed in one part of the brain while disappearing from another, rather than strengthening as previously thought.

Fatty liver disease is a condition linked to obesity and diabetes, and in turn often leads to further major complications. Researchers have now found a way to reverse the progression of the disease in mice, by quieting an overactive gene.

Lizards can regrow their tails, but the new tail isn't quite perfect. Scientists have now used stem cell therapy to let lizards grow better tails – bones, nerves and all – in an advance that could have implications for better wound healing in humans.

A new study has shown how short spurts of so-called fasting-mimicking diets can bring about a range of benefits in otherwise unhealthy mice, ultimately preventing the buildup of fat and onset of obesity.

A peptide called MOTS-c shows promise in preventing type 1 diabetes, in new tests in human cells in culture and live mice. The peptide regulates the immune system, potentially leading to treatments for type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases.

When objects are being 3D printed, they often have to include supportive structures that are subsequently discarded. A new print bed, however, is designed to eliminate the need for such structures, thus reducing both waste and printing time.