The powerhouse of the cell could be a “potent target” for therapies to mitigate or correct heart failure, according to a new study by a team of researchers based in Japan. In a study in mice and a cell line of human heart cells, they found that the molecular marker that typically signals cellular damage may actually play a protective role in the heart, especially during a heart failure.

A recent study by researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo reveals the pivotal role of tristetraprolin (TTP), an RNA-binding protein, in regulating inflammatory responses in basophils, immune cells central to allergic reactions. The research shows that TTP controls the stability of mRNAs for inflammatory molecules, preventing their overproduction. Using TTP-deficient mice, the team found heightened allergic inflammation, suggesting TTP as a promising therapeutic target for treating allergic and inflammatory diseases.

Groundbreaking cerium oxide-based thermal switches achieve remarkable performance, transforming heat flow control with sustainable and efficient technology.

A joint research group team led by Sayuri Tsukahara and Tetsuji Kakutani of the University of Tokyo has clarified a mechanism of how retrotransposons, genetic elements that can “jump around” chromosomes and are known drivers of evolution, preferentially insert in the centromere. The findings were published in the journal Nature.

Scientific research explores the potential of DNNs in transforming fragrance design. By analyzing the sensing data of 180 essential oils, the DNN was trained using the odor descriptor data from 94 essential oils to generate fragrance profiles, validated through sensory evaluations to align with human olfactory perceptions. The study underscores the technological ability to streamline fragrance creation, reduce costs, and foster innovation, opening up exciting possibilities for personalized and scalable scent development.

A team from Osaka University has reported a Raman microscopy technique that produced images up to eight times brighter than those achieved with conventional Raman techniques. Imaging of frozen biological samples reduced the noise introduced by the motion of material over long acquisition times. The technique is expected to broaden understanding in many areas of the biological sciences by allowing high-quality images and chemical information to be captured without the need for staining.

When a robot dog dances jazz, does it align with our ethical expectations? As AI rapidly advances, robots are becoming smarter and more human-like, presenting new ethical challenges. In a new book, scholars from Japan, Italy, the United States, and other countries examine the legal, policy, and regulatory issues surrounding human-robot interaction.