A research team led by Associate Professor Ayako Okado-Matsumoto from the Toho University’s Department of Biology, has made an important breakthrough in understanding Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), in collaboration with Professor Ryuji Sakakibara from the Department of Neurology, Sakura Medical Center, and Professors Hitoshi Nukada and Soroku Yagihashi from the Department of Exploratory Medicine on Nature, Life and Man, Toho University The teamdiscovered something remarkable about a specific protein in patient’s blood. The researchers found that people with DLB have significantly lower amount of a protein called α-synuclein (alpha synuclein) in their red blood cells compared to healthy people and those with other brain diseases like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. α-synuclein is a protein that becomes problematic when it builds up abnormally in brain cells, contributing to various neurological conditions.

Researchers have been studying algae that eat kelp instead of making their own sugar. The findings open up new ways of making all kinds of useful things out of kelp.

Scientists recently found an example of evolution in real time, tucked away in the collection drawers of the Field Museum in Chicago. By comparing the skulls of chipmunks and voles from the Chicagoland area collected over the past 125 years, the researchers found evidence that these rodents have been adapting to life in an increasingly urban environment.

New research shows hot tubs may offer greater health benefits than saunas, including lower blood pressure and a stronger immune response.