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Researchers have discovered molecules capable of limiting the side effects of opioids by blocking the receptor responsible for their action. Opioid drugs are highly effective at relieving pain but come with severe drawbacks. Their side effects range from dizziness to potentially fatal respiratory depression.

Researchers at EPFL have uncovered a new class of transcription factors that play a crucial role in gene regulation, offering fresh perspectives on how cells maintain their identity and function. Every cell in our body contains the same DNA, yet liver cells are different from brain cells, and skin cells differ from muscle cells.

A team from the University of Geneva and EPFL has demonstrated how Hsp70 chaperone proteins help proteins move within cells. Proteins control most of the body's functions, and their malfunction can have severe consequences, such as neurodegenerative diseases or cancer. Therefore, cells have mechanisms in place to control protein quality.

Pesticides aren't always necessary: researchers at the University of Zurich have conducted a comprehensive field study showing that damage from herbivores can be reduced by using biodiversity within a plant species. Different plant genotypes can cooperate to help fend off herbivorous insects. Just like humans, plants interact with the individuals around them.

An organism as a tenant in another - in biology, this often works quite well. researchers have now shed light on how such a partnership of a cell in a cell can establish. Endosymbiosis is a fascinating biological phenomenon in which an organism lives inside another. Such an unusual relationship is often beneficial for both parties.

An AI research collaboration led by EPFL professor Alexander Mathis creates a model which provides deep insights into hand movement, which is an essential step for the development of neuroprosthetics and rehabilitation technologies.

To estimate the efficacy of antimalarial drugs, distinguishing recurring from new infections is crucial. Researchers from Swiss TPH have now compared five genotyping methods to make this distinction and assessed their impact on drug efficacy. The results, published yesterday in the peer-reviewed journal The Lancet Microbe, could help confirm antimalarial resistance and inform WHO guidelines.

Researchers at the University of Basel have made significant progress in understanding a rare but serious immune disease. The team has uncovered critical mechanisms involved in the cellular recycling process, thus providing novel therapeutic approaches. LRBA deficiency is a rare and severe autoimmune disorder that was first described in 2012.

In a discovery that sheds light on the complex mechanisms of gene regulation, scientists at EPFL have uncovered a critical role for the protein ZNF274 in keeping certain gene clusters turned off by anchoring them to the cell nucleolus. Our DNA is not just a string of genes; it's a complex and dynamic structure where the spatial organization within the nucleus plays a crucial role in regulating which genes are turned on or off.

Scientists from the University of Geneva and HUG have developed CAR-T cells capable of targeting malignant gliomas while preserving healthy tissue. Glioblastoma is the most common and most aggressive primary brain tumour, with an average survival after diagnosis of less than two years, and against which current treatments remain ineffective.

Until a few years ago, the butterfly known as the southern small white could barely be found north of the Alps. That was before a Europe-wide invasion that brought a huge increase in the insect's distribution - at the same time as a rapid decrease in genetic diversity within the species. It took a while for zoologist Daniel Berner to notice that a butterfly species that wasn't local to his area had become established in his garden.

To grow and survive, tiny organisms such as yeast must sometimes adapt their nutrient sources in response to changes in the environment. FMI researchers have now found that yeast cells communicate with each other to use less favorable nutrients if they foresee a shortage of their favorite food. This communication is facilitated by secreted molecules that interact with a protein in mitochondria, the cells' energy factories.

CRISPR-Cas is used broadly in research and medicine to edit, insert, delete or regulate genes in organisms. TnpB is an ancestor of this well-known "gene scissor" but is much smaller and thus easier to transport into cells. Using protein engineering and AI algorithms, researchers have now enhanced TnpB capabilities to make DNA editing more efficient and versatile, paving the way for treating a genetic defect for high cholesterol in the future.

A team from the University of Geneva has discovered the genetic programmes that allow motor neurons to retract from the spinal cord. This discovery opens up prospects for combating neurodegeneration. The motor cortex is made up of neurons responsible for muscle contraction. These neurons have cellular extensions called axons, which project from the cortex into the spinal cord.

Study reveals new links between body and brain. The findings, conducted at the University of Fribourg, show how our body cycles modify our visual perception. Taking a deep breath to see more clearly may be more concrete than we thought. Breathing has a physiological impact on the perception of visual stimuli.

Scientists at the University of Geneva, Bern Inselpital and UNIBE have discovered that hidden mutations in non-coding DNA are responsible for the ageing of certain tissues, such as those in the liver. The accumulation of mutations in DNA is often mentioned as an explanation for the ageing process, but it remains just one hypothesis among many.

A team from the University of Geneva and ETH Zurich has shown how the locus coeruleus, a small region of the brain, manages the transition from intense focus to heightened global awareness. What enables our brain to go from intense concentration to a heightened state of alertness? A study carried out by neuroscientists at the University of Geneva , in collaboration with ETH Zurich, shows that a brain region called locus coeruleus (LC) and the neurotransmitter noradrenaline act as conductors, reorganising brain functions according to the mental demands of the moment.

Mutations in the BRCA1 gene increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer in females and prostate cancer in males. Despite more than 15,000 papers studying BRCA1 mutations and numerous clinical reports, the exact role of the BRCA1 protein has been poorly understood. A recent paper, published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature, provides novel insights into the BRCA1 function during the repair of broken DNA.

A study by the University of Lausanne presents a new sorting method designed to optimize bacterial communities for efficient degradation of pollutants in the environment. The ability of microbes to metabolize a wide variety of compounds, including industrial pollutants of human origin, offers considerable potential for solving environmental problems.

Researchers at EPFL unlock a detailed understanding of brain and spinal cord interactions. The tool that paves the way for future research breakthroughs and innovative therapeutic approaches. The brain and spinal cord are the central pillars of the human central nervous system (CNS), orchestrating everything from movement to sensation.