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Bacteria on marine sponges can develop capacity to move and inhibit biofilm formation

A new study shows that when enough bacteria get together in one place, they can make a collective decision to grow an appendage and swim away. This type of behavior has been seen for the first time in marine sponges, and could lead to an understanding of how to break up harmful bacterial biofilms, such as plaque on teeth or those found on internal medical devices like artificial heart valves.

Short-term intestinal parasite infection triggers specific cytokines that can prevent the development of type 1 diabetes

Short-term infection with intestinal worms may provide long-term protection against type I diabetes (TID), suggests a new study. The incidence of TID is relatively low in developing countries. One explanation for this phenomenon is the prevalence of chronic intestinal worm infections, which dampen the self-aggressive T cells that cause diabetes and other autoimmune diseases.

Discovery of epigenetic links in cell-fate decisions of adult stem cells paves way for new osteoporosis treatments

The ability to control whether certain stem cells ultimately become bone cells holds great promise for regenerative medicine and potential therapies aimed at treating metabolic bone diseases, especially osteoporosis. Now, scientists have made a significant breakthrough in that direction. The scientists have discovered two key epigenetic regulating genes that govern the cell-fate determination of human bone marrow stem cells.