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EXCLUSIVE
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Clinical Trial Registry Errors Undermine Transparency
A lack of comprehension among some researchers about how to use ClinicalTrials.gov may be hindering public access to trial information and holding up drug study results, an investigation by The Scientist finds.
Clinical Trial Registry Errors Undermine Transparency
Clinical Trial Registry Errors Undermine Transparency

A lack of comprehension among some researchers about how to use ClinicalTrials.gov may be hindering public access to trial information and holding up drug study results, an investigation by The Scientist finds.

A lack of comprehension among some researchers about how to use ClinicalTrials.gov may be hindering public access to trial information and holding up drug study results, an investigation by The Scientist finds.

human research

Haydeh Payami is wearing a purple dress and an orange and pink scarf and standing in front of a whiteboard.
A Microbial Link to Parkinson’s Disease
Mariella Bodemeier Loayza Careaga, PhD | Dec 4, 2023 | 6 min read
Haydeh Payami helped uncover the genetic basis of Parkinson’s disease. Now, she hopes to find new ways to treat the disease by studying the gut microbiome.
Infographic: Measurements that Predict People’s Behavior
Paul J. Zak | Oct 1, 2020 | 1 min read
Changes in blood levels of oxytocin and adrenocorticotropic hormone and patterns of neural activity predict how much money people will donate to a cause with high accuracy.
Neurological Correlates Allow Us to Predict Human Behavior
Paul J. Zak | Oct 1, 2020 | 10+ min read
A combination of factors, from oxytocin release as an indicator of emotional investment to cortisol and other hormones that correlate with attention, can forecast what people will do after an experience.
Increased Neuronal Activity Shortens Lifespan in Animals
Ruth Williams | Oct 16, 2019 | 3 min read
Suppressing the natural age-related increase in neuronal excitation lengthens the lives of worms, and there are indications that the same may be true for mice and humans.
WHO Panel Calls For a Registry of Gene-Editing Research in Humans
Catherine Offord | Mar 20, 2019 | 2 min read
The advisors’ recommendations follow news of ethically dubious gene-editing work carried out by He Jiankui late last year.
Brain Rhythms Guide How Humans Pay Attention
Phil Jaekl | Dec 1, 2018 | 4 min read
A perception of sustained focus may actually be the result of cycles of fluctuating rather than continuous neural activity, according to new behavioral and neurological data from studies in humans and macaques.
Both Sides of the Brain Are Active During One-Sided Arm Movement
Anna Azvolinsky | Oct 8, 2018 | 4 min read
Researchers directly recorded neural activity in both sides of the brain’s cortex during the movement of only one arm in humans.
Macrophage engulfing cancer cell
Cancer Cells Fuse with Immune Cells in Human Patients
Anna Azvolinsky | Sep 13, 2018 | 4 min read
The hybrid cells promote tumor heterogeneity and possible metastasis, a new study in mice and humans shows.
Image of the Day: Hide and Seek
Sukanya Charuchandra | Jun 26, 2018 | 1 min read
Neurons of the embryonic subplate don’t die as scientists had thought.
Amyloid plaques (stained for amyloid-? peptide) detected in a post-mortem brain sample of a patient with Alzheimer's disease. Purple purple dots in the background are the nuclei of neurons and glia.
Herpes Viruses Implicated in Alzheimer’s Disease
Anna Azvolinsky | Jun 21, 2018 | 5 min read

A new study shows that the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients have a greater viral load, while another study in mice shows infection leads to amyloid-β build up.

Pancreatic Cell Size Negatively Relates to Lifespan in Mammals
Sukanya Charuchandra | Jun 19, 2018 | 2 min read
Species with larger pancreatic cells tend to have shorter lives, according to a study.  
New Federal Policy for Human Research Subjects Delayed
Diana Kwon | Jan 22, 2018 | 2 min read
Both higher education and industry associations were advocating for a later implementation date for the Common Rule, which governs human studies.
The Sleeping Brain Can Learn
Diana Kwon | Aug 8, 2017 | 3 min read
Humans can remember new sensory information presented during REM sleep, but this ability is suppressed during deep, slow-wave slumber.
Stem Cell Trial Data Mostly Go Unpublished
Anna Azvolinsky | May 5, 2017 | 4 min read
Less than half of completed stem cell studies in humans are published in peer-reviewed journals, according to an analysis of regenerative medicine trials. 
RNA-Seq Reveals Previously Hidden, Genetic Disorder–Causing Mutations
Anna Azvolinsky | Apr 19, 2017 | 3 min read
Adding RNA sequencing analysis to genomic sequencing helps scientists uncover mutations likely responsible for genetic disorders they might otherwise miss.
San People Write Ethical Code for Research
Jef Akst | Mar 21, 2017 | 2 min read
With lifestyles similar to our hunter-gatherer ancestors, the San people of Southern Africa are popular study subjects.
Rhythm Arises from Random Beats in a “Telephone” Game
Diana Kwon | Mar 1, 2017 | 2 min read
An experiment in which people pass each other initially nonrhythmic drumming sequences reveals the human affinity for musical patterns.
Retrieving Short-Term Memories
Anna Azvolinsky | Dec 1, 2016 | 3 min read
Neurons can continue to capture a short-term memory without continuous firing, researchers show.  
Nascent Neurons Journey Through Newborn Brain
Anna Azvolinsky | Oct 6, 2016 | 4 min read
Young cells make their way to the frontal lobe to create new circuits in the brains of infants, researchers report. 
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