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A recent study involving the Medical University of Vienna in an international collaboration provides new insights into bacterial vaginosis, the most common infection of the female genital tract caused by bacteria. This disease is associated with an increased risk of sexually transmitted infections, HIV and premature births.

Why do our mental images stay sharp even when we are moving fast? A team of neuroscientists led by Professor Maximilian Jösch at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) has identified a mechanism that corrects visual distortions caused by movement in animals. The study, conducted in mice, identifies a core function that can be generalized across the vertebrate visual system, including primates such as humans.

An interdisciplinary research team led by the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and the Comprehensive Cancer Center of MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital has investigated the potential of liquid biopsies from blood and cerebrospinal fluid for the diagnosis and monitoring of brain tumors in children and adolescents.

New insights into our linguistic roots via ancient DNA analysis Where lies the origin of the Indo-European language family? Ron Pinhasi and his team in the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Vienna contribute a new piece to this puzzle in collaboration with David Reich's ancient DNA laboratory at Harvard University.

Painted lady butterflies are world travelers. The ones we encounter in Europe fly from Africa to Sweden, ultimately returning to areas north and south of the Sahara. But what determines whether some butterflies travel long distances while others travel short distances? A group of scientists, including from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), shows that the different migration strategies are shaped by environmental conditions rather than being encoded in the butterfly's DNA.

Nerve stimulation can help with various diseases. However, this only works well if the body's own rhythms are taken into account, says a study by TU Wien (Vienna). It doesn't always have to be medication. Some health problems, from chronic pain and inflammation to neurological diseases, can also be treated by nerve stimulation, for example with the help of electrodes that are attached to the ear and activate the vagus nerve.

In a paper recently published in the leading journal "The Lancet Digital Health", a scientific team led by Stanisa Raspopovic from MedUni Vienna looks at the progress and challenges in the research and development of brain implants. New achievements in the field of this technology are seen as a source of hope for many patients with neurological disorders and have been making headlines recently.

An innovative study by the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences (KL Krems) and the Medical University of Vienna (MedUni Vienna) provides new insights into the genetic mechanisms of birch pollen allergy. The research team observed significantly more active genes for immunological signalling pathways in the nasal mucosa of allergy sufferers after exposure to birch pollen than in unaffected individuals.

Diabetic neuropathy, a common complication of diabetes, manifests itself in the loss of sensation in the feet leading to chronic pain and ulcers, in severe cases even to amputations. While previous interventions have aimed to alleviate the symptoms, the non-invasive neuroprosthesis developed by an international research team led by Stanisa Raspopovic from MedUni Vienna addresses the cause.

Researchers from the University of Innsbruck have developed a new method for covalently labeling RNA in the cell. In the journal Nature Chemical Biology, they show how it can be used to map RNA movements in the cell. The specific labeling of RNA in living cells poses many challenges. In the journal Nature Chemical Biology, researchers from the University of Innsbruck describe a structure-guided approach to the formation of covalent (i.e.

Diffuse hemispheric glioma (DHG) is a brain tumor in children, adolescents and young adults with an average survival prognosis of less than two years and limited treatment options. A research team from MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna has identified increased stress through targeted DNA breaks with simultaneous inhibition of DNA repair in the tumor cell as a promising therapeutic approach.

The Ignaz Semmelweis Institute will start work at the beginning of 2025.

The black box of the human brain is beginning to open. Although animal models are crucial for our understanding of the mammalian brain, the less frequently collected human data reveal important peculiarities. In a recent paper published in the journal Cell, a team led by the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and the Medical University of Vienna has shed light on the human hippocampal region CA3, which is central to memory storage.

The black box of the human brain is beginning to open. Although animal models are crucial for our understanding of the mammalian brain, the less frequently collected human data reveal important peculiarities. In a recent paper published in the journal Cell, a team led by the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and the Medical University of Vienna has shed light on the human hippocampal region CA3, which is central to memory storage.

ISTA biologists team up with neurosurgeons to unravel the human brain's specificities The black box of the human brain is starting to crack open. Although animal models are instrumental in shaping our understanding of the mammalian brain, scarce human data is uncovering important specificities. In a paper published in Cell , a team led by the Jonas group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and neurosurgeons from the Medical University of Vienna shed light on the human hippocampal CA3 region, central for memory storage.

Helping out your neighbor or minding your own business? A challenging choice with different benefits for each decision. Game theory provides guidance in making such choices - from a theoretical perspective. Novel findings by Jakub Svoboda and Krishnendu Chatterjee at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) reveal new network structures that enhance cooperation throughout a system.

Non-native animals are a threat to biodiversity, yet many are themselves threatened with extinction in their areas of origin Non-native species introduced by humans are among the main causes of global species decline - they were partly responsible for 60 percent of the species that have become extinct worldwide in recent decades.

When women are pregnant and nurse their babies, their bodies change and various organs, such as the breasts or the immune system, are adapted to ensure the health of both mother and child. This happens throughout evolution in all mammals. An international research team led by Josef Penninger and Masahiro Onji, Medical University of Vienna, now reports the surprising finding that the intestine also changes completely in pregnant and nursing females, resulting in a doubling of the intestinal surface area and a striking structural reorganisation.

New ISTA research shows how tissue development is temporally organized When a vertebrate embryo develops, a group of cells self-organizes into the neural tube, eventually becoming the brain and the spinal cord. This involves specific signals, but how these signals are interpreted by developing cells remains unclear.

ISTA scientists use harmless viruses to investigate the nervous system in frogs Amphibians hold a significant place in evolution, representing the transition from aquatic to terrestrial lifestyles. They are crucial for understanding the brain and spinal cord of tetrapods-animals with four limbs, including humans.