First steps in metastasis formation clarified Quick-change artists: When melanoma cancer cells are attacked by the immune system, they activate specific genes and change their cell type. This reaction then inhibits T cells, among other things, making it easier for the skin cancer cells to colonize lymph nodes and form metastases, as researchers report in "Nature Cancer." They also identified proteins characteristic of these metastasis founder cells that may be suitable target

Gene Activity on the X and Y Chromosomes Influences Height XY becomes taller than XX: Researchers have discovered that a specific gene on the X and Y chromosomes plays an important role in our height. According to the study, this gene is more active on the male Y chromosome than on the second X chromosome in women. This gives men additional height. However, height is also influenced by other factors, including hormones and chromosome number. The method could also be used in t

Three-Part Antitoxin Neutralizes Toxins of the Deadliest Snakes Potent antidote: For the first time, physicians have developed a broadly effective antiserum against 19 deadly snake species – including mambas, cobras, taipans, and kraits. The new antitoxin neutralizes the neurotoxins of all venomous snakes, as mouse experiments suggest. The antitoxin was created from antibodies from a man who had immunized himself against snake venom hundreds of times. The antibody cocktail co

Great apes share alcoholic fruit with their peers Drinking binges in the animal kingdom: Chimpanzees may have alcoholic "parties" similar to humans – and thus strengthen the sense of community within the group, biologists have discovered. They observed the great apes in the wild several times communally consuming fermented breadfruit. Chimpanzees rarely share their food. The celebratory mood of humans and apes could, in this case, be traced back to a common ancestor, the team

Archaea Could Play a Previously Underestimated Role in the Microbiome A new roommate: Scientists have discovered a previously unknown microbe in our gut. It's not a bacterium, but a species of archaea. The species, dubbed Methanobrevibacter intestini, produces the gas methane – similar to a newly discovered variant of the archaea species Methanobrevibacter smithii. These findings suggest that our intestinal flora is significantly more influenced by archaea than previously tho

Only the T cells best adapted to the "enemy" undergo the second activation phase First trained, then selectively activated: The "killer cells" of our immune system are prepared for action in two phases instead of just one, as researchers have discovered. In the first phase, the T cells learn the characteristics of the pathogens they are to destroy. In the second, newly discovered phase, however, only the T cells that best recognize the pathogens are activated and dispatched,

Cellular highways under the microscope Neuron images provide information about degenerative neurological diseases