Several processes in the roundworm C. elegans boost the stress response in cells, incidentally making worms resistant to a high-fat diet and extending their lifespan. Researchers have found another: cells called glia that release a hormone that boosts the unfolded protein response in the endoplasmic reticulum of the worm's cells, effectively doubling lifespan. This could lead to interventions to tune up peripheral cells, such as muscle cells, and prevent age-related deterioration in humans.

A robot was used to treat brain aneurysms for the first time. The robotic system could eventually allow remote surgery, enabling surgeons to treat strokes from afar.

Switching what the powerhouses of heart cells consume for energy could help the heart regenerate when cells die.

Ecofriendly materials, produced under good work conditions -- convincing arguments for most of us. But how do consumers really weigh compliance with such ethical standards? Not as much as they think: Researchers used an example from textile industry to demonstrate that customers unconsciously use a single ethical aspect as an excuse for less moral behavior regarding other aspects. They report about these 'indulgence effects' and their significance in a recent article.

Researchers have demonstrated the use of stem-cell-derived 'mini-brains' to detect harmful side effects of a common drug on the developing brain. Mini-brains are miniature human brain models, developed with human cells and barely visible to the human eye, whose cellular mechanisms mimic those of the developing human brain.