Dr K K Aggarwal

Noteworthy Advances in Basic Research

Seeing into the brain

NIH–funded scientists developed a new technique to preserve the brain’s 3–D structure down to the molecular level with a hydrogel. It allows for study of the brain’s inner workings at a scale never before possible.

Structure of a potential diabetes drug target

An international team of researchers, funded in part by NIH, determined and analyzed the structure of the human glucagon receptor.

How sleep clears the brain

An NIH–funded study in mice suggests that sleep helps restore the brain by flushing out toxins that build up during waking hours though a special series of channels in the brain.

Technique forms working inner ear cells

Using an innovative 3–D culture system, NIH–funded researchers were able to coax mouse embryonic stem cells to form complex cells and structures seen in the inner ear.

Study reveals new targets for Parkinson’s disease

NIH scientists used a novel approach, involving a protein tied to Parkinson’s disease, to identify dozens of genes that may contribute to disorders that involve mitochondria.

Therapeutic nanoparticles from grapefruit juice

NIH–funded researchers made nanoparticles from grapefruits and used them to deliver targeted drugs to treat cancer in mice. The technique may prove to be a safe and inexpensive alternative.

Understanding how we speak

Scientists funded by NIH revealed the patterns of brain activity that produce human speech