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ScienceDaily: Top Health News |
| Call-and-response circuit tells neurons when to grow synapses Posted: 25 Oct 2021 02:21 PM PDT Brain cells called astrocytes play a key role in helping neurons develop and function properly, but there's still a lot scientists don't understand about how astrocytes perform these important jobs. Now, a team of scientists has found one way that neurons and astrocytes work together to form healthy connections called synapses. This insight into normal astrocyte function could help scientists better understand disorders linked to problems with neuronal development, including autism spectrum disorders. |
| Tiny microscopic hunters could be a crystal ball for climate change Posted: 25 Oct 2021 02:20 PM PDT Tiny unicellular creatures called protists could keep greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere by gobbling up bacteria that emit CO2, researchers say. Now, a study finds that a few simple measures of a protist's size and shape can be powerful predictors of how they might respond to global warming themselves. |
| Men, women ride the same emotional roller coaster Posted: 25 Oct 2021 08:37 AM PDT Contrary to widely held gender stereotypes, women are not more emotional than men, researchers say. |
| Posted: 25 Oct 2021 07:18 AM PDT Antibiotics are now an accepted first-line treatment for most people with appendicitis, according to final results of the Comparing Outcomes of antibiotic Drugs and Appendectomy (CODA) trial, and an updated treatment guideline for appendicitis from the American College of Surgeons. |
| Redefining human diseases through the lens of your DNA Posted: 25 Oct 2021 07:17 AM PDT Researchers performed genome-wide analysis studies (GWAS) to identify genetic elements associated with various diseases. To address inequities in previous GWAS, the team included 180,000 Japanese people and 220 health-related phenotypes in this analysis. After meta-analyzing the results with biobanks from the UK and Finland, they identified 5,000 novel genomic loci of phenotypic significance. They made their data publicly available to allow researchers worldwide examine genetic associations with human diseases in an unbiased manner. |
| Posted: 25 Oct 2021 07:17 AM PDT Increased consumption of whole grain foods could significantly reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes and the costs associated with its treatment. |
| Researchers discover a way to increase the effectiveness of antibiotics Posted: 25 Oct 2021 07:17 AM PDT Researchers have found a way to make antibiotics more effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria - also known as 'superbugs. |
| New research finds air pollution reduces sperm counts through brain inflammation Posted: 25 Oct 2021 07:17 AM PDT Researchers have long known that air pollution can increase the risk of disorders such as obesity, diabetes, and fertility, but they did not know the exact mechanism for how it can lead to these health conditions. Now researchers have shown how air pollution reduces sperm count in mice by causing inflammation in the brain. |
| Metabolic memory plays a key role in breast cancer relapse Posted: 25 Oct 2021 07:17 AM PDT Molecular targets for therapies that could prevent breast cancer recurrence have been identified by a group of scientists who analyzed tumor cells that proved resistant to the original treatment. Recent advances in early detection and targeted therapy have led to a growing success in treating breast cancer upon first presentation. This often is achieved by silencing tumor driving oncogenes and causing tumor regression. |
| Genes may affect the level of harmful bacterial toxins in the bloodstream Posted: 25 Oct 2021 07:17 AM PDT Lipopolysaccharide, a virulence factor produced by bacteria, is a toxin that can cause a systemic inflammation via the circulation. In a recently completed study, genetic markers were discovered which are associated with a heightened lipopolysaccharide level in the blood. |
| New study suggests that breastfeeding may help prevent cognitive decline Posted: 23 Oct 2021 09:21 AM PDT A new study has found that women over the age of 50 who had breastfed their babies performed better on cognitive tests compared to women who had never breastfed. The findings suggest that breastfeeding may have a positive impact on postmenopausal women's cognitive performance and could have long-term benefits for the mother's brain. |
| Slow release of a drug, TT-10, improves heart attack recovery in a mouse model Posted: 23 Oct 2021 09:21 AM PDT A pharmaceutical product called TT-10, which spurs proliferation of heart muscle cells, was thought to offer promise to treat heart attacks. In a mouse heart-attack model several years ago, intraperitoneal injection of TT-10 at first promoted proliferation of heart muscle cells and showed declines in the size of the dead area of heart muscle. However, these early improvements were followed by worsened cardiac function at later time points. Now researchers show that a different delivery method, nanoparticle-mediated, slow-release of TT-10, enhances the potency and durability of TT-10 treatment for repair of heart muscle in the mouse heart-attack model. |
| Machine learning predicts antibiotic resistance spread Posted: 22 Oct 2021 02:15 PM PDT Genes aren't only inherited through birth. Bacteria have the ability to pass genes to each other, or pick them up from their environment, through a process called horizonal gene transfer, which is a major culprit in the spread of antibiotic resistance. |
| Specific molecular mechanism that controls the transition from acute to chronic pain Posted: 22 Oct 2021 02:15 PM PDT A new study reveals the specific molecular mechanism that controls the transition from acute to chronic pain, and identifies this mechanism as a critical target for disease-modifying medicines. |
| Mechanism behind ineffective psoriasis drugs identified Posted: 22 Oct 2021 02:14 PM PDT Interleukin-12 -- a messenger molecule of immune cells -- was long considered to trigger the development of psoriasis. Now, researchers have shown that interleukin-12 does not actually cause the skin disease but protects against it. This also explains why common psoriasis drugs that block the messenger show insufficient treatment efficacy. |
| Shape of virus may determine RSV infection outcomes Posted: 22 Oct 2021 09:37 AM PDT Using a novel technology, researchers uncovered shape-shifting properties of a common respiratory virus. |
| Fighting multiple sclerosis with cold Posted: 22 Oct 2021 09:37 AM PDT In evolutionary biology, the 'Life History Theory,' first proposed in the 1950s, postulates that when the environment is favorable, the resources used by any organism are devoted for growth and reproduction. Conversely, in a hostile environment, resources are transferred to so-called maintenance programs, such as energy conservation and defense against external attacks. Scientists developed this idea to a specific field of medicine: the erroneous activation of the immune system that causes autoimmune diseases. By studying mice suffering from a model of multiple sclerosis, the research team succeeded in deciphering how exposure to cold pushed the organism to divert its resources from the immune system towards maintaining body heat. |
| Gene therapy shows early promise as angelman syndrome treatment Posted: 22 Oct 2021 09:37 AM PDT Scientists have reported encouraging early tests of a gene therapy strategy against Angelman syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder that features poor muscle control and balance, hard-to-treat epilepsy, and intellectual disabilities. |
| Common antidepressant should no longer be used to treat people with dementia Posted: 21 Oct 2021 04:31 PM PDT A drug used to treat agitation in people with dementia is no more effective than a placebo, and might even increase mortality, according to a new study. The research has shown that antidepressant mirtazapine offered no improvement in agitation for people with dementia -- and was possibly more likely to be associated with mortality than no intervention at all. |
| Cell-free DNA identifies early signs of relapse in pediatric medulloblastoma Posted: 21 Oct 2021 02:51 PM PDT Findings show that cell-free DNA in cerebrospinal fluid can be used to detect measurable residual disease and identify patients at risk of relapse. |
| Posted: 21 Oct 2021 02:51 PM PDT A new model sheds light on the function of a protein that is a major player in cancer growth, and their results could one day help researchers determine better ways to stop the spread of cancer. |
| It's not all-right: Problems when your body doesn't recognize your own left-handed RNA Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:10 AM PDT By generating a specific mutation in lab mice, researchers determined that a protein domain in an enzyme called adenosine deaminase 1 p150 is necessary for binding and editing certain RNA molecules. Mutant mice showed inhibited growth after birth, as well as abnormally developed organs. Interestingly, their brains showed characteristics similar to encephalopathy seen in humans suffering from Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS), a genetic inflammatory disorder. This work could help revolutionize treatment methods for AGS. |
| New PCR assays offer hope in the fight against the environmental spread of antimicrobial resistance Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:10 AM PDT Researchers have successfully trialed two new qPCR assays to help detect the presence of transmissible AMR using water and wastewater samples. The scientists present a DNA-based testing method that provides a surrogate for monitoring AMR, which will make AMR screening cheaper and more accessible around the world. |
| Researchers target tumors with intracellular precision Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:10 AM PDT A non-toxic, bacteria-based system can detect when it is inside a cancer cell and then release its payload of therapeutic drugs directly into the cell. The work could lead to effective, targeted therapies for currently untreatable cancers, such as liver or metastatic breast cancer. |
| How staphylococci protect themselves against antibiotics Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:10 AM PDT The skin bacterium Staphylococcus aureus often develops antibiotic resistance. It can then cause infections that are difficult to treat. Researchers have now uncovered an ingenious way in which a certain strain of Staphylococcus aureus protects itself against the important antibiotic vancomycin. |
| New, promising opportunities for treating skin fibrosis Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:10 AM PDT Collagen, the main component of the skin's extracellular matrix, can cause a pathological condition if it is in excess. Applying an electric field to the skin affects collagen pathways, temporarily reducing collagen production and increasing its degradation. These results open new therapeutic perspectives for the topical treatment of skin fibrosis characterized by excessive collagen deposition. |
| Prozac pegged as potential treatment for leading cause of blindness Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:09 AM PDT An antidepressant best known as Prozac could offer the first treatment for the leading cause of blindness among people over 50, new research suggests. |
| Targeted drug shows activity against brain metastases in kidney cancer Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:09 AM PDT A targeted drug has shown promising activity against brain metastases resulting from kidney cancer, achieving a 50 percent response rate, and supporting further studies of the drug in this patient group whose poor prognosis has created a significant unmet need. |
| Shining light to measure blood flow in the brain in real time Posted: 20 Oct 2021 11:00 AM PDT Scientists develop an optical technique that can image dynamic changes in the cerebral blood flow to diagnose brain health. |
| Preventing postsurgical adhesions using hydrogel barriers Posted: 20 Oct 2021 11:00 AM PDT Researchers have developed an injectable hydrogel which effectively prevents post-surgical scar tissue adhesions in the abdominal and pelvic cavities. |
| Scientists show plasma technology can safely clean disposable PPE for reuse Posted: 20 Oct 2021 10:59 AM PDT A new study has demonstrated a new method to safely clean and reuse facemask respirators with advanced low-temperature plasma technology. The discovery could help future pandemic responses by providing contingency options should a shortage of personal protective equipment for frontline healthcare staff occur again. |
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