Health

Irvine, CA — A new study, led by researchers from the University of California, Irvine, identifies a reason for why older adults are significantly more susceptible to infectious diseases than younger people, a critical societal issue most recently exemplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Study results also pave the way for new potential therapeutic targets to […]

Kashiwa, Japan — Researchers have developed a biomedical imaging system using a semiconductor detector originally developed for hard X-ray and gamma-ray space observation, and used a spectral analysis method from astronomy to take accurate images of multiple radionuclides in small animals, reports a new paper in Nature Biomedical Engineering published on April 4. Currently, fluorescent […]

Baton Rouge, LA — A recently discovered chemical compound helped elderly mice with obesity lose fat and weight, add muscle and strength, reduce age-related inflammation and increase physical activity, a new study shows. The study, published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, provides the first evidence that BAM15, a mitochondrial uncoupler, prevents sarcopenic obesity, […]

Chicago, IL — Using a protein nanoparticle they designed, scientists at the University of Illinois Chicago have identified two distinct subtypes of neutrophils and found that one of the subtypes can be used as a drug target for inflammatory diseases.  Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that help fight infection, clear dead cell […]

Houston, TX — Houston Methodist researchers have identified the genetic and molecular fingerprints of different cancer and immune cells in glioblastoma, the deadliest and most common type of brain cancer in adults. Their in-depth molecular analysis of over 200,000 single cells revealed a protein, called S100A4, that could be a potential therapeutic target for restoring […]

Madison, WI — A new biodegradable gel improves the immune system’s ability to keep cancer at bay after tumours are surgically removed. The gel, tested in mice, releases drugs and special antibodies that simultaneously deplete immune-blocking cells called macrophages from the surgical site and activate T cells so they can attack cancer. University of Wisconsin–Madison […]

Seattle, WA — The mystery is being unraveled of why the control centres, or nuclei, of certain blood cancer cells have a distinctly odd shape. These new research findings provide clues on the origins and progression of these cancers, and could suggest ways to diagnose and treat certain leukemias at an earlier stage. These squeezed-in-the-middle nuclei, which […]

Bochum, Germany — It is well known that co-infections with hepatitis viruses do exist. “However, the co-infection of hepatitis C and E has not yet been systematically researched,” says Thomas Burkard. “Even though the possibility always looms that a simultaneous infection with two viruses could perhaps be particularly dangerous.” A single protein suppresses infection In […]

Osaka, Japan — Liver disease negatively impacted by lifestyle changes during the first year of the pandemic, according to a new study in the journal Liver International. The retrospective study used health checkup data of 973 participants between 2018 and 2020 from MedCity21, an advanced medical centre for preventive medicine established by Osaka City University […]

Bern, Switzerland — Exposure to stress activates a group of natural physiological and cerebral responses that orchestrate the necessary behavioural changes for facing threats to one’s life, such as fleeing or fighting when confronted by a potential aggressor. Exposure to situations of intense or repeated stress can nonetheless have insidious effects and trigger psychiatric problems characterized by […]

Salt Lake City, UT — A new study led by researchers at University of Utah Health details a novel mechanism that infectious bacteria use to quickly adjust to environmental stress. The discovery could help explain why certain types of common infections—such as urinary tract and bloodstream infections like sepsis—are hard to get rid of.  The mechanism, […]

Los Angeles, CA — As scientists work toward finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease, one line of research that has emerged focuses on mitochondria, the structures within cells that make energy. The health of those structures is maintained through a quality control system that balances two opposite processes: fission — one mitochondrion splitting in two […]