It takes a hookworm four to six weeks to travel through the human body and reach the gut, where it latches onto the small intestine and sucks blood to sustain itself. That doesn’t just sound gross; it also sounds like a situation that would outrage the immune system into action. But if you take an endoscope and film these...
Post
Study finds harmful protein on acid triggers a life-threatening disease
Using an array of modern biochemical and structural biology techniques, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have begun to unravel the mystery of how acidity influences a small protein called serum amyloid A (SAA). The findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, may help design new treatments for the...
Post
Researchers report regenerative effects of low-dose growth factors for bone defect healing
Researchers compared the effects of three bone growth factors to bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2)—the most commonly used agent for repair of large bone defects, which is not without risks at the doses required—and showed significant bone-healing effects including the formation of new blood vessels at low doses relative to BMP2. These findings, which suggest...
Post
A tiny part of the brain appears to orchestrate the whole body’s aging
Why do we age? It’s a seemingly simple question that nonetheless scientists don’t have a great answer to. Some amount of aging seems to be controlled by our genetic makeup, while other evidence shows that our cells have an upper limit to how many times they can divide. But a new study points to a different player:...
Post
Computerised mirror therapy with Augmented Reflection Technology for early stroke rehabilitation: clinical feasibility and integration as an adjunct therapy
Abstract Purpose: New rehabilitation strategies for post-stroke upper limb rehabilitation employing visual stimulation show promising results, however, cost-efficient and clinically feasible ways to provide these interventions are still lacking. An integral step is to translate recent technological advances, such as in virtual and augmented reality, into therapeutic practice to improve outcomes for patients. This requires research...
Post
Memories could be RE-AWOKEN in Alzheimer’s sufferers: Scientists reactivate brains of dementia-plagued mice with lasers – paving the way to a human cure
Lost memories in Alzheimer’s patients could be brought back with lasers Research team at Columbia University claims memories are not lost but difficult to access Looked at two groups of mice, one with dementia-like disease, one without Studied their brain when they were given memory tests and found the memories are recalled incorrectly Also found...
Post
The efficacy of interactive, motion capture-based rehabilitation on functional outcomes in an inpatient stroke population: a randomized controlled trial
Abstract OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of novel interactive, motion capture-rehabilitation software to usual care stroke rehabilitation on physical function. DESIGN: Randomized controlled clinical trial. SETTING: Two subacute hospital rehabilitation units in Australia. PARTICIPANTS: In all, 73 people less than six months after stroke with reduced mobility and clinician determined capacity to improve. INTERVENTIONS: Both...
Post
Smokers who receive CT lung screening are more likely to quit
Smokers who undergo a CT scan of their lungs are more likely to quit than those who don’t, concludes a trial led by Cardiff University. The findings of the study, looking at the effect of CT screening on smokers at high-risk of developing lung cancer, dispute the belief that a negative screening result offers a ‘licence to...