Dive Brief: A survey of 2,106 U.S. physicians found that, on average, they believe 20.6% of medical care is unnecessary, including 22% of prescriptions, 24.9% of tests and 11.1% of procedures. An overwhelming majority (84.7%) attributed overtreatment to fear of malpractice, according to the study in Plos One. Other oft-cited reasons were patient pressure (59%) and...
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IBM pitched its Watson supercomputer as a revolution in cancer care. It’s nowhere close
t was an audacious undertaking, even for one of the most storied American companies: With a single machine, IBM would tackle humanity’s most vexing diseases and revolutionize medicine. Breathlessly promoting its signature brand — Watson — IBM sought to capture the world’s imagination, and it quickly zeroed in on a high-profile target: cancer. But three...
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Study reveals new clues to how a successful HIV vaccine could work
HIV infecting a human cell. Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have made a discovery that could speed efforts to develop a successful HIV vaccine. The scientists found that on the HIV envelope protein, at a site important for viral function, a small group of sugar molecules, known as glycans, serves as a...
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Researchers identify critical molecular link between inflammation and diabetes
High-resolution model of six insulin molecules assembled in a hexamer. A new study by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) has uncovered how inflammation contributes to a key feature of diabetes, the body’s inability to metabolize glucose, a condition known as insulin resistance. More than 30 million Americans suffer...
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Variation in genetic risk explains which people develop type 1 diabetes in later life
Study suggests genetic predisposition for late onset type 1 diabetes. Having certain genetic variants could explain why people can develop type 1 diabetes at markedly different ages, including later in life, says new University of Exeter research being presented at this year’s annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD)...
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Scientists discover ‘internal clock’ inside human cells – paving the way to understanding diseases like muscular dystrophy and cancer
Scientists have found first ‘physical’ measure of a cell’s life stage Method will help researchers study ongoing changes in cells Findings could shed light on muscular dystrophy and cardiomyopathy Researchers have discovered the ‘internal clock’ of cells – breaking new ground to understand how diseases take hold of the body. Previously, the biological clock we...
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Nanogenerators could turn our veins into blood flow power plants
A new nanogenerator could potentially harvest electricity from the rushing of our blood through our veins Humans have been harnessing the power of flowing water for thousands of years, but scaling the concept down to a size small enough to turn our veins into tiny power plants is something else altogether. Using principles similar to...
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Breakthrough study reveals new diagnosis for Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s sufferers may now have an additional test to improve the accuracy of diagnosis in order to better tailor appropriate treatment In the largest and most conclusive study of its kind, researchers have analysed blood samples to create a novel and non-invasive way of helping to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease and distinguishing between different types of...
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New diagnostic tool spots first signs of Parkinson’s disease
Researchers have developed the first tool that can diagnose Parkinson’s disease when there are no physical symptoms, offering hope for more effective treatment of the condition. There are currently no laboratory tests for Parkinson’s and by the time people present to a neurologist with symptoms, nerve cells in their brains have already suffered irreversible damage....
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Researchers point way to improved stem cell transplantation therapies
Researchers in Germany have demonstrated that hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplants can be improved by treatments that temporarily prevent the stem cells from dying. The approach, which is described in a paper to be published September 7 in The Journal of Experimental Medicine, could allow those in need of such transplants, including leukemia and lymphoma patients,...