IMAGE: THE PROTEIN TAZ (GREEN) IN THE CYTOPLASM (THE REGION OUTSIDE OF THE NUCLEI, BLUE) PROMOTES THE SELF-RENEWAL OF HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS. Just as beauty exists in the eye of the beholder, a signal depends upon the interpretation of the receiver. According to new USC research published in Stem Cell Reports, a protein called TAZ...
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Depression is a physical illness which could be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, scientists suggest
Depression could be treated using anti-inflammatory drugs, scientists now believe, after determining that it is a physical illness caused by a faulty immune system. Around one in 13 people in Britain suffers from anxiety or depression and last year the NHS issued 64.7 million prescriptions for antidepressants, double the amount given out a decade ago....
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Drugs in disguise heal the brain
The treatment of brain diseases is on the verge of a breakthrough. Researchers from Aalborg University are developing a new method that ‘smuggles’ medicine past the brain’s defense systems, giving hope that diseases such as Alzheimer’s can one day be cured. Today, diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, epilepsy and Parkinson’s are not curable; we can...
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South Asians with family history of heart disease at greater risk
New research by UT Southwestern cardiologists shows that people of South Asian descent with a family history of coronary heart disease are significantly more likely to have high levels of calcium buildup in their arteries – an indicator of higher risk for heart attacks. The findings, appearing in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Imaging,...
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Blocking sweet taste receptors can help body fight off sinus infections
PHILADELPHIA – Bitter taste receptors in the upper airway are a first line of defense against sinus infections, but their ability to kill harmful toxins and pathogens is blocked when the sweet taste receptors are also stimulated. While glucose and other sugars are known to trigger these sweet taste receptors, researchers at the Perelman School...
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Treating with antioxidants early in Parkinson’s disease process may halt degeneration and improve neuronal function
Northwestern Medicine scientists have identified a toxic cascade that leads to neuronal degeneration in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and figured out how to interrupt it, reports a study to be published September 7 in the journal Science. Intervening with an antioxidant early in the disease process may break the degenerative cycle and improve neuron function...
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Human skin cells transformed directly into motor neurons
Scientists working to develop new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases have been stymied by the inability to grow human motor neurons in the lab. Motor neurons drive muscle contractions, and their damage underlies devastating diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal muscular atrophy, both of which ultimately lead to paralysis and early death. In new...
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Scleraxis found vital for knitting muscles and bones together
Compared to ScxCre/+ mouse, ScxCre/Cre mouse is small. The forelimb autopod of ScxCre/Cre KI neonates was locked in a dorsal flexure In vertebrates, bodily support and movement requires bones and muscles. Muscles pull and push, contract and relax – and bones respond accordingly. Taken together they form the musculoskeletal system. But, while much is...
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New treatment on the horizon for type 1 diabetes sufferers
Pancreatic islet transplant in the quadriceps muscle. Patients suffering from type 1 diabetes may soon have access to improved approaches to treat the disease, courtesy of new research out of Sydney’s Westmead Institute for Medical Research. The team of researchers, led by Professor Jenny Gunton, discovered that pancreatic islets transplants delivered into the quadriceps...
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A randomized clinical trial of acupuncture versus oral steroids for carpal tunnel syndrome: a long-term follow-up
Abstract We prospectively followed up patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in our previous study for 1 year. A total of 77 consecutive patients with electrophysiologically confirmed mild-to-moderate idiopathic CTS were randomized and assigned into 2 treatment arms: 1) 2 weeks of prednisolone 20 mg daily followed by 2 weeks of prednisolone 10 mg daily...