Regions of the brain associated with stress and posttraumatic stress disorder. In a study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in civilian women were strongly associated with increased risk of developing lupus, an autoimmune disease. In the study of 54,763 women, investigators found a nearly three-fold elevated risk of...
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Researchers May Have Discovered a New Way to Kill off Cancer Cells
IN BRIEF Researchers from Duke University’s Cancer Institute have published a study explaining how a modified poliovirus is able to effectively treat cancer patients. They discovered that the virus compels the body’s own immune system to join the fight against the cancer cells. LOCKING ON CANCER CELLS Since 2011, researchers have been conducting clinical trials involving a...
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The big question: Will cancer immune therapy work for me?
In this Aug. 15, 2017 photo, Dr. Razelle Kurzrock poses for a portrait in her office in San Diego. Immunotherapy is the hottest thing in cancer treatment, but it’s not for everyone. It can put some very advanced, thought-to-be-terminal …more Dennis Lyon was a genetic train wreck. Cancer was ravaging his liver, lungs, bones and...
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Gene therapy: What you need to know
British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline made headlines last year when it won approval for its gene therapy Strimvelis in Europe. But, due to a small patient population and high price tag, the drug has only been used once. So far, despite higher levels of safety and efficacy than previous iterations, the new wave of gene therapies still...
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Breathing Dirty Air May Increase Kidney Disease Risk
Exposure to fine particulate air pollution appeared to be associated with an increased risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), according to a newly published epidemiologic study involving close to 2.5 million U.S. veterans followed for approximately 8 years. The study, published online in the Journal of the American Society...
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Serum cystatin C predicts mortality with cirrhotic ascites
(HealthDay)—Serum cystatin C level is an excellent predictor of mortality in patients with cirrhotic ascites, according to a study published online Sept. 14 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Yeon Seok Seo, M.D., Ph.D., from the Korea University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, and colleagues prospectively enrolled 350 patients with cirrhotic ascites (mean...
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Fasting blood glucose trajectory may predict future MI
(HealthDay)—For individuals without diabetes, certain fasting blood glucose (FBG) trajectories are associated with the risk of future myocardial infarction (MI), according to a study published online Sept. 8 in Diabetes Care. Cheng Jin, from the Kailuan General Hospital in Tangshan, China, and colleagues conducted a prospective cohort study involving 68,297 participants without diabetes free of MI, stroke, and cancer prior...
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Findings could lead to early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s
A model showing the progress of Alzheimer’s disease and the importance of the early diagnosis through the comparison of the lifespan between animals and humans. Korean researchers have identified the cause of olfactory dysfunction in the early stage of Alzheimer’s diseases. It is expected to be used in early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and...
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Apathy in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease Correlates with Alteration of Left Fronto-Polar Electroencephalographic Connectivity
Abstract Introduction: Quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) brain frequency and network analyses are known to differentiate between disease stages in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and are possible biomarkers. They correlate with cognitive decline. Little is known about changes in brain networks in relation to apathy. Objective/Aims: To analyze changes in brain network connectivities related to apathy. Methods: 40 PD patients (14...
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Scientists May Be On The Way To Developing A Test For CTE
Last week, the family of football player Aaron Hernandez ― who hanged himself in a prison cell in April while serving a life sentence for the murder of a friend ― filed a $20 million lawsuit against the NFL and the New England Patriots. Hernandez’s last days were marked by aggression, memory loss and impulsiveness, but it was only after his...