A new study published in the journal Neuron sheds light on the normal function of LRRK2, the most common genetic cause for late-onset Parkinson’s disease. The study was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health. For more than 10 years, scientists have known that mutations in...
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Closest Look Yet at Killer T-cell Activity Could Yield New Approach to Tackling Antibiotic Resistance
ANN ARBOR — In a study that could provide a roadmap for combatting the rising threat of drug-resistant pathogens, researchers have discovered the specific mechanism the body’s T cells use to kill bacteria. University of Michigan researchers, in collaboration with colleagues at Harvard University, have discovered a key difference between the way immune cells attack...
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New gene-editing technique may lead to treatment for thousands of diseases
Talk about precision gene editing. Scientists from Harvard University have just unveiled a new gene editor that uses the revolutionary CRISPR-Cas9 technology to target and change a single letter in a string of DNA bases — no cutting necessary. Considering that there are billions of letters in the human genome, converting one letter to another...
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No magic wand required: Scientists propose way to turn any cell into any other cell type
By harnessing massive amounts of data on activity within and between snippets of DNA, researchers say it could be possible to reprogram both healthy and diseased cells In fairy tales, all it takes to transform a frog into a prince, a servant into a princess or a mouse into a horse is the wave of...
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Researchers design synthetic beta cells to secrete insulin in response to high blood sugar
Fluorescence image of the artificial beta cells. Treating type 1 diabetes and some cases of type 2 diabetes has long required painful and frequent insulin injections or a mechanical insulin pump for insulin infusion. But researchers from the University of North Carolina and NC State have now developed what could be a much more...
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Albert Einstein teams find 89 percent of hispanic women use herbal remedies
New Rochelle, NY, October 30, 2017-A new study comparing use of herbal remedies among Hispanic women and non-Hispanic white women showed higher than expected use of herbal treatments by both groups, 89% and 81%, respectively. Notably, less than 1 in 6 Hispanic women and only a third of white women discussed the use of herbal...
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This Doctor Diagnosed His Own Cancer with an iPhone Ultrasound
Can a smartphone-enabled ultrasound machine become medicine’s next stethoscope? Every marketer wants the perfect story to tell. But if you’re in medicine, you don’t want it to be about yourself. Earlier this year, vascular surgeon John Martin was testing a pocket-sized ultrasound device developed by Butterfly Network, a startup based in Guilford, Connecticut, that he’d just...
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India fights the ‘lesser quality’ taint in drug manufacturing
he growth of the Indian generics industry has been startling. India is already the world’s largest exporter of generics, selling almost $16.5 billion worth last year alone. According to a recent analysis, the number of Indian generics approved in the U.S. is rising steadily, and already up to 40%. It’s a trend that is reshaping...
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Vibrating mask that helps you breathe easy: Device that shakes 100,000 times a second helps medication reduce symptoms faster
The device is a type of nebuliser – commonly used for inhaling medicine A trial in the U.S. showed the device could reduce hospital admissions The new Aerogen Solo mask has a 5mm-wide vibrating mesh with 1,000 perforations which shrinks the droplets of medicine further. A vibrating mask may make it easier and faster to...
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Bioresponsive Hydrogel Can Release Proteins on Cue
Researchers at Penn State have developed a DNA-laced hydrogel that mimics biological systems by releasing a proteins in response to a chemical signal, a technology which could be useful for drug delivery. The system has potential for on-demand release of therapeutic proteins, also known as biologics, to treat a variety of conditions. Hydrogels are composed...