A team of researchers from several institutions in Japan has found that a certain drug in conjunction with physical therapy has resulted in improved recovery from a stroke in mice and monkeys. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their study of the impact of the drug on mice and monkeys and...
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PCSK9 inhibitors have unexpected anti-inflammatory effects
PCSK9 inhibition is a new therapeutic strategy for atherosclerosis which is known to lower LDL cholesterol. Research from Karolinska Institutet, presented at the ESC Congress last year and now published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, shows that PCSK9 inhibitors could ameliorate cardiovascular disease by immune mechanisms that are independent of LDL lowering. Atherosclerosis is a...
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Vitamin D blood test may one day speed bipolar diagnosis in kids
Finding a reliable blood marker could offer help to doctors and parents, study suggests COLUMBUS, Ohio – A blood test may have the potential to speed accurate diagnosis – and proper treatment – of bipolar disorder in children, new research suggests. Researchers at The Ohio State University found that children with bipolar disorder had higher...
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Lab-grown heart tissue that mimics our own
A TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART CELLS. (KACEY RONALDSON-BOUCHARD AND GORDANA VUNJAK-NOVAKOVIC / COLUMBIA ENGINEERING) Columbia scientists have created a model of cardiac muscle that mimics the muscle found in adult hearts. Researchers turned stem cells into cardiac cells, then zapped them with electricity to make them contract as they developed. They increased the frequency...
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Study: Prosthetic Memory System Successfully Implemented In Humans
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — We’re familiar with the amazing power of prosthetic limbs, but scientists have taken the power of prostheses to a new level. A pilot study conducted by a team of researchers from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and the University of Southern California successfully implemented a prosthetic memory system in a human brain....
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New study examines prescribing antipsychotic medication for children with autism
A new study by Swansea University has suggested that children with intellectual difficulty or autism are more likely to be given antipsychotic medication from a younger age than those without intellectual disability and have higher rates of hospitalization for depression and for injury and also are at risk of other medical side effects. Antipsychotic medication...
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Are high-risk anti-cholinergic medicines prescribed too often for older adults?
Anticholinergics are a class of medications that are often prescribed for allergies, lung disease, and urinary incontinence. They also often can increase health risks for older adults. These medicines can affect your memory and ability to think, and they can even lead to increases in the risk for falls, dementia, and death. Additionally, older adults...
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Researchers test stem cell-based retinal implant for common cause of vision loss
Scanning electron microscope image of retinal pigment epithelial cells derived from stem cells. Credit: USC Roski Eye Institute Physicians and researchers at the USC Roski Eye Institute have collaborated with other California institutions to show that a first-in-kind stem cell-based retinal implant is feasible for use in people with advanced dry age-related macular degeneration. The...
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Study suggests pasta can be part of a healthy diet without packing on the pounds
Carbohydrates get a lot of bad press and blame for the obesity epidemic, but a new study suggests that this negative attention may not be deserved for pasta. Unlike most ‘refined’ carbohydrates, which are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, pasta has a low glycemic index, meaning it causes smaller increases in blood sugar levels than those caused by eating foods...
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Vitamin C Depletion Accelerates Leukemia in Mice
High levels of vitamin C absorbed by blood-forming stem cells are important for their normal development. Ascorbate, also known as vitamin C, plays a key role in determining whether blood-forming stem cells will become cancerous, according to a study of cell cultures and mice published today (August 21) in Nature. Both human and mouse hematopoietic stem...