Over two percent of the population develops obsessive-compulsive disorder at some point over the course of their lives Repetitive thoughts, compulsions, and behaviors can disrupt these peoples’ lives and isolate them OCD is characterized by an overly-active brain circuit Transcranial magnetic stimulation uses magnetic pulses to disrupt the electrical activity in this circuit A similar...
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Deadly ‘rat fever’ in flood-ravaged Indian state
“Rat fever” has killed at least 12 people with another 54 suspected fatal cases in the southern Indian state of Kerala since August, after the worst floods in almost a century, authorities said Tuesday. A total of 372 people have been infected with the disease, known properly as leptospirosis and transmitted in water, soil or...
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Relapse-free cure from MDR-TB higher than anticipated
(HealthDay)—The frequency of relapse-free cure from multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is higher than previously anticipated, according to a study published in the Aug. 1issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Gunar Günther, M.D., M.P.H., from the German Center for Infection Research in Borstel, and colleagues documented the management and treatment outcomes of patients with...
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Superbug discovery renews hope for antibiotic treatment
Bacteria that were thought to be resistant to a powerful antibiotic may be susceptible to treatment, after all, research has found. The food-poisoning bug Listeria was shown to respond to an antibiotic even though the bacteria carry genes that should make it highly resistant. Electron micrograph of a flagellated Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, Magnified 41,250X. Credit:...
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Can My Primary Care Doctor Treat My Cancer?
Introduction When I was diagnosed with stage IV terminal lung cancer, my primary care doctor gave me the news. His compassion created a pathway of healing that has sustained me for more than seven years. Shortly after my diagnosis, I had a set of scans. One concern was the condition of my lung: had it...
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There’s A New Antibiotic In Town, And We Can Create It In The Lab
A PROMISING DISCOVERY. Bacteria are shifty little things. We isolate antibiotics to kill them, and they evolve to dodge the attack. This is called antibiotic resistance, and it’s gotten so bad the United Nations (UN) actually declared it a crisis back in September 2016. Now, a team of Chinese researchers think they’ve found a new weapon against antibiotic...
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Hormone therapy can make prostate cancer worse, study finds
CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER LOS ANGELES (Sept. 4, 2018) — Scientists at Cedars-Sinai have discovered how prostate cancer can sometimes withstand and outwit a standard hormone therapy, causing cancer to spread. Their findings also point to a simple blood test that may help doctors predict when this type of hormone therapy resistance will occur. Prostate cancer...
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Antioxidant reduces risk for second heart attack, stroke
Cells and platelets stick inside arteries, increase risk after the initial attack OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY PORTLAND, Oregon — Doctors have long known that in the months after a heart attack or stroke, patients are more likely to have another attack or stroke. Now, a paper in the Journal of the American College of...
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Enhancing immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy using treatment combination
A combination of a novel inhibitor of the protein CK2 (Casein kinase 2) and an immune checkpoint inhibitor has dramatically greater antitumor activity than either inhibitor alone, according to research from The Wistar Institute that was published online in Cancer Research. Credit: The Wistar Institute Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been approved to treat several types...
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Immunotherapy could offer hope for some men with aggressive prostate cancers
A group of men with especially aggressive prostate cancer may respond unusually well to immunotherapy, a major new study reports. Micrograph showing prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma (the most common form of prostate cancer) Credit: Wikipedia The research offers the possibility of effective treatment for men with prostatecancer who currently die from their disease much more rapidly...