by Jennifer Rainey Marquez, Georgia State University Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States among men and women, and the number one risk factor is age. In large part, this is because of the damage that occurs in our blood vessels as we grow older. But what if you could turn...
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Active lifestyle shown to repair spinal cord injuries
By Ananya Mandal, MD Reviewed by Kate Anderton, B.Sc. Leading an active lifestyle could help repair and regenerate damaged nerves of the spinal cord after an injury, according to new research. Early stage study results were published in the latest issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine. Using mice and rat models, the international research team,...
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Ketamine may relieve depression by mending broken bridges in the brain
Nick Lavars Though it is already administered in off-label doses at clinics across the US for its rapid anti-depressant effects and, significantly, was approved in nasal spray form by the FDA last month, there remains a lot to learn about ketamine and its close chemical relatives. A new study has shed more light on how it can stave off...
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Train your brain, change your brain
Scientists developed a technique for brain training capable to induce changes of neural networks in less than one hour. D’OR INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION Less than one hour of brain training with neurofeedback leads to a strengthening of neural connections and communication among brain areas. This is the main finding of a new study conducted at D’Or Institute for Research...
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Immune study sheds light on vitamin D effects
by University of Edinburgh Scientists have uncovered fresh insights into how vitamin D affects the immune system and might influence susceptibility to diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Vitamin D is produced by the body in response to sunlight and is often lauded for its health benefits. Researchers found it also affects key cells of the immune system. This discovery might explain...
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Tel Aviv University scientists print first 3D heart using patient’s biological materials
Engineered heart completely matches the immunological, cellular, biochemical and anatomical properties of the patient AMERICAN FRIENDS OF TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY In a major medical breakthrough, Tel Aviv University researchers have “printed” the world’s first 3D vascularised engineered heart using a patient’s own cells and biological materials. Their findings were published on April 15 in a study in Advanced Science. Until now, scientists in regenerative medicine — a field positioned at the crossroads of biology and technology —...
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Keeping bone in its place
by Anivarya Kumar, Vanderbilt University Heterotopic ossification (HO) is the formation of bone within soft tissue such as muscle, leading to pain and potentially the inability to use a limb. Once thought to be primarily a genetic disease, the cause of most trauma-induced HO is unknown. Reporting this month in the journal Calcified Tissue International, Jonathan Schoenecker, MD,...
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Stimulating the epileptic brain breaks up neural networks to prevent seizures
by University of Pittsburgh Responsive neurostimulation (RNS) treats epilepsy by detecting seizures and intervening with a jolt of electric current. Over time, most patients find their seizures become fewer and further between. Now, for the first time, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC have a better understanding of why this happens. As reported today...
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Scientists found a way to restore motivation of people with Parkinson’s
Incurable diseases distort people’s world view. It is a very well-known fact that people who suffer from Parkinson’s lose all their motivation. However, now scientists from the Monash University proved that dopamine levels in the brain can help people with Parkinson’s disease to combat cognitive apathy and regain cognitive motivation equivalent to healthy individuals. Dopamine...
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Cause of cancer is ‘written’ in our DNA as unique ‘fingerprints’
By Sally Robertson, B.Sc. Reviewed by Kate Anderton, B.Sc. Scientists have discovered that the cause of cancer is “written” within the DNA of tumors, a finding that could help doctors to pinpoint the triggers underlying the development of individual tumors. Previously, the roots of many cancer have been unclear, with doctors unable to attribute the disease to...