by Lund University A new study confirms that a simple blood test can reveal whether there is accelerating nerve cell damage in the brain. The researchers analysed neurofilament light protein (NFL) in blood samples from patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Recently published in JAMA Neurology, the study suggests that the NFL concentration in the blood could be able to indicate if a drug actually affects the loss of...
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CBD reduces impairment caused by cannabis
by University College London The more cannabidiol (CBD) in a strain of cannabis, the lower the impairment to brain function, finds a new UCL-led brain imaging study. The research, published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, is the first study using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to gauge how different strains of cannabis impact brain function. “Over the last two...
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Discovery of genetic variants that protect against obesity and type 2 diabetes could lead to new weight loss medicines
Around four million people in the UK carry genetic variants that protect them from obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease, suggests new research from the University of Cambridge. The team say the discovery could lead to the development of new drugs that help people lose weight. Scientists have known for several years that genes...
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Antibiotic Resistant Superbugs Will Kill More People Than Cancer By 2050
An additional 10 million people all over the world will likely die every year by 2050 because of drug-resistant diseases, a new study says. Superbugs are expected to become one of the leading causes of deaths globally, overtaking even cancer in the next 30 years, according to a report commissioned by the United Kingdom government. These infections are...
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Virtual vocal tract creates speech from brain signals, a potential aid for ALS and stroke patients
By SHARON BEGLEY @sxbegle APRIL 24, 2019 Speaking one’s mind” is getting literal: A device that detects electrical signals in the brain’s speech-producing regions created synthetic speech good enough for listeners to mostly understand complex sentences, University of California, San Francisco, scientists reported on Wednesday. Listeners missed about 30 percent of the words in the synthetic speech,...
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German scientists create see-through ORGANS in step toward 3D-printed parts that could be transplanted in the human body
Scientists developed technique that uses a solvent to make organs such as the brain and kidneys transparent Organ scanned by lasers in microscope that allows researchers to capture structure, including blood vessels They load 3D printer with stem cells which act as ‘ink,’ injected into correct position making organ functional Researchers in Germany have created transparent human organs using a new technology that could pave...
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UBC Okanagan engineers make injectable tissues a reality
New device encases delicate cells into protective microgels UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA OKANAGAN CAMPUS A simple injection that can help regrow damaged tissue has long been the dream of physicians and patients alike. A new study from researchers at UBC Okanagan moves that dream closer to reality with a device that makes encapsulating cells much faster, cheaper...
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Fitting a right hand in a left-handed mitten
UNIVERSITY OF GRONINGEN Many biomolecules come in two versions that are each other’s mirror image, like a left and a right hand. Cells generally use the left-hand version of amino acids to produce proteins, and uptake mechanisms were thought to share this preference. University of Groningen scientists have now shown that a prokaryotic transport protein can transport both versions of the...
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Being too harsh on yourself could lead to OCD and anxiety
A correlation was found between strong feelings of responsibility and likelihood of developing OCD or GAD in American university students HIROSHIMA UNIVERSITY A new study has found that people who reported intense feelings of responsibility were susceptible to developing Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) or Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) was published in the International Journal of Cognitive Therapy. “People with OCD [are]...
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Blood cancer’s Achilles’ heel opens door for new treatments
UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH New findings about a fatal form of blood cancer could aid the development of new drugs with significantly less harmful side effects than existing chemotherapy. The discovery could lead to novel treatments that efficiently eliminate blood cancer cells in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), without harming healthy blood cells. Researchers have discovered how a protein in the body plays a key role in AML...