Cytotoxic lymphocytes are the real MVPs. They guard our bodies from cancerous and virus-infected cells by killing them. In this way they are aggressive defenders, but how their actions do not kill them? A new study from UCL might have found the answer. Cytotoxic lymphocytes to you may be better known simply as white blood...
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What is a Semi-synthetic Organism?
By Reginald DaveyReviewed by Dr. Mary Cooke, Ph.D. As a society, we face various issues in the modern world. Synthetic biology is an emerging field that is attempting to address these problems at the genetic level, and researchers in this field are pushing the boundaries of which proteins and processes can be developed and utilized. Image Credit:...
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Gut microbiome fermentation determines of the efficacy of exercise for prediabetics
by Bob Yirka , Medical Xpress Credit: CC0 Public Domain A team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in China has found that the makeup of the gut microbiome can be a determiner for the efficacy of exercise with prediabetics. In their paper published in the journal Cell Metabolism, the group describes their study of prediabetic...
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Tips for healing a sprained ankle fast
A sprained ankle is an injury to one or more ligaments in the ankle. Mild sprains may involve overstretching and irritating the ligaments, while severe sprains can cause the ligaments to tear completely. Ankle sprains are common injuries, particularly among people who play sports. They can be very painful, and severe sprains can require months of recovery....
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Risk for skin infections, diabetes increase with statin use
(HealthDay)—Using statins for as short a time as three months can put patients at risk for developing diabetes and skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs), according to a study published in the November issue of the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Humphrey H.T. Ko, from the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences at Curtin University in...
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‘Magic bullet’ takes aim at pancreatic cancer
by University of South Australia Axial CT image with i.v. contrast. Macrocystic adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head. Credit: public domain Every day, more than 1200 people worldwide are told they have pancreatic cancer. Within 12 months, 80 per cent of them will have succumbed to the disease. It’s one of the most lethal cancers in the...
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New diagnostic approach rapidly identifies the right antibiotics
by Leah Eisenstadt, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Credit: Stephanie Rossow, CDC/Antibiotic Resistance Coordination & Strategy Unit Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae bacteria Patients with bacterial infections who are promptly diagnosed and treated with the most effective antibiotic fare better than those who wait. But current methods of identifying which drug will kill the pathogen take days to...
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Study: Minimum dose of hydromethylthionine could slow cognitive decline in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s
by IOS Press Credit: CC0 Public Domain In a paper published in today’s online issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, TauRx has reported unexpected results of a pharmacokinetic analysis of the relationship between treatment dose, blood levels and pharmacological activity of the drug hydromethylthionine on the brain in over 1,000 patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease. These...
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Changes in pupils after asymptomatic high-acceleration head impacts indicate changes in brain function
by Journal of Neurosurgery Credit: CC0 Public Domain Researchers from the University of Michigan found significant pupillary changes in high-school football athletes after they had sustained a high-acceleration head impact. The changes were detected using a noninvasive, hand-held, quantitative pupillometry device, which potentially could be used in a nonclinical setting for a quick assessment of possible...
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Wearable graphene sensors use ambient light to monitor health
Graphene coated with nanoparticles has been used to make wearable light sensors that measure the human pulse and blood oxygen levels from ambient light passing through tissue, offering a potential platform for health-care monitoring. Deji Akinwande & Dmitry Kireev The popularity of wearable technology has risen enormously, with the US market projected to be in the tens...