by Gregory B. Hladky The key is finding a way to give a specially developed vaccine to white-footed or deer mice, carriers that are one of the major ways that Lyme disease bacteria get into the ticks that eventually infect humans. Scientists at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station recently finished a three-year study that provided...
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There’s more than one way to age. How are you doing it?
by Melissa Healy But scientists are cataloging far subtler signs of biological aging, evident long before hair is lost and skin starts to crinkle. Most of us think we know what aging looks and feels like. It announces itself with wrinkled skin and gray, thinning hair. It blurs vision, makes joints creaky, and if not...
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Researchers propose method to diagnose AL-amyloid cardiopathy, a deadly heart disease
by RUDN University RUDN University physicians have proposed a method for diagnosing the dangerous heart disease AL-amyloid cardiopathy. Until now, doctors could detect it only in the later stages, when treatment is not possible. The results of the study provide effective diagnosis of AL-amyloidosis at an early stage. The results are published in Amyloid. With...
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Rapid gene signature test could diagnose serious conditions within two hours
by University of Liverpool The new approach could speed up diagnosis times for many serious conditions including pneumonia, tuberculosis, sepsis, meningitis, and inflammatory and immune diseases, to under two hours. The University of Liverpool is part of the landmark project, which is being led by Imperial College London and has been awarded a major EU...
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How diarrhea pathogens switch into attack mode at body temperature
by Ruhr-Universität Bochum Many bacterial pathogens excrete toxins as soon as they have entered the host in order to suppress its immune response. Researchers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have analyzed what happens on the molecular level when the diarrhea pathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis switches into attack mode. To this end, they examined so-called RNA thermometers, which...
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Cancer treatment: study finds targeting nearby ‘normal’ cells could improve survival rates
Cancer of the immune system, called lymphoma or leukaemia, generally affects the entire body’s bone marrow and lymph nodes. Because these types of cancers are so widespread, surgery isn’t useful, so patients are usually treated with chemotherapy. Although these treatments have become significantly better in the past ten years, lymphoma and chronic leukaemia often come...
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Older adults who have trouble sleeping at night may face a 25% higher risk of dementia, study finds
Scientists at Qingdao University in China analyzed 51 previous studies on sleep and cognitive health Insomniacs were at a 27% higher risk of dementia and cognitive problems Those who fell short of insomnia but got ‘insufficient’ sleep were at a 25% higher risk It’s not exactly clear why poor sleep affects dementia risks, but scientists...
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Aggressive melanoma: Circular RNA explains spread
Researchers have zoomed in on the fine molecular and epigenetic mechanisms that explain the aggressive spread of melanoma. Scientists examine the epigenetic silencing of circRNA and how this drives the spread of melanoma. Along with DNA and proteins, RNA is one of the three essential macromolecules necessary for all forms of life. The typical process...
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Common foods alter gut bacteria by influencing viruses
A group of researchers has brought the idea of food as a medicine one step closer. They have identified certain common foodstuffs that alter our microbiome. Illustration of phage viruses attacking a bacterium. In science today, food and gut bacteria are two topics that are guaranteed to fuel interest and debate. Both, of course, are...
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Fluorescent Tags That Can’t Be Copied to Verify Authentic Drugs
MEDGADGET EDITORS INFORMATICS, MATERIALS, MEDICINE Sales of counterfeit drugs are disturbingly common around the world. Some patients end up not receiving necessary treatments, while others are harmed by ingesting whatever substances are inside the fake pills. Researchers at Purdue University have now come up with a way to tag medications so that forgers can’t do...