New LJI discovery could help explain patterns of cell death in many autoimmune diseases LA JOLLA INSTITUTE FOR IMMUNOLOGY LA JOLLA–Your pancreas is a little sweet potato-shaped organ that sits snug behind your stomach. The pancreas is studded with islets, the cell clusters that house insulin-producing beta cells. In people with type 1 diabetes, the...
Depressed or anxious teens risk heart attacks in middle age
EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF CARDIOLOGY Sophia Antipolis, France -26 Aug 2020: Depression or anxiety in adolescence is linked with a 20% greater likelihood of having a heart attack mid-life, according to research released today at ESC Congress 2020.1 In a warning to parents, study author Dr. Cecilia Bergh of Örebro University in Sweden, said: “Be vigilant...
Synthetic coating for the GI tract could deliver drugs or aid in digestion
MIT engineers devise a temporary film that may help treat diabetes, infections, and other conditions MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE JUNWEI LI, LEAD AUTHOR OF THE STUDY, HOLDS AN EXAMPLE OF A CAPSULE CONTAINING THEIR ENZYME. CREDIT: IMAGE BY MELANIE GONICK/MIT By making use of enzymes found in the digestive tract, MIT engineers have...
New therapy targets breast cancer metastases in brain
Combination therapy reduces tumor size, dramatically improves survival in mice NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY CHICAGO — When breast cancer spreads to the brain, the prognosis is grim. Patients only have about six months to live. Women with HER2-positive breast cancer tend to develop brain metastases in up to 55% of cases. Chemotherapy drugs targeting breast cancer cells...
Novel alkaline hydrogel advances skin wound care
Scientists, including an undergraduate student, develop a novel method to produce an alkaline hydrogel that could be applied to healing wounds better TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE A NEW METHOD THAT REQUIRES NO SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT AND CAN BE PERFORMED AT ROOM TEMPERATURE TO PRODUCE AN ALKALINE HYDROGEL IN FIVE MINUTES, ALLOWING ITS EASY IMPLEMENTATION IN ANY...
Link between cognitive impairment and worse prognosis in heart failure patients
Heart failure is an endemic disease affecting 250 000 Swedes. Despite new treatments such as modern medicines and defibrillators, the mortality rate is still high and the prognosis worse than for certain cancers. A new study from Lund University in Sweden now shows a link between cognitive impairment and an increased risk for rehospitalisation, or...
Vaccine against grass pollen allergy as potential treatment for chronic hepatitis B
by Johannes Angerer, Medical University of Vienna Chronic hepatitis B infections represent a global health problem that could hitherto only be treated by chemotherapy. A team of researchers led by Rudolf Valenta from MedUni Vienna’s Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology has now demonstrated that a protein contained in the BM32 vaccine against grass pollen...
World-first study on blood hormone could reduce cardiovascular deaths
by Kim Thomas, University of Otago A simple blood test could identify seemingly-healthy people with a high hidden risk of heart disease thanks to a world-first discovery by University of Otago, Christchurch researchers. Researchers from the University’s Christchurch Heart Institute studied the blood samples and cardiology scans of 665 healthy young and middle-aged people with...
Time? Can I Have COVID-19 and the Flu at the Same Time?
Maria Robinson, MDMaria Robinson, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and medical writer who promotes education as the foundation for good health. With flu season just around the corner, many people are wondering if it’s possible to have COVID-19 and the flu at the same time. Since both viruses cause similar symptoms, it’s a good question...
Yoga linked with improved symptoms in heart patients
fibrillation manage their symptoms, according to research presented today at ESC Congress 2020.1 Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disorder. One in four middle-aged adults in Europe and the US will develop the condition, which causes 20-30% of all strokes and increases the risk of death by 1.5-fold in men and 2-fold in...