by RCSI Scientists have discovered that testing the levels of certain proteins in blood samples can predict whether a person at risk of psychosis is likely to develop a psychotic disorder years later. The study is published in the current edition of JAMA Psychiatry and was led by researchers from RCSI University of Medicine and...
Researchers reveal how THC may treat acute respiratory distress syndrome
by University of South Carolina Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), when caused by a bacterial toxin known as Staphylococcal enterotoxin, can be completely prevented by treatment with Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant. This exciting finding, recently published in the highly cited British Journal of Pharmacology, also suggests a possible treatment for...
Detecting pancreatic cancer at treatable stages
by Brian Consiglio, University of Missouri Pancreatic cancer is rarely detected at its early stages because symptoms often do not present themselves until after the cancer has progressed. By then, invasive procedures such as surgery, chemotherapy or radiation are often needed to treat the cancer. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri’s College of Veterinary...
Newly discovered ‘support system’ for axons suggests a novel therapeutic target for neurodegenerative diseases
by Ellen Goldbaum, University at Buffalo This image shows axons in vitro 24 hours after injury. The presence of Schwann cells (nuclei in cyan) helped maintain the integrity of axons (in magenta and yellow). Credit: Elisabetta Babetto, HJKRI Axons are long, finger-like projections of neurons that transmit critical signals throughout the nervous system. But because...