INSERM (INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANTÉ ET DE LA RECHERCHE MÉDICALE) How can we increase the efficacy of vaccines used to protect against viral respiratory diseases such as influenza and COVID-19? Scientists from Inserm, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université at the Center of Immunology Marseille-Luminy are opening up new prospects in the field, with the triggering...
Month: <span>June 2022</span>
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Microfluidic-based soft robotic prosthetics promise relief for diabetic amputees
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS IMAGE: PROOF-OF-CONCEPT RENDERING (LEFT) AND PHOTO (RIGHT) OF THE PROTOTYPE OF THE NEW MICROFLUIDICS-ENABLED SOFT ROBOTIC PROSTHESIS FOR LOWER LIMB AMPUTEES. CREDIT: WATERLOO MICROFLUIDICS LABORATORY AT UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO WASHINGTON, June 28, 2022 – Every 30 seconds, a leg is amputated somewhere in the world due to diabetes. These patients often...
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Cold temps may help to combat obesity and related metabolic diseases by reducing inflammation, researchers find
by Joslin Diabetes Center Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain More than 40 percent of American adults have obesity, a complex condition that can increase the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. One mechanism by which obesity can lead to other health problems is by causing low-grade chronic inflammation, the accumulation of immune cells in...
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Researchers show how the liver can control the brain and behavior
by Mallory Locklear, Yale University Credit: CC0 Public Domain A new Yale study has found that the liver plays a major role in regulating feeding behavior in mice, a discovery that could have implications for people with eating disorders and metabolic diseases. The study, which was done in collaboration with colleagues in Germany, also adds...
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Discovery of a molecular switch in pancreatic cancer cells that triggers metastatic disease
by Columbia University Irving Medical Center Axial CT image with i.v. contrast. Macrocystic adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head. Credit: public domain More than 62,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer by the end of this year, with the vast majority having a deadly and aggressive subtype known as pancreatic ductal...
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Robotic arms connected directly to brain of partially paralyzed man allows him to feed himself
by Frontiers Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Two robotic arms—a fork in one hand, a knife in the other—flank a seated man, who sits in front of a table, with a piece of cake on a plate. A computerized voice announces each action: “Moving fork to food,” and “Retracting knife.” Partially paralyzed, the man makes subtle...
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New therapy significantly reduces headache disability, post-traumatic stress following brain injury, study finds
by University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain The first therapy to be developed specifically for post-traumatic headache significantly reduced related disability in veterans following a traumatic brain injury (TBI). It also reduced co-occurring symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) comparably to a gold-standard PTSD treatment. Moreover, the innovative treatment,...
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COVID-19 fattens up our body’s cells to fuel its viral takeover
by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Illustration of a SARS-CoV-2 viral particle entering a cell. The particle pierces through a cell’s membrane, made of two layers of lipids. A PNNL-OHSU team has shown how lipids are key to the ability of the virus to replicate. Credit: Michael Perkins, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory The virus that causes COVID-19...
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Researchers develop word-score model capable of estimating hidden hearing loss
by Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Researchers from Mass Eye and Ear have developed a word-score model capable of estimating the amount of hidden hearing loss in human ears. In a new study published June 23 in Scientific Reports, a team of researchers at Mass Eye and Ear’s Eaton-Peabody Laboratories determined average speech scores...
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Struggling with positive thinking? Research shows negative moods can actually be useful
by Eyal Winter, The Conversation Happy thoughts come with problems, too. Credit: SewCream/Shutterstcok As psychiatry, which uses medical and biological methods to treat mental disorders, has largely overtaken psychotherapy, which relies on non-biological approaches such as conversation and counseling, psychotherapists have sought alternative challenges. One common approach is to focus on enhancing the happiness of mentally healthy people,...