By CLARE WATSONTomatoes could help fight off bacterial infections in your gut, a new study has found. One of the world’s most widely consumed vegetables (or perhaps fruit?), they are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and other compounds – two of which scientists at Cornell University in the US have identified for their potent bacteria-killing properties...
Month: <span>January 2024</span>
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New COVID studies show varied viral clearance time in patients with lower immunity
Stephanie Soucheray, MA Two new studies show immune-compromised patients, including those with cancer and HIV, have varied times until they clear the virus, with some at increased risk for persistent COVID-19 infections. Risks of prolonged infectionIn the first study, published The Lancet Microbe, researchers assessed 150 immunocompromised patients with COVID-19 from five US healthcare systems...
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Placenta cells may lower blood pressure
by Sue Smethurst, La Trobe University Angiotensin II induced-hypertension and aortic stiffening is reduced by administration of amnion epithelial cells. (A) Immunostaining for HLA-G in angiotensin II and angiotensin II + amnion epithelial cell (AEC) treated mice. (B) Effect of amnion epithelial cells (AECs) on angiotensin II-induced hypertension (n = 8–11). (C) Effect of angiotensin II infusion and co-treatment with...
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Firing nerve fibers in the brain are supplied with energy on demand, shows study
by Kurt Bodenmüller, University of Zurich Cross section of nerve fibers in the mouse optic nerve. Credit: Zoe Looser and Aiman Saab, University of ZurichBrain function depends on the swift movement of electrical signals along axons, the long extensions of nerve cells that connect billions of brain cells. The nerve fibers are insulated by a fatty...
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Brain changes behind pain sensitivity may affect older women more
by Emily CaldwellEmily Caldwell, The Ohio State University Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public DomainA new study has found that the brain system enabling us to inhibit our own pain changes with age, and that gender-based differences in those changes may lead females to be more sensitive to moderate pain than males as older adults. Researchers used fMRI scans...
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Looking for love? Try finding purpose as well
by Washington University in St. Louis Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public DomainThe world of online dating can be overwhelming with the dizzying array of options for attracting a partner but new research from Washington University in St. Louis shows that those looking for love may have more success if they also seek a sense of purpose in life....
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What your blood can tell you about your health
by DeeDee Stiepan, Mayo Clinic News Network Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public DomainBlood tests are commonly used to help not only monitor one’s health but also to diagnose conditions. A blood sample can reveal a lot about a person’s health. One of the most frequently ordered tests is a CBC, or complete blood cell count, which tells...
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The US eliminated measles in 2000: Why is it back now?
by Angela Roberts, The Baltimore Sun Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public DomainThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging health care providers to be “on alert” for patients with symptoms of measles—a virus declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000—after nearly two dozen cases have been reported across the country in the past month. Between Dec....
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Why TB cases are rising in California after decades of decline
by Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News Credit: CC0 Public DomainOnce known as consumption, the disease that killed Eleanor Roosevelt, Frederic Chopin and all five of the sisters Bronte, tuberculosis is often viewed as a bygone threat. But there is an uptick in new California illnesses after years of decline, with the number of cases...
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New treatment shows promise against fatal neurological disease: Study
French musician Guilhem Gallart, a member of the Fonky Family, is seen here with his partner Wahiba; he was diagnosed with ALS in 2015. A new treatment shows promise against the deadly neurodegenerative disease ALS, a study based on mice showed Tuesday. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, sometimes called Lou Gehrig’s disease after the famous baseball player,...