Tinker Ready Swiss scientists have identified immune system abnormalities in patients with long COVID that might open the door to new diagnostic tests and treatments. The researchers found that a group of proteins in the blood that are part of the body’s immune response called the “complement system” are not working properly in patients with...
Month: <span>March 2024</span>
Post
Poor spatial navigation could predict Alzheimer’s disease years before the onset of symptoms
by University College London Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public DomainPeople at risk of Alzheimer’s disease have impaired spatial navigation prior to problems with other cognitive functions, including memory, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The research, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, used virtual reality to test the spatial navigation of 100 asymptomatic midlife adults, aged 43-66,...
Post
How does vaccination thwart pneumococcal infection? Animal model uncovers ‘capture and kill’ scenario
by Delthia Ricks , Medical Xpress Representative IVM imaging of vaccine-activated capture of ST865 pneumococci in the liver sinusoids. Pneumococci, green; KCs, red; ECs, cyan; neutrophils, magenta. Credit: Science Translational Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.ade0054In findings that are nothing short of surprising, scientists have demonstrated that the liver is the site where the immune system unleashes...
Post
TikTok make-up influencers spark health warnings
by Julie PACOREL Experts in mental health have warned about the harm of the latest TikTok trend ‘Sephora Kids’Pressed by parents to pose in videos with make-up and skincare products, pre-teen girls dubbed “Sephora Kids” have taken TikTok by storm in a trend that some specialists brand a danger to children’s mental and physical health....
Post
Faster and simpler point-of-care malaria test is 12 times faster than tests currently available
by Chris Stipes, Rice University Credit: Biosensors and Bioelectronics (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2024.116091Rice University researchers have developed a rapid, accurate test for diagnosing malaria that is significantly faster and easier to use than traditional tests. The advancement has the potential to improve patient outcomes, especially in rural regions with limited health care resources. Malaria remains a significant...
Post
Infographic: The Frequency and Costs of Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
Jon McKenna DISCLOSURES Just over half of US physicians have been named in a medical malpractice lawsuit, and just over half of those doctors have been defendants multiple times. Plaintiffs most often seem to go after general surgeons, ob/gyns, and orthopedists. Around 31% of physicians pay $20,000 or more for annual malpractice premiums, and 41%...
Post
New insight into protein could pave the way for new cancer treatments
by Anna Björklund, Identification of a conformational switch in c-MYC. a Overview of the MD strategy employed to identify regions that exhibit probe-induced conformational changes. b Normalized frequency distribution of Rg computed from the ensemble of structures generated from explicit solvent MD simulations in water (black) and water + benzene (red) for all nine c-MYC...
Post
Scientists reveal how our cells’ leaky batteries are making us sick
Peer-Reviewed Publication UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA HEALTH SYSTEM “NOW THAT WE ARE BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS INFLAMMATION STARTS, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PREVENT THIS PROCESS, WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF LIMITING INFLAMMATION AND TREATING DISEASE,” SAID RESEARCHER LAURA E. NEWMAN, PHD.CREDIT: COURTESY NEWMAN LAB Researchers have discovered how “leaky” mitochondria – the powerhouses of...
Post
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Tested for Post-Covid Conditions
High-dose pressurized oxygen can stress out old immune cells, leaving behind a younger, better-functioning immune system. It helped with acute COVID, and now Anders Kjellberg is also testing the post-covid method. An example of a hyperbaric chamber. Image credit: Steve Simpson via Flickr, CC BY 2.0 Text: Fredrik Hedlund; first published in the magazine Medicinsk...
Post
Fixing Rogue Brain Cells May Hold Key to Preventing Neurodegeneration
A team led by scientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has identified a new therapeutic approach for combating neurodegenerative diseases, offering hope of improved treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Vanishing White Matter disease and multiple sclerosis, among others.Astrocytes. Astrocytes. Image credit: CWRU Neurodegenerative diseases, which affect millions of people worldwide, occur...