F. Perry Wilson, MD, MSCE DISCLOSURES Welcome to Impact Factor, your weekly dose of commentary on a new medical study. I’m Dr F. Perry Wilson of the Yale School of Medicine. When you stub your toe or get a paper cut on your finger, you feel the pain in that part of your body. It...
Year: <span>2024</span>
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Common Diabetes Pills Also Protect Kidneys
Medication people with type 2 diabetes use to manage their blood sugar also appear to protect their hearts and kidneys, according to a new study in JAMA Network Open. These pills, known as sodium-glucose cotransport protein 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, reduce the amount of blood sugar in a kidney by causing more glucose to be excreted...
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Nitrous oxide effects are reversible with early treatment: Case study
by Isabella Backman, Yale University Vitamin B12 intake, absorption and metabolism, and the etiologies of vitamin B12 deficiency (image created by Tova Gardin using Biorender.com). Credit: BMJ Case Reports (2023). DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2023-254727Nitrous oxide is readily accessible to those who want to use it recreationally for the high it can provide. With just a few clicks, it...
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Researchers identify protein that increases the formation of good brown fat
by Inka Väth, University Hospital Bonn EPAC1 signaling promotes BAT growth and function in vivo. Credit: Nature Cell Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41556-023-01311-9Brown fat cells convert energy into heat—a key to eliminating unwanted fat deposits. In addition, they also protect against cardiovascular diseases. Researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the Transdisciplinary Research Area “Life &...
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Study suggests key to antipsychotic-drug–induced obesity
by UT Southwestern Medical Center Effect of risperidone and risperidone + LepAb on body weight, food intake, and glucose tolerance. Female mice (n = 9) were placed on an HFD alone (Ctrl) or an HFD supplemented with risperidone. Mice were treated with either control IgG or LepAb twice weekly. Body weight and food intake were measured. Glucose...
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Newly developed inhibitor shows potential for prostate cancer
by Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg Identification of a bi-substrate inhibitor of KMT9. a Chemical structure of compound 1a with predicted binding mode. b MST assay to determine the dissociation constant (Kd) of compound 1a and SAM binding to KMT9. c FTSA for compound 1a binding to KMT9. d Chemical structure of SAM. e FTSA for...
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Learning a second language strengthens neural connections in the language network, study shows
by Max Planck Society MRI image of neuronal pathways involved in language learning on the computer. Credit: MPI CBSScientists at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig have unearthed fascinating evidence that the brain undergoes important changes in wiring when we embark on the journey of learning a new language in...
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AI assist allows humble chest X-ray to diagnose COVID with 98% accuracy
By Paul McClure Researchers have created an AI algorithm that can detect COVID-19 infection from chest X-rays with 98% accuracy Depositphotos Researchers have developed a deep learning-based AI algorithm that automatically analyzes chest X-rays to rapidly detect COVID-19 infection with more than 98% accuracy, distinguishing between normal X-rays and X-rays from people with pneumonia, which often...
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Study provides first direct evidence explaining why we sleep
By Paul McClure A new study has provided the first direct evidence to explain the function of sleep Depositphotos Researchers have combined physics and biology in a study that provides the first direct evidence explaining why we sleep. Viewing the brain like a biological computer whose resources are drained during waking, they demonstrated that sleep resets...
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“Armored” immune cells make their own medicine to keep fighting cancer
By Michael Irving Scientists have supercharged immunotherapy by engineering CAR T cells that can produce their own “medicine” to keep them fighting in the hostile environment around tumors Depositphotos A new form of immunotherapy helps immune cells “armor” themselves against exhaustion by releasing their own medicine to keep them going in the fight against cancer. In...