Virtual reality could be used to diagnose and treat visual vertigo, according to a team of Cardiff University psychologists. People with the condition suffer from dizziness and nausea and often cite places with repetitive visual patterns, such as supermarkets, as the trigger. A team of psychologists is working to develop virtual environments to help...
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Scientists Are Reversing the Symptoms of Alzheimer’s
IN BRIEF The testing of injecting RNA into Alzheimer’s patients to reduce the levels of tau proteins is a possible new treatment for the more than 5.1 million people living with Alzheimer’s. The treatment has shown some limitation in the testing done on chimps, more testing will be done on primates to discern the safety...
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Brain hormone triggers fat burning regardless of food intake
Researchers have identified a brain hormone that triggers the burning of fat in the gut, without any obvious side effects Although the neurotransmitter serotonin has previously been shown to play a central role in regulating appetite (amongst other things), the reasons for this remained unclear. In an attempt to shed some light on the...
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Combining 3 Antibody Drugs Shown Effective In Suppressing HIV
HIV patients can cheer up, as an effective suppression of the HIV virus from a combination of three antibodies in the treatment is in sight. This was according to a new study by researchers at the Rockefeller University, revealing that the virus eventually runs out of options and dies if the method of three antibodies is tried....
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Could a tuberculosis drug help treat autism?
An antibiotic used to treat tuberculosis has the potential to alleviate the social impairments associated with autism spectrum disorder, new research suggests. Researchers suggest that the social impairments seen in autism could be treated with an antibiotic. The study reveals that the drug d-cycloserine boosted the function of an autism-related gene called PCDH10 and...
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New peptide could improve treatment for vision-threatening disease
Johns Hopkins researchers report that a new peptide holds promise for improving treatment for degenerative retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema and diabetic retinopathy. These vascular diseases often result in central vision loss as blood vessels grow into tissues at the back of the eye, where such growth should not occur....
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New drug SAK3 may offer hope to Alzheimer's disease patients
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that plays an important role in controlling attention and cognition. Acetylcholine system dysfunction is believed to be one of the causes of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular dementia. Now, a new drug that could treat Alzheimer’s disease, SAK3, has been developed by a Japanese research group led by...
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A brain wide chemical signal that enhances memory
New research could lead to ways of enhancing cognitive function to counteract the effects of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia, as well as enhancing memory in healthy people. How does heightened attention improve our mental capacity? This is the question tackled by new research published today in the journal Cell Reports, which reveals a chemical...
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Scientists Have Unlocked the Code That Turns Genes On and Off
IN BRIEF Scientists from University of California – San Diego were able to confirm the code responsible for initiating transcription and regulation of more than half of human genes. Knowing how or why genes are turned on and off during development, as well as understanding how they respond to environmental changes, will help us find...
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New gene-delivery therapy restores partial hearing, balance in deaf mice
Investigators caution the approach is years away from use in humans Using a novel form of gene therapy, scientists from Harvard Medical School (HMS) and the Massachusetts General Hospital have managed to restore partial hearing and balance in mice born with a genetic condition that affects both. The new model overcomes a long-standing barrier to accessing...