A protein called cardiotrophin 1 might be an effective treatment for heart failure, according to researchers who found that it tricks the heart into growing in a healthy way. This growth is reversible, similar to that which occurs in response to endurance exercise or pregnancy. Researchers from Canada have shown that it may be possible...
Post
Injectable tissue patch could help repair damaged organs
New biomaterial could be delivered through minimally invasive surgery The flexible tissue scaffold, shown here emerging from a glass pipette with a tip one millimetre wide, unfolds itself after injection into the body. This could enable surgeons to use minimally invasive techniques, which reduce recovery time, scarring and other negative effects. A team of U...
Post
Atrial fibrillation risk rises with decreasing kidney function
A new study indicates that individuals with kidney disease have a higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat. The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN), suggest that individuals with poor kidney function may benefit from preventive interventions to maintain a normal heart...
Post
Drug treatments didn’t work. Can a simple diet help change these children’s lives?
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Twelve-year-old Cecily Vammino’s eyebrows shot up as she closed her lips around the veggie pie. It was a subtle mélange of carrots, potatoes, and zucchini, surrounded by a vaguely sweet crust, and it was not working for her. Cecily’s jaw carefully dispatched the invader while her left hand slid the remaining threat...
Post
Are artificial sweeteners counterproductive when dieting?
Next time you drop an artificial sweetener into your coffee thinking of the weight you’ll lose by avoiding sugar, think again. A new study published in Cell Metabolism today has found that artificial sweeteners combined with a low carbohydrate diet significantly increases the quantity of calories consumed. The study, led by the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre and...
Post
Almonds may help boost cholesterol clean-up crew
Eating almonds regularly may help improve HDL cholesterol levels, functionality Eating almonds on a regular basis may help boost levels of HDL cholesterol while simultaneously improving the way it removes cholesterol from the body, according to researchers. In a study, researchers compared the levels and function of high-density lipoprotein (HDL cholesterol) in people who ate...
Post
The best place to treat type 1 diabetes might be just under your skin
E-MAIL IMAGE: 3-D MICROSCOPY IMAGE SHOWING PANCREATIC ISLETS TRANSPLANTED UNDER THE SKIN WITH A NETWORK SUPPORT OF BLOOD VESSELS (GREEN). VLAHOS AND HIS TEAM WERE ABLE TO USE THIS METHOD TO RESTORE… view more A group of U of T researchers have demonstrated that the space under our skin might be an optimal location to treat type 1...
Post
FIRST FDA-APPROVED TREATMENT FOR ALS IN 22 YEARS NOW AVAILABLE IN U.S.
JERSEY CITY, N.J., Aug. 8, 2017 – Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc., today announced RADICAVA ™ (edaravone), an intravenous therapy indicated for all adult patients diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is now available for treatment in the United States. RADICAVA, the first FDA-approved ALS treatment option in more than 20 years,...
Post
Vitamin B3 – a “cure” for many miscarriages and birth defects?
According to Australia’s Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, one in four pregnant women will experience a miscarriage, and 7.9 million babies are born with a serious birth defect worldwide every year. A new study conducted at the institute, however, indicates that simply taking vitamin B3 could cause those numbers to drop drastically. In the study,...
Post
New measure of insulin-making cells could gauge diabetes progression, treatment
Baseline PET scan shows uptake of manganese chloride tracer in mouse pancreas, in research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison department of radiology. Signal is greatly reduced in mice given a drug that inhibits insulin production, and conversely, intensified in mice given a stimulator of insulin production. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a...