Chromosomal loop signatures found in blood samples obtained in early rheumatoid arthritis could identify patients that will not respond adequately to ‘anchor’ treatment drug methotrexate. New University of Glasgow research, published in the Journal of Translational Medicine, investigated whether differences in genomic architecture, as defined by a chromosome conformation signature (CCS) in blood taken pre-treatment from...
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Research uncovers a potential new strategy to fight ovarian cancer
Intermediate magnification micrograph of a low malignant potential (LMP) mucinous ovarian tumor. H&E stain. The micrograph shows Simple mucinous epithelium (right) and mucinous epithelium that pseudo-stratifies (left – diagnostic of a LMP …more A new discovery opens the possibility of developing a novel way to fight ovarian cancer. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the...
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3-DIY: Printing your own bioprinter
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a low-cost 3-D bioprinter by modifying a standard desktop 3-D printer, and they have released the breakthrough designs as open source so that anyone can build their own system. The researchers–Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) and Biomedical Engineering (BME) Associate Professor Adam Feinberg, BME postdoctoral fellow TJ Hinton, and Kira Pusch,...
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Gene therapy may help brain heal from stroke, other injuries
DALLAS – March 27, 2018 – Scientists have found a genetic trigger that may improve the brain’s ability to heal from a range of debilitating conditions, from strokes to concussions and spinal cord injuries. A new study in mice from UT Southwestern’s O’Donnell Brain Institute shows that turning on a gene inside cells called astrocytes...
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Detection of transcranial direct current stimulation deep in the living human brain
A defining characteristic of stroke is the loss of motor control due to structural damage in specific brain areas. In fact, motor impairments (or deficits) are the number one complication of stroke. Losing the ability to carry out basic bodily functions, such as speaking, walking and swallowing, can be devastating for stroke survivors. Unfortunately, there...
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Vagus nerve stimulation boosts post-stroke motor skill recovery
Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas have demonstrated a method to accelerate motor skill recovery after a stroke by helping the brain reorganize itself more quickly. In a preclinical study, the scientists paired vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) with a physical therapy task aimed at improving the function of an upper limb in rodents....
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Increase in heart rate as blood pressure falls could be early sign of neurological disease
A simple bedside test that matches a change in heart rate with a drop in blood pressure after a patient stands may help doctors diagnose certain degenerative brain diseases. This is the finding of a study led by neurologists at NYU School of Medicine and published in the March issue of Annals of Neurology. The test...
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Study changes long-held concepts of cell decoding
Scientists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Intramural Research Program (IRP) have uncovered evidence that shows a more complex and elaborate role for the body’s hard-working G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) than previously thought, suggesting a conceptual advance in the fields of biochemistry and pharmacology. With more than 800 members in the human genome,...
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Mitochondrial replacement moratorium should be reconsidered, researchers say
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] –Mothers with mitochondrial DNA mutations often give birth to children who face incurable and fatal illnesses. But a much-studied form of mitochondrial replacement (MR) could prevent the transmission of such diseases from mothers to children, researchers say. For that reason, two researchers argue that the U.S. moratorium that includes MR should...
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Meditate regularly for an improved attention span in old age
Regular and intensive meditation sessions over the course of a lifetime could help a person remain attentive and focussed well into old age. This is according to the most extensive longitudinal study to date examining a group of meditation practitioners. Published in Springer’s Journal of Cognitive Enhancement, the research evaluates the benefits that people gained after...