Antibiotic treatment can disrupt the gut microbiome at the strain level, with changes lasting as long as 6 months UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Trillions of microbes in the intestine aid human health, including digestion of breast milk, breaking down fiber and helping control the immune system. However, antibiotic treatment is known...
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Inflammation and autism—an important piece of the puzzle
by Delthia Ricks , Medical Xpress Autism spectrum disorder has neither a distinct pathogenesis nor pharmaceutical treatment, yet evidence continues to mount demonstrating immune dysfunction and inflammation in specific brain regions of children diagnosed with the neurodevelopmental condition. A collaborative group of researchers in Boston and Italy has discovered that pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines apparently...
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Study shows how circulating tumor cells target distant organs
by University of Southern California Most cancers kill because tumor cells spread beyond the primary site to invade other organs. Now, a USC study of brain-invading breast cancer cells circulating in the blood reveals they have a molecular signature indicating specific organ preferences. The findings, which appear in Cancer Discovery, help explain how tumor cells in the blood target a particular organ and may enable the development of treatments to...
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Beta-blocker trial does not reduce risks for COPD patients
by Adam Pope, University of Alabama at Birmingham New research from scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that beta-blockers used in a clinical trial for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease do not reduce the risk of flare-ups of the disease, also called...
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Protein movement in cells hints at greater mysteries
by Mary L. Martialay, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute A new imaging technique that makes it possible to match motor proteins with the cargo they carry within a cell is upending a standard view of how cellular traffic reaches the correct destination. The research, which focuses on neurons and sheds light on some neurodegenerative diseases, was published...
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Antiretroviral HIV medication attenuates liver fibrosis
by Asociacion RUVID Scientists from Valencia University (UV) have discovered that Rilpivirine, an antiretroviral drug used for treating HIV, has beneficial effects on chronic liver diseases. The finding opens a path to identify new therapies for liver diseases. Their work has been published in the journal Gut. Liver fibrosis is a significant health issue worldwide...
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Super-precise new CRISPR tool could tackle a plethora of genetic diseases
The system allows researchers more control over DNA changes, potentially opening up conditions that have challenged gene-editors. Heidi Ledford For all the ease with which the wildly popular CRISPR–Cas9 gene-editing tool alters genomes, it’s still somewhat clunky and prone to errors and unintended effects. Now, a recently developed alternative offers greater control over genome edits — an advance...
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Tiny Medical Imaging Sensor Sets Guinness World Record
OCTOBER 22ND, 2019 MEDGADGET EDITORSCARDIAC SURGERY, NEWS, ONCOLOGY, PATHOLOGY, RADIOLOGY, UROLOGY, VASCULAR SURGERY OmniVision Technologies, a Santa Clara, California firm, just announced that it has won the Guinness World Record for “The Smallest Commercially Available Image Sensor”. The OV6948 sensor was designed for use in catheters and endoscopes, allowing these devices to be as small...
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Aҫaí berry extracts fight malaria in mice
Posted Today Despite humanity’s best efforts to eradicate malaria, the disease struck more than 200 million people in 2017, according to the World Health Organization. Worse yet, the parasite that causes malaria is developing resistance to many antimalarial drugs, including the mainstay, chloroquine. Researchers are actively searching for new treatments, and now, a group reporting...
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Whitehead Institute team resolves structure of master growth regulator
Posted Yesterday This news or article is intended for readers with certain scientific or professional knowledge in the field. A team of Whitehead Institute scientists has for the first time revealed the molecular structure of a critical growth regulator bound to its partner proteins, creating a fine-grained view of how they interact to sense nutrient...