Biotin supplements can interfere with the results of some critical lab tests, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Tuesday. The FDA is particularly concerned about biotin interference causing a falsely low result for troponin. The agency said in a statement that it continues to receive reports of cases in which biotin interference caused falsely...
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Doctors try CRISPR gene editing for cancer, a 1st in the US
by Marilynn Marchione In this January 2019 image made from video provided by Penn Medicine, IV bags of CRISPR-edited T cells are prepared for administering to a patient at the Abramson Cancer Center in Philadelphia. Early results released on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019 show that doctors were able to take immune system cells from the...
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New technology promises improved treatment of inflammatory diseases
by Washington State University A study led by researchers at Washington State University has uncovered a potential new treatment approach for diseases associated with inflammation, including sepsis, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, acute lung injury, and atherosclerosis. Published in the open-access journal Science Advances, their paper describes a novel, patent-pending technology that uses nanosized particles to transport...
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Liver-chip identifies drug toxicities in human, rat, and dog models
by Harvard University Among the numerous microengineered Organ-on-a-Chip (Organ Chip) models developed at the Wyss Institute, the Liver Chip is of special interest to a number of industries because the real-time analysis of complex biochemical interactions could greatly enhance the liver toxicity testing that is ubiquitous in the development of drugs, foods, and other consumer...
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Evening eating linked to poorer heart health for women
DALLAS, Nov. 11, 2019 — Women who consumed a higher proportion of their daily calories later in the evening were more likely to be at greater risk for cardiovascular disease than women who did not, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2019 — November 16-18 in Philadelphia....
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Typical olfactory bulbs might not be necessary for smell, case study suggests
by Cell Press Our sense of smell depends on the transmission of olfactory information from the nose to the olfactory bulb in the brain through the olfactory nerve. And without olfactory bulbs, smell isn’t possible—or so scientists thought. A team of researchers have uncovered a sliver of the population who have no apparent olfactory bulbs...
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Self-cannibalizing mitochondria may set the stage for ALS development
Powerhouses of the cell ‘eat themselves up,’ jumpstart path to neurodegenerative disease NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY CHICAGO — Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered a new phenomenon in the brain that could explain the development of early stages of neurodegeneration that is seen in diseases such as ALS, which affects voluntary muscle movement such as walking and talking....
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Study: Rapamycin prevents age-related brain vascular deterioration
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT SAN ANTONIO A just-released study by UT Health San Antonio and collaborating institutions shows age-related decreases in blood flow to the brain and memory loss can be modified with the drug rapamycin. This finding, if furthered, holds implications for aging in general and perhaps offers an avenue to...
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Anorexia nervosa comes in all sizes, including plus size
Higher BMI does not guard against dangerous heart risks, UCSF-led study shows UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA – SAN FRANCISCO Adolescents and young adults with anorexia nervosa whose weight is in the healthy, overweight or obese ranges face similar cardiovascular and other health complications as their counterparts with low body mass index (BMI), according to a new...
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Vitamin D dials down the aggression in melanoma cells
CANCER RESEARCH UK Vitamin D influences the behaviour of melanoma cells in the lab by making them less aggressive, Cancer Research UK scientists have found. The researchers from the University of Leeds discovered that vitamin D influences the behaviour of a signalling pathway within melanoma cells, which slowed down their growth and stopped them spreading...