New nanoparticles can adjust the beating speed of heart cells by emitting different colours of light. Light from nanoparticle clusters was also able to activate anticancer drugs within cells NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE The biological technique of ‘optogenetics’ uses light to control cells within living tissues that have been genetically modified to be light-sensitive. However, deeply penetrating light is often needed to activate the...
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Cracking the colon code — new light shed on gut function
New insights into how the colon functions and expels contents FLINDERS UNIVERSITY New insights into how the colon functions and actually expels its contents have been revealed for the first time following decades of study by Flinders University researchers. It promises new diagnostics tools and treatments for gastrointestinal disorders to address problems with bowel movements...
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WSU study identifies potential new target for treatment of gout
Research team discovers alternate pathway by which MSU crystals trigger inflammation WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY SPOKANE, Wash. – Researchers at Washington State University Health Sciences Spokane and elsewhere have identified a new therapeutic target for the treatment of gout, a common type of arthritis that causes episodes of painful and stiff joints. Published in the journal...
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Eye damage linked to popular over-the-counter vitamin that lowers cholesterol can be reversed
THE MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL / MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE In a first-of-its-kind clinical report, retina specialists at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai (NYEE) have shown that severe vision loss from a self-prescribed high dose of over-the-counter niacin is linked to injury of a specific cell type in a patient’s...
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Scientists discover the implication of a new protein involved in liver cancer
The finding has a clear clinical relevance, since it will facilitate patient selection to offer a more specific therapy IDIBELL-BELLVITGE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Researchers at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) have just described for the first time the crucial involvement of a cell membrane protein in the development and progression of liver cancer, according...
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Cognitive screen paired with odor identification predicts lack of transition to dementia
Alzheimer’s may be ruled out with brief smell and cognitive tests COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IRVING MEDICAL CENTER Summary A new study has found that performing well on two brief tests measuring cognitive ability and ability to identify odors indicates very low risk for Alzheimer’s. We know that these tests can help predict the risk of developing dementia, but didn’t...
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Ground-breaking work improves understanding of brain function
Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) are officially one-step closer to understanding the brain and its function KING ABDULLAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (KAUST) Dr. Corrado Calì, a Research Scientist specializing in brain imaging at KAUST, and Swiss scientists from the Blue Brain Project (BBP), have shown how lactate is...
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Can aspirin decrease the rate of intracranial aneurysm growth?
JOURNAL OF NEUROSURGERY PUBLISHING GROUP CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (OCTOBER 29, 2019). Researchers conducted a database search to investigate whether aspirin can aid in the prevention of intracranial aneurysm rupture by hindering aneurysm growth. The researchers identified 146 patients harboring multiple intracranial aneurysms, five millimeters or less in diameter, that had been observed for at least five...
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Scientists identify brain circuit responsible for building memories during sleep
Neuroscientists at the University of Alberta have identified a mechanism that may help build memories during deep sleep. In a study published last month in eNeuro, the researchers focused on the role of the nucleus reuniens, an area of the brain that connects two other brain structures involved in creating memories and may co-ordinate their...
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Testing people with bowel cancer for genetic syndrome could save lives and money
by Medical Journal of Australia Lynch syndrome, a mutation of four genes involved in DNA repair, is associated with increased risk of developing a range of cancers, particularly colorectal cancer (CRC). In the most comprehensive analysis for Australia to date, published online by the Medical Journal of Australia today, an international team of researchers led...