by Frontiers Treatment with antivirals such as interferons may significantly improve virus clearance and reduce levels of inflammatory proteins in COVID-19 patients, according to a new study in Frontiers in Immunology. Researchers conducting an exploratory study on a cohort of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Wuhan found that treatment with interferon (IFN)-α2b significantly reduced the du-ration...
Study identifies group of genes with altered expression in autism
by FAPESP Autism has long been associated only with behavioral and environmental factors, but the role of genetics in its development is now increasingly evident. Some 100 genes have been found to play a role in autism spectrum disorder, and another thousand are being studied to the same end. The diagnosis and treatment of the...
Scientists develop noninvasive ultrasound neuromodulation technique
by Li Yuan, Chinese Academy of Sciences Epilepsy is a central nervous system disorder characterized by recurrent seizures resulting from excessive excitation or inadequate inhibition of neurons. Ultrasound stimulation has recently emerged as a noninvasive method for modulating brain activity; however, its range and effectiveness for different neurological disorders, such as Parkinson Disease, Epilepsy and...
AI successfully used to identify different types of brain injuries
by University of Cambridge Researchers have developed an AI algorithm that can detect and identify different types of brain injuries. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London, have clinically validated and tested the AI on large sets of CT scans, and found that it was successfully able to detect, segment, quantify...
Danish researchers find new breast cancer gene in young people
by University of Copenhagen Over the past 20 years, our knowledge of hereditary diseases has taken a quantum leap, and several hereditary gene variants have been found that may predispose to the development of cancer. We have known for a long time that mutations in human BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes may lead to the development...
Designing vaccines from artificial proteins
by Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne Vaccines are one of the most effective interventions to prevent the spreading of infectious diseases. They trigger the immune system to produce antibodies that protect the body against infection. However, we still lack efficacious vaccines for many important pathogens like the flu or dengue fever. “When a vaccine doesn’t...
Icosapent ethyl found to significantly reduce revascularizations in statin patients
by Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions Patients with high lipid levels have an increased risk for ischemic events, despite statin therapy. Findings presented as late-breaking science during the SCAI 2020 Scientific Sessions Virtual Conference revealed that for statin-treated patients with elevated triglycerides and increased cardiovascular risk, icosapent ethyl significantly reduced first and subsequent revascularizations...
Scientists generate millions of naïve human pluripotent stem cells, far more than have ever been produced
For decades, the enormous disease-curing potential of human stem cells has been thwarted by the inability to produce sufficient quantities of mature human cells in vivo — in a living organism. Now, a team led by University at Buffalo scientists has developed a method that dramatically ramps up the production of mature human cells in...
Reusable Textiles to Repel Viruses
Prostate cancer therapies have shown significant advances during the past decade, with multiple new therapies being introduced for patients with advanced disease. Now, the early results of a clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) reveals for the first time that therapies based on tumor genetics – specifically DNA repair defects...
Reusable Textiles to Repel Viruses
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a coating that can be used to create textiles that repel viruses, along with bodily fluids such as saliva and blood. Interestingly, the coated textiles are reusable, and can be washed and scrubbed repeatedly without losing their virus-repelling properties. These characteristics may make them highly suited for...