Having positive health beliefs–specifically, the perception that you can protect yourself from having another stroke–is linked to lower blood pressure among stroke survivors, especially women, according to a new study led by researchers at NYU School of Global Public Health. The findings are published in a spotlight issue on psychosocial factors in the Journal of...
More berries, apples and tea may have protective benefits against Alzheimer’s
BOSTON (May 5, 2020)–Older adults who consumed small amounts of flavonoid-rich foods, such as berries, apples and tea, were two to four times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias over 20 years compared with people whose intake was higher, according to a new study led by scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA...
The hidden links between mental disorders
Psychiatrists have a dizzying array of diagnoses and not enough treatments. Hunting for the hidden biology underlying mental disorders could help. In 2018, psychiatrist Oleguer Plana-Ripoll was wrestling with a puzzling fact about mental disorders. He knew that many individuals have multiple conditions — anxiety and depression, say, or schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. He wanted...
Researchers demonstrate a novel way to treat snakebite
by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine Snakebite is one of the world’s biggest hidden health problems with up to 138 000 victims dying every year, and around 400 000 victims left with permanent physical disabilities or disfigurements. Those most affected live in some of the world’s poorest communities in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America...
New compound combats the metal ions and plaques linked to Alzheimer’s
By Nick Lavars While its exact causes are unknown, Alzheimer’s disease is commonly associated with clumps of toxic amyloid plaques in the brain, and researchers are continuing to understand the different components that help them take shape. Scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a new compound that attacks a number of...
CAN ALGAE-BASED NASAL SPRAY PREVENT COVID-19?
A nasal spray derived from algae and a plant in the tobacco family could offer a preventive measure for COVID-19, according to a new study. Researchers are making a molecule called Q-griffithsin using an anti-viral protein found in the New Zealand red algae Griffithsia and Nicotiana benthamiana, a plant in the same family as tobacco...
TAU Lab Identifies Two Effective Antibodies from Recovered Coronavirus Patients
Antibody-based therapies can be used to protect at-risk populations, including medical workers, from the virus. The race to develop effective antibody-based treatments for COVID-19 is advancing at a rapid pace. Now, a Tel Aviv University laboratory reports it has successfully isolated two antibodies that would neutralize the virus’s ability to infect human cells. The two...
Study shows stem cells constitute alternative approach for treating corneal scarring
Durham, NC – Infection, inflammation, trauma, disease, contact lenses – all of these and more can lead to corneal scarring, which according to the World Health Organization is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. While corneal transplant remains the gold standard to treat this condition, patient demand far outweighs donor supply. However, in a study...
A portable, reusable test for COVID-19
by University of Utah “Testing, testing, testing.” It’s a mantra that health officials have been constantly promoting because screening people for COVID-19 is the best way to contain its spread. In the U.S., however, that crucial necessity has been hampered due to a lack of supplies. But University of Utah electrical and computer engineering professor...
Researchers discover key mechanism of cytokine storm in Castleman disease
by Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania When Castleman Disease patients have a flare of their symptoms, they experience a cytokine storm inside their bodies—a hyper-response from the immune system that can cause a fever, organ failure, and even death. Now researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of...