CHICAGO — Scientists from Northwestern Medicine and the University of Belgrade have pinpointed the electrophysiological mechanism behind upper motor neuron (UMN) disease, unlocking the door to potential treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia and Primary Lateral Sclerosis. The study, published in Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience on...
Month: <span>May 2020</span>
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New insights on allergies may improve diagnosis and treatment
by Brian Burns, Massachusetts General Hospital Results from a study led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital may help to improve the diagnosis and treatment of allergies, pointing to a potential marker of these conditions and a new therapeutic strategy. The research is published in Nature. Nearly one third of the world’s population suffers from...
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Engineer uses mechanical resistance to detect damage to red blood cells
by Karen B. Roberts, University of Delaware According to the National Kidney Foundation, more than 37 million people are living with kidney disease. The kidneys play an important role in the body, from removing waste products to filtering the blood. For people with kidney disease, dialysis can help the body perform these essential functions when...
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Researchers to study the effectiveness of an intervention for helping isolated older people during COVID-19
by Alistair Keely, University of York Researchers are to trial an intervention aimed at preventing and mitigating the onset of depression and loneliness among the most vulnerable in society as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown. Enforced isolation, whether this is due to shielding or self-isolation, causes disruption to daily routines, loss of social contact...
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Scientists identify gene linked to thinness that may help resist weight gain
by Cell Press While others may be dieting and hitting the gym hard to stay in shape, some people stay slim effortlessly no matter what they eat. In a study publishing May 21 in the journal Cell, researchers use a genetic database of more than 47,000 people in Estonia to identify a gene linked to...
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Scientists discover more than 200 genetic factors that cause heart arrhythmia
by Queen Mary, University of London Hundreds of new links have been found between people’s DNA and the heart’s electrical activity, according to a study of almost 300,000 people led by researchers at Queen Mary University of London and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. The results could one day lead to advanced screening...
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Vitamin D could improve outcomes in COVID-19
By Dr. Liji Thomas, MD A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 shows that vitamin D could have a beneficial effect on the course of illness for COVID-19 patients. Study: Evidence Supports a Causal Model for Vitamin D in COVID-19 Outcomes. Image Credit: Alrandir / Shutterstock What decides COVID-19 outcomes? Even as the...
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Brain’s ‘updating mechanisms’ may create false memories
by University of Technology, Sydney A study published in Current Biology reports on one of the first comprehensive characterizations of poorly formed memories, and may offer a framework to explore different therapeutic approaches to fear, memory and anxiety disorders. It may also have implications for accuracy of some witness testimony. Senior author Professor Bryce Vissel,...
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T-cells could be made into better cancer killers by increasing their protein production
Hollings Cancer Center researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina have developed a technique to monitor protein production in a type of immune cell known as a T cell & have shown that T cells with robust protein production are more effective MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA A team of scientists from Hollings Cancer...
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Researchers may have uncovered the Achilles heel of viruses
A new research study headed by Aarhus University in Denmark identifies how viruses avoid the body’s immune system and cause infections and diseases. Viruses have an exceptional ability to circumvent the body’s immune system and cause diseases. The majority of people recover from a viral infection such as influenza, although the current COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates...