by McLean Hospital Researchers in the Neuroregeneration Institute are making strides in Parkinson’s disease research. In a novel research study conducted by a team from the Neuroregeneration Institute at McLean Hospital, investigators believe they have found key brain cell type changes involving lipids, inflammation, and the development of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Their findings appear in the current issue...
Study explains the process that exacerbates multiple sclerosis
by Karolinska Institutet Demyelination by MS. The CD68 colored tissue shows several macrophages in the area of the lesion. Original scale 1:100. People with multiple sclerosis (MS) gradually develop increasing functional impairment. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have now found a possible explanation for the progressive course of the disease in mice and how it can be reversed. The...
Drug repurposing: Researchers find existing medications may fight coronavirus infection
by University of New Mexico Image of the ultrastructural morphology exhibited by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). University of New Mexico researchers who combed through a “library” of previously approved drugs believe they have identified a medication with the potential to help speed a patient’s recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection. “The gist of it is we think we found...
Transposons could be rewiring our brains
by University of Oxford A new study by neuroscientists at the University of Oxford shows that mobile genetic elements that were active in the genomes of our ancestors could be closely linked to important functions in our brain and might help diversify our behavior, cognition and emotions. The human genome contains the instructions to build and maintain all...
Coronavirus survives on skin five times longer than flu: study
OCTOBER 18, 2020 SARS-CoV-2 (shown here in an electron microscopy image). The coronavirus remains active on human skin for nine hours, Japanese researchers have found, in a discovery they said showed the need for frequent hand washing to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The pathogen that causes the flu survives on human skin for about 1.8 hours by comparison, said...
Do cloth masks work? Only if you machine wash them after use
by Australian Research Council A new publication from researchers at UNSW Sydney advises daily washing of cloth masks to reduce the likelihood of contamination and transmission of viruses like SARS-CoV-2. Cloth masks must be washed daily at high temperatures to be protective against infection, a new analysis from the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney published in BMJ Open suggests....
Over 80% of People who Tested Positive for COVID-19 During Lockdown had no Symptoms
A new study published on 8 October in the journal Clinical Epidemiology used data from the Office for National Statistics Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey on a representative population sample of 36,061 people living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who were tested between 26 April and the 27 June 2020. According to the data, out of the...
Update: The COVID-19 Outbreak
There’s no point in avoiding the obvious: Cases are rising fast. The winter looks bad. But weary Americans may take comfort: This time, we know more. The coming season doesn’t have to be a catastrophe. Keep reading for some practical advice on managing this scary period. We can still stop the surge. “A silver bullet may be months...
Report finds COVID-19 rate among dentists is less than one percent
by American Dental Association Although assumed to be at high risk for COVID-19, fewer than one percent of dentists nationwide were found to be COVID-19 positive, according to a first-of-its-kind report in the U.S. based on data collected in June 2020. The result is far below that of other health professionals in the U.S. In...
Research finds that blue-light glasses improve sleep and workday productivity
by Indiana University During the pandemic, the amount of screen time for many people working and learning from home as well as binge-watching TV has sharply increased. New research finds that wearing blue-light glasses just before sleeping can lead to a better night’s sleep and contribute to a better day’s work to follow. “We found that...