Category: Health Problems

In an article published online by Frontiers in Endocrinology, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) report that they have identified a potential therapeutic target for lung fibrosis or scarring. They showed in a preclinical model that the protein promotes fibrosis by turning on profibrotic genes and increasing levels of profibrotic factors, including

(HealthDay)—An analysis of electronic health record data reveals considerable differences in hypertension control across health systems, according to a study published in the November-December issue of the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. Kevin Selby, M.D., from the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study

In an American Journal of Transplantation study, lung cancer risk was increased after lung transplantation, especially in the native (non-transplanted) lung of single lung transplant recipients. This was a large registry-linkage study that utilized matched transplant and cancer registry data from 17 US states/regions, including approximately 50 percent of US transplant recipients from 1987-2012. Researchers

The brain is organized into a super-network of specialized networks of nerve cells. For such a brain architecture to function, these specialized networks – each located in a different brain area – need to be able to communicate with each other. But which conditions are required for communication to take place, and which control mechanisms

(HealthDay)—From 2005 to 2014, trends in palliative care use increased substantially among multiple sclerosis (MS) inpatients, according to a study published in the December issue of the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience. Yong-Jae Lee, Ph.D., from the Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, and colleagues used data from the 2005 to 2014 U.S.

A novel way in which the inflammatory response to pain is regulated has been described in the open-access journal eLife. The results add to our understanding of the mechanisms that cause increased sensitivity to pain in response to injury and inflammation, and could pave the way for more effective therapies. Inflammatory hyperalgesia, the hypersensitivity to

The CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system may be able to restore the effectiveness of first-line chemotherapies used to treat lung cancer by deleting or “knocking out” a gene in cancer tumors that helps the tumors develop resistance to the drugs. That was the conclusion of a new study published today in the journal Molecular Therapy Oncolytics

Bowel (colorectal) cancer is the third most commonly occurring cancer in men and the second most commonly occurring cancer in women worldwide. The global burden is expected to increase by 60 per cent to more than 2.2 million new cases and 1.1 million deaths by 2030. The research, which has been published in the Journal

Credit: CC0 Public Domain University of Minnesota Medical School researchers decided to delve into an area where little data currently exists. They wanted to know what happens after these patients with abnormal blood glucose measurements are discharged? Are uncontrolled blood glucose levels associated with worse outcomes after patients are discharged from the hospital? Surprisingly, despite

Aging is characterized by increases in inflammation and decreases in stem cell function. The relationship between these processes remains incompletely understood. Researchers of the Leibniz Institute on Aging (FLI) in Jena, Germany, identified a new role of the protein cohesin in mediating inflammatory signaling in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Cohesin is required for gene regulation

USC researchers seeking a way to study genetic activity associated with psychiatric disorders have discovered an abundant source of human cells—the nose. Olfactory epithelial cells, easily collected from the lining of the nasal cavity, can serve as stand-ins for brain cells in studies of the neuronal epigenome, USC researchers say. The epigenome is a system

The first study of the burden of listeria in pregnant New Zealanders and their babies has found reassuringly low rates of the infection – indicating food safety warnings are working to prevent unnecessary cases of miscarriage, still birth, and meningitis in babies infected in the womb. However in those who contract the infection, the consequences

A cancer diagnosis tells you that you have cancer, but how that cancer will progress is a terrifying uncertainty for most patients. Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have now identified a specific class of biomarkers that can tell a lot about how aggressive a patient’s cancer will be. “There are undoubtedly dozens or

During an ischemic attack, the heart is temporarily robbed of its blood supply. The aftermath is devastating: reduced heart contractility, heart cell death, and heart failure. Contributing to these detrimental changes is a signaling molecule, G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2), which following ischemia accumulates in mitochondria, the energy-producing powerhouses of cells. Now, a Temple-led

Australian emergency doctors are at the forefront of a large clinical study to assess how clinicians are treating sepsis. Funded by the Emergency Medicine Foundation—Australasia (EMF) and the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation, the study will help clinicians better understand how patients in Australia and New Zealand are currently managed and could lead to a potential

According to some estimates, up to one in three people around the world may experience severe anxiety in their lifetime. In a study described today in Cell Reports, researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science have revealed a previously unknown mechanism underlying anxiety. Targeting this biochemical pathway may help develop new therapies for alleviating the

The brain updates its preferences in real-time in order to choose between two equally attractive options, reveals a human neuroimaging and eye-tracking study published in JNeurosci. The research shows how we avoid becoming paralyzed by indecision like the starving donkey in a famous thought experiment. In the 14th century the French philosopher Jean Buridan described

Disorders of sleep are some of the most common problems experienced by patients after traumatic brain injury (TBI). It is important to recognize and treat these problems early to allow for optimal cognitive recovery, but because they are so common, the importance of treating them is often underestimated. In this special issue of NeuroRehabilitation scientists

Pulmonary-renal syndrome (PRS) refers to a group of rare but potentially fatal conditions that nearly always are caused by a misguided attack by the body’s immune system on the lungs and kidneys. Coughing up blood and blood in the urine are telltale signs. Treatment with corticosteroids and immunosuppressant drugs can be effective if begun before

In the ongoing hunt for more effective weapons against malaria, international researchers said Thursday they are exploring a pathway that has until now been little studied—killing parasites in the liver, before the illness emerges. “It’s very difficult to work on the liver stage,” said Elizabeth Winzeler, professor of pharmacology and drug discovery at University of