Tag: diseases

UK reports highest number of new COVID cases since April 1

FILE PHOTO: Nurses react as they treat a COVID-19 patient in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) at Milton Keynes University Hospital, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Milton Keynes, Britain, January 20, 2021. REUTERS/Toby MelvilleLONDON (Reuters) – Britain reported the highest number of new COVID cases since April 1 on Monday, with

New AI platform can help assess vascular diseases

An international team of scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that could one day be used in a system to assess vascular diseases, which are characterised by the abnormal condition of blood vessels. The AI-powered platform combines

Tissue stiffness likely drives immune responses in many chronic diseases

Stiffness in our tissues causes tension in our cells. Research from the Buck Institute, the University Health Network (University of Toronto), Stanford University, and the University of Alberta shows that stiffness impacts the innate immune system by upping its metabolism. The findings suggest the cellular tension likely sets off an inflammatory loop that contributes to

Depression in Youth Linked to Risk for Somatic Diseases

TUESDAY, Dec. 15, 2020 — Patients diagnosed with depression in youth have increased risks for many somatic diseases and mortality, according to a study published online Dec. 9 in JAMA Psychiatry. Marica Leone, from Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson in Solna, Sweden, and colleagues quantified the association between youth depression and subsequent diagnoses

Zooming into cilia sheds light into blinding diseases

A new study published today by researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and UT Health’s McGovern Medical School in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals an unprecedented close-up view of cilia linked to blindness. Cilia are short hair-like structures found on the surface of certain cells. They are particularly important in vision

Five animals that could help us beat human diseases

As humans, we may feel rather lucky about our evolutionary lot. We live longer than many other animals, and lifespans continue to increase thanks to better diets, advances in medicine and improved public health. But our quest to beat aging and the diseases that come with aging continues. Osteoarthritis rates, for example, have doubled since

Skin diseases study uses crowdsourcing to gather data

In 1906, English statistician Francis Galton happened to visit a livestock fair where fairgoers were invited to guess the dressed weight of an ox scheduled for imminent slaughter. Some 800 attendees took part and afterwards Galton got hold of the contest data. This episode, which Galton reported in Nature, has become subject to popular retellings,

Infectious diseases: When a kiss is more than a kiss

Often referred to as the “kissing disease,” mononucleosis is a common ailment caused by the Epstein-Barr virus that is transmitted through saliva. While you can get the virus through kissing, you also can be exposed through a cough or sneeze, or by sharing cups or utensils with someone who is infected. According to the Centers

RNA proofreading mistakes drive group of autoimmune diseases

A team from Scripps Research has found a molecular cause of a group of rare autoimmune disorders in which the immune system attacks the body’s own healthy cells. The discovery, published Dec. 18 in Nature Communications, improves understanding of a protein’s role in several autoimmune disorders, including Singleton-Merten syndrome (SMS), Aicardi-Goutières syndrome, familial chilblain lupus,

Team spots clue to rare lung and kidney diseases

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

Breakthrough for treatment of fibrotic diseases

Scientists have discovered a drug combination that could halt the progression of fibrosis—a condition believed to be responsible for almost half of all deaths—according to a study published in the journal European Urology. Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University, University College London and KU Leuven have spent seven years working on finding the right drug combination