Tag: could

A cancer treatment already approved for use in certain types of cancer has been found to block cell growth in a common form of lung cancer for which there is currently no specific treatment available. The new findings, published today in Science Translational Medicine and led by the University of Glasgow, suggest that a large

More than seven years ago, a big health finding reported on in a peer-reviewed journal went largely unnoticed. “Spanish chronobiologists found that taking your blood pressure medication at bedtime instead of in the morning reduced the risk of heart attack, stroke and death by 61 per cent,” said Scott Garrison, an associate professor in the

An international team of scientists have developed a new way to screen for age-related cognitive decline at home using a test which asks people to detect sounds and flashes on their laptop or phone. Developed by researchers from Switzerland and the UK, the study shows that the simple, cost-effective test may be used to help

McLean Hospital investigators have released the results of a study that outlines how age, socioeconomic status, and other factors might contribute to social isolation and poorer mental health. In a paper published in the online version of Clinical Psychological Science, the researchers examine how individuals of all ages and walks of life seek and enjoy

Blasting out Rihanna or Kanye West could give World Cup squads that crucial psychological edge over rival teams, suggests research from Brunel University London. Which tracks the manager spins in the dressing room to psych players up to peak performance may be key to getting them to perform at the top of their game. Scientists

The drug — which is activated by shining light down an optical fiber implanted in the brain — reduced Parkinson’s symptoms and improved motor function in mice. In a paper about the work now published in the Journal of Controlled Release, the international team suggests that the “light-operated” drug could potentially treat other movement disorders.

More than 2.5 million Americans are living with Atrial Fibrillation (AFib). AFib is an irregular heartbeat that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications. What doctors and researchers currently understand about treating AFib stems mainly from whether a patient has been diagnosed with the condition or not. University of Minnesota

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have developed new cell-based technologies which could help improve understanding of the muscle-wasting disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and test potential drugs for the disease. DMD is a genetic disorder causing muscle degeneration and weakness, caused by an absence of the protein dystrophin. DMD usually affects only boys,

Scientists have uncovered a completely new way to make cancers sensitive to treatment—by targeting antenna-like structures on cells. Their study found that drug-resistant cancer cells have more and longer antennae than those which are killed by treatment. Blocking the growth of antennae reactivated a range of cancer treatments that had stopped working, the team at

Genetic mutations in blood cells that have made their way into tumors could be red herrings that mislead physicians looking for genetic changes in tumors that are helping to drive the cancer. This finding is significant because physicians could make misinformed treatment decisions. At the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting this week,

The targeted drug sunitinib (Sutent) is as effective alone as when it’s combined with surgery for some people with advanced kidney cancer, according to a clinical trial. This means some people whose kidney cancer has spread could in future avoid having surgery to remove the affected organ. Average survival times were as good in patients

A new anti-cancer drug may be effective against a wider range of cancers than previously thought. Using a mouse model and samples taken from cancer patients, a team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has shown that a new class of drugs known as SHP2 inhibitors is also effective against aggressive, hard-to-treat tumors such

Cutbacks to social programmes in Brazil could lead to more avoidable childhood hospitalisations and deaths compared to maintaining current funding. The findings come from new research, published this week in the journal PLOS Medicine and led by researchers at Imperial College London and Universidade Federal da Bahia in Brazil. Using statistical models to simulate future

A cancer diagnosis is a firestorm that turns lives upside down. It may not be life-ending, but it almost always is life-changing. Few life experiences are crueler than childhood cancer, but this blatant unfairness motivates some of the best, kindest and most heartfelt medical care. Clinicians in adult oncology can learn a lot from pediatric

Growing levels of resistance to antifungal treatments could lead to increased disease outbreaks and affect food security around the world. An international team, led by researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Exeter, warns that improvements are needed in how existing drugs are used, as well as an increased focus on the discovery

Dr. Robert Britton firmly believes every molecule is important. This chemist doesn’t want any molecule sitting unused on a laboratory shelf or in a fridge. “I want every molecule to have a purpose—that’s my ethos for our lab,” says Britton, a GlycoNet network investigator and professor at Simon Fraser University. With that spirit in mind,

Rogue religious leaders and health practitioners who claim that homosexuality can be “fixed” could end up being prosecuted as the Andrews government orders an unprecedented inquiry into gay conversion therapy. Health Minister Jill Hennessy has asked Victoria’s Health Complaints Commissioner to conduct a broad-ranging investigation, and has not ruled out tougher laws to crack down on

Currently, there are around 30 million people in the United States living with type 2 diabetes, a lifelong condition that cannot yet be cured. Obesity, one of the major risk factors, is steadily rising, meaning that the number of people with type 2 diabetes is likely to follow suit. The condition is caused by faulty

A Stanford-led study in China has revealed for the first time high levels of a potentially fatal tapeworm infection among school-age children. The researchers suggest solutions that could reduce infections in this sensitive age range and possibly improve education outcomes and reduce poverty. “This disease invades the brain,” said John Openshaw, the study’s lead author

A new drug could ease the distress of men and women who suffer from baldness, according to researchers from The University of Manchester’s Centre for Dermatology Research. The study from the laboratory of Prof Ralf Paus, is published today (8 May) in the open access journal PLOS Biology It shows that a drug originally designed