Tag: study

Inflammation can be good. It’s part of the body’s innate immune system, our first line of defense against illness and injury. However, if the inflammatory response goes on for too long, it can lead to a condition called chronic inflammation, where the body essentially attacks itself, wreaking biological havoc on our organs and systems. Chronic

The study entitled “Long term extension of a randomised controlled trial of probiotics using electronic health records” led by researchers in the Swansea University Medical School and the College of Human and Health Sciences, was published in Scientific Reports. The findings demonstrate the potential of using anonymised routinely collected electronic health records, such as those

Researchers in Germany have discovered that colon cancers are often resistant to existing drug treatments because they are composed of two different cell types that can replace each other when one cell type is killed. The study, which will be published May 16 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, suggests that combination therapies targeting both

Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have been studying how the immune system succeeds in keeping pathogens in check. For the first time, the researchers have now discovered antibodies that are capable of disarming not only one specific bacterium, but a whole variety of microorganisms at once. The newly discovered antibodies recognize a

A new study published today has found a way to identify men with locally advanced prostate cancer who are less likely to respond well to radiotherapy. Led by Professor Catharine West, The University of Manchester team created a method of selecting prostate cancer patients who would benefit from treatments which target oxygen deficient tumours. The

Smoking during pregnancy has well-documented negative effects on birth weight in infants and is linked to several childhood health problems. Now, researchers at the University at Buffalo Research Institute on Addictions have found that prenatal marijuana use also can have consequences on infants’ weight and can influence behavior problems, especially when combined with tobacco use.

Nurses are often considered the unsung heroes and backbone of our health-care system but it’s their actual backs that bear the brunt of physically demanding movements like lifting and transferring patients. In fact, nurses are the highest category of workers to experience back injuries on the job, even more than construction workers, says nursing researcher

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have devised what they call a “neuronal cookbook” for turning skin cells into different types of neurons. As reported today in the journal Nature, the research opens the door to studying common brain conditions such as autism, schizophrenia, addiction and Alzheimer’s disease under reproducible conditions in a dish. “The

Anxiety has already been shown to take its toll on the human body in many ways, including increased risk for heart disease and gastrointestinal disorders. Now a new study demonstrates how anxiety levels are linked to an increased risk of bone fractures in postmenopausal women. Study results are published online today in Menopause, the journal

Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) have launched a pilot study to see how a drug that treats several related autoimmune disorders affects the skeleton. The two-year study, led by Susan M. Goodman, MD, a rheumatologist at HSS in New York City, will look at the effect on bone of secukinumab in men and

People showing virtually no symptoms are likely the primary source of dengue fever, according to new research published in PLOS Pathogens. Nearly 400 million people each year are infected with dengue virus, which is transmitted through mosquitoes. The study estimates that more than 80 percent of dengue virus infections are attributable to individuals with mild

While there is no demonstrable difference in initiation of breastfeeding between six-week and 12-week maternity leave policies, there is a significant increase in breastfeeding duration and exclusivity through nine months for active duty mothers under the 12 week policy, according to a new study being presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2018 Meeting. The

A team from the University of Oxford and Cardiff University have used mathematical models to re-enact the complex process of brain development that occurs as initialising cells, otherwise known as progenitor cells, start to grow and begin to differentiate into more specialist cells at various points in time. By applying this experimentally realistic model to

By creating multiple types of neurons from stem cells and observing how they interact, Salk scientists have developed a new way to study the connections between brain cells in the lab. Using the technique, which generates a partial model of the brain, the team showed how communication between neurons is altered in people with schizophrenia.

A new study on mice offers insights into why some people’s hair may turn gray in response to a serious illness or chronic stress. Publishing May 3 in the open access journal PLOS Biology, researchers at the National Institutes of Health and the University of Alabama, Birmingham have discovered a connection between the genes that

University of Illinois at Chicago researchers have discovered a way turn pluripotent stem cells into atrial cells, which make up the upper chambers, or atria, of the heart. The discovery will enable them to better study atrial fibrillation, the most common heart rhythm disorder also known as AFib, which originates in the heart’s atria. As

One major hallmark of cancer cells is their ability to adapt to stressful conditions such as nutrient deprivation. Rapidly growing tumor cells must compete for the ever-diminishing supply of nutrients in the surrounding environment to survive and proliferate. Targeting these adaptive mechanisms represents a promising approach for cancer therapeutics. Sanford Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP)

For most people with hemophilia B, whose bodies can’t properly form blood clots, constant injections to replenish their clotting factors are a way of life. But now, Salk researchers have demonstrated in mice that hemophilia B can be treated for life with one single injection, containing disease-free liver cells that can produce their missing clotting

Improved care for patients undergoing cancer surgery is the focus of a pioneering worldwide study. Doctors say the initiative—funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) – will enable them to gauge surgery quality across the globe and highlight ways to improve patient care. Some 16 million people worldwide will be diagnosed with cancer

If there is one thing all cancers have in common, it is they have nothing in common. A multi-center study led by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has shed light on why proteins, the seedlings that serve as the incubator for many cancers, can vary from cancer to cancer and even patient