Related Science News

September 4, 2019

Onset mechanism of schizophrenia is different between males and females, new study shows

Schizophrenia affects more than 21 million people worldwide. It is a mental disorder, characterized by a decreased ability to understand reality. People with this condition suffer from unclear or confused thinking, hearing voices, violent thoughts and other symptoms. Men are affected more often than women, which is why scientists set […]
September 4, 2019

Liver Transplant Candidates with Public Insurance Have Worse Waitlist Outcomes Than Those with Private Insurance

Patients with similar liver cancer characteristics on the waitlist for a liver transplant had significantly worse outcomes with public insurance compared to Kaiser Permanente or other private insurance, according to a study by researchers at UC San Francisco. Their findings appeared online in JAMA Network Open. “Public insurance should be […]
September 4, 2019

Parkinson's disease may originate in the intestines

In 2003, a German neuropathologist proposed that Parkinson’s disease, which attacks the brain, actually might originate from the gut of the patients. Researchers from Aarhus have now delivered decisive supportive evidence after seeing the disease migrate from the gut to the brain and heart of laboratory rats. The scientific journal Acta […]
September 4, 2019

NIH launches novel nationwide search for neuroprotective stroke therapies

Recently the National Institutes of Health called on researchers to make the standards and practices for conducting early stage, or preclinical, medical research on animals more like those used for clinical trials. To facilitate this change, NIH will fund a nationwide preclinical trial platform designed to systematically and efficiently test […]
September 4, 2019

Poor diet can lead to blindness

An extreme case of “fussy” or “picky” eating caused a young patient’s blindness, according to a new case report published in Annals of Internal Medicine. The University of Bristol researchers who examined the case recommend clinicians consider nutritional optic neuropathy in any patients with unexplained vision symptoms and poor diet, […]
September 4, 2019

Mumps study shows immunity gaps among vaccinated people

Immunity against mumps virus appears insufficient in a fraction of college-aged people who were vaccinated in childhood, research from Emory Vaccine Center and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates. The findings highlight the need to better understand the immune response to mumps and mumps vaccines. The results of […]
September 4, 2019

Enzyme Known for Promoting Cancer Also Protects Healthy Cells

New research from the University of Maryland and the National Institutes of Health reveals a new role for the enzyme telomerase. Telomerase’s only known role in normal tissue was to protect certain cells that divide regularly, such as embryonic cells, sperm cells, adult stem cells and immune cells. Scientists thought […]
September 2, 2019

Menopausal hormone therapy increases breast cancer risk for years

An international collaboration, using data from more than 100,000 women with breast cancer from 58 epidemiological studies worldwide, has found that using menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, and that some increased risk persists for more than a decade after use stops. The […]
September 2, 2019

Cell-free DNA detects pathogens and quantifies damage

A common problem in diagnosing infectious disease is that the presence of a potential pathogen in the body does not necessarily mean the patient is sick. This can be particularly challenging for the treatment of organ transplant recipients, who often grapple with infection as well as complications related to immunosuppression. […]
September 2, 2019

Choosing chicken over red meat could reduce the risk of breast cancer

Eating red meat, especially in large quantities, is not good for you. In fact, eating a lot of red meat has been associated with heart disease and cancer. Meanwhile chicken, according to this new international study, might actually reduce the risk of breast cancer. We say “might” because, regardless what […]
September 2, 2019

A fruitful endeavor: Researcher examines berry polyphenols as potential treatment for cardiovascular treatment

A Florida State University researcher is examining how the polyphenol compounds found in blackberries could be used to help fight the buildup of artery plaque. Gloria Salazar, associate professor of nutrition, has received $805,409 from the James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program at the Florida Department of Health to […]
August 30, 2019

Low cost mobile technology shifts the dial on cardiovascular risk in rural Indonesia

An Australian-developed mobile app supported system that helps health systems identify and better manage people at high risk of cardiovascular disease has been shown to improve the use of appropriate medications and lower blood pressure in rural Indonesian communities. The study, published in JAMA Cardiology, showed that 15% of high […]
August 30, 2019

Artificial red blood cells enable research into malaria invasion

Researchers at the University of Bristol and Imperial College London have established a new model system that uses red blood cells grown in the laboratory to study how malaria parasites invade red blood cells. The work, which was funded by the National Institute for Health Research and NHS Blood and Transplant and is published in […]
August 30, 2019

An Apple a Day

Achieving or maintaining a healthy body weight is one key to preventing cardiovascular disease. But even experts don’t agree on the best way to achieve that goal, with some recommending eliminating carbohydrates and others emphasizing reducing fats to lose weight. Few studies have investigated the effects of these specific macronutrients […]
August 30, 2019

U of A researchers discover new biomarker for rare autoimmune disease

University of Alberta researchers identified a unique biological marker that can be used to identify the presence of the rare autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis, predict the course of the disease and identify new, personalized treatments. In a study published in the journal Metabolomics, neurologist Zaeem Siddiqi, graduate student Derrick Blackmore and their […]
August 29, 2019

What we don't know about prenatal opioid exposure

Pregnancy can be a time of anxious uncertainty, particularly if there are any risks of complications. The question always arises, from parents, grandparents, friends and others: “Will the baby be OK?” In cases where the baby has been exposed to opioids in the womb, the answer is unclear. As part […]
August 29, 2019

Polycystic Kidney Disease: Strike Three

For people with polycystic kidney disease (PKD), life can be a never-ending cycle of symptoms: aches and pains, abdominal swelling, kidney stones, high blood pressure. The disease frequently leads, at worst, to a suite of major issues, including kidney failure, cysts in the liver and vascular problems, including strokes. PKD is a […]
August 29, 2019

Remodeling unhealthful gut microbiomes to fight disease

You are what you eat — right down to the microbiome living in your gut. Diet can affect which microbes are in the intestinal tract, and research has shown that harmful gut microbiome changes can lead to illnesses such as heart disease, obesity and cancer. Today, scientists will report the […]
August 29, 2019

Peptide hydrogels could help heal traumatic brain injuries

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) –– defined as a bump, blow or jolt to the head that disrupts normal brain function –– sent 2.5 million people in the U.S. to the emergency room in 2014, according to statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Today, researchers report a […]
August 29, 2019

Runaway Mitochondria Cause Telomere Damage in Cells

Researchers at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center provide the first concrete evidence for the long-held belief that sick mitochondria pollute the cells they’re supposed to be supplying with power. The paper, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involves a causal experiment to kick off a mitochondrial chain reaction that […]
August 29, 2019

Study Suggests Exercise After Concussion Improves Recovery

After a sports-related concussion, traditional recovery recommendations have previously called for weeks or months of rest, depending on the duration of a person’s symptoms. But Michael Popovich, M.D., M.P.H., a sports neurologist at Michigan NeuroSport, thinks this method could actually do more harm than good. Recent studies have suggested that regular, daily activities during […]
August 29, 2019

Addition of growth factors to unique system helps new bone formation

The development of new bone can be a multistep process: first, stem cells differentiate into cartilage cells. Next, the cartilage cells become bone cells. But that’s not all: the cells must experience some mechanical stresses during the transformation in order to transform efficiently from stem cells to bone cells. Researchers […]
August 28, 2019

Genetic risk is associated with differences in gut microbiome

Children with a high genetic risk of developing type 1 diabetes have different gut microbiomes than children with a low risk, according to a new study. The results suggest that genetic risk can shape an individual’s response to environmental factors in the development of autoimmune diseases. Both hereditary and environmental […]
August 28, 2019

Downstream Effects

Former professional football players who have experienced concussion symptoms, including loss of consciousness, disorientation or nausea after a head injury, are more likely to report low testosterone and erectile dysfunction (ED), according to research published in JAMA Neurology. The research—based on a survey of more than 3,400 former NFL players […]
August 28, 2019

Neurological brain markers might detect risk for psychotic disorders

Help may be on the way for people who might lose contact with reality through a psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia. People who may hear and see things that are not there could have symptoms of psychosis, better known as psychotic disorders. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have found neurological […]