Medicine News

Brain Cholesterol May Play Important Role in Onset of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, characterized clinically by progressive memory loss, cognitive decline, and aberrant behavior. In Alzheimer’s, changes in tau protein lead to the disintegration of microtubules in brain cells. Image credit: Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center / National Institute on Aging.
May 9, 2018 by News Staff

A research team led by a University of Cambridge scientist has found that in the brain, cholesterol acts as a catalyst which triggers the formation of the toxic clusters of the amyloid-beta protein, a central player in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. It is unclear, however, if the results — published in the journal Nature Chemistry — have any implications for dietary cholesterol, as cholesterol does not cross the blood-brain...

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Lesional psoriatic skin. Image credit: Wu et al, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005227.

Compound Derived from Immune Cells Treats Psoriasis in Mice

May 8, 2018 by News Staff

A modified form of a compound called itaconate suppresses an inflammatory pathway that is overactive in many autoimmune diseases, suggesting that it may...

Mihaylova et al show that short-term fasting promotes intestinal stem and progenitor cell function in young and aged mice by inducing a robust fatty acid oxidation (FAO) program; PPAR (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor) agonists emulate these effects, showing that fatty acid metabolism has positive effects on young and old intestinal stem cells. Image credit: Mihaylova et al, doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2018.04.001.

Study: Fasting Improves Intestinal Stem Cells’ Ability to Regenerate

May 7, 2018 by News Staff

Intestinal stem cells are responsible for maintaining the lining of the intestine, which typically renews itself every 5 days. When an injury or infection...

In this new study, people taking a sauna 4-7 times a week were 61% less likely to suffer a stroke than those taking a sauna once a week. Image credit: K. Schlott.

Sauna Bathing Reduces Risk of Stroke, New Study Shows

May 4, 2018 by News Staff

Middle-aged to elderly men and women who take frequent sauna baths have a substantially reduced risk of new-onset stroke, according to a 15-year follow-up...

Dark Chocolate Consumption May Improve Vision: Study

May 3, 2018 by Sergio Prostak

Dark chocolate consumption improves the ability to see low- and high-contrast targets, possibly owing to increased blood flow, suggests a small new study...

This new study is the first comprehensive analysis of the impact of adopting low-risk lifestyle factors on life expectancy in the U.S. Image credit: Matan Ray Vizel.

Five Healthy Lifestyle Habits Can Extend Life by 12-14 Years

May 2, 2018 by News Staff

Living a healthy lifestyle — eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, keeping a healthy body weight, not drinking too much alcohol, and not smoking...

The new study indicates that oral NaHCO3 activates a splenic anti-inflammatory pathway and provides evidence that the signals that mediate this response are transmitted to the spleen via a novel neuronal-like function of mesothelial cells. Image credit: Sci-News.com.

Drinking Baking Soda Daily May Help Reduce Inflammation Caused by Autoimmune Diseases

Apr 27, 2018 by News Staff

A team of researchers at Augusta University has shown that when rats or healthy people drink a solution of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO3), it...

While it is well known that cacao is a major source of flavonoids, this is the first time the effect has been studied in human subjects to determine how it can support cognitive, endocrine and cardiovascular health. Image credit: Sci-News.com.

Eating Dark Chocolate Improves Memory, Reduces Inflammation and Stress, Two Studies Say

Apr 26, 2018 by News Staff

Consuming dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao has positive effects on stress levels, inflammation, mood, memory and immunity, according to two studies...

This new study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting pharmaceutical-grade nutritional supplements (nutraceuticals) could play an important role in preventing heart disease. Image credit: Kelvin Song / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Study: Mitochondrial Antioxidant Makes Aged Blood Vessels Young Again

Apr 23, 2018 by News Staff

According to a new study, published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension, older adults who take a mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant...

Opioid medication and medication combinations are not among the most effective or long lasting of the options available for relief of acute dental pain. Image credit: Wonderlane / Alan Carr / CC BY 2.0.

Paracetamol and Ibuprofen More Effective than Opioids in Treating Acute Dental Pain, Review Says

Apr 20, 2018 by News Staff

According to a review of more than 460 previous studies, ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs alone or in combination with paracetamol...

Left: this image shows fibrotic heart cells from a patient who had heart failure; the cells have an elaborate fibronectin matrix (shown in red) which causes fibrosis and heart damage. Right: in this image, human heart cells treated with the novel therapeutic peptide exhibit dramatically reduced fibrosis; the experimental treatment prevented the human heart cells from failing and restored their function. Image credit: Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute.

Inhibiting Specific Protein Might Prevent Heart Failure

Apr 17, 2018 by News Staff

A team of researchers at the Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute used an experimental targeted molecular therapy to block a matrix-forming protein,...

Current guidelines say that, if necessary, paracetamol should be used at the lowest possible dose for the shortest possible time; ibuprofen should be avoided during pregnancy. Image credit: Steve Buissinne.

Painkillers in Pregnancy May Harm Baby’s Future Fertility: Study

Apr 17, 2018 by News Staff

According to a new study, published in the April edition of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, taking painkillers such as paracetamol (acetaminophen)...

Night owls have 10% higher risk of dying than morning counterparts. Image credit: Sasin Tipchai.

Study: Night Owls Have Higher Risk of Mortality

Apr 16, 2018 by News Staff

According to a new study published in the journal Chronobiology International, ‘night owls’ have a 10% higher risk of dying than ‘larks.’ Night...

Dogan et al developed a way to cure dental cavities. Image credit: University of Washington.

New Biogenic Dental Product Rebuilds Tooth Enamel, Treats Cavities

Apr 16, 2018 by News Staff

A team of scientists at the University of Washington has developed a new dental product that uses protein amelogenin-derived peptides to remineralize tooth...

A nasal vaccine successfully suppressed peanut allergy in mice. Image credit: Skeeze.

Nasal Vaccine Turns Off Peanut Allergy in Mice: Study

Apr 13, 2018 by News Staff

Just three monthly doses of a nasal vaccine protected mice from allergic reactions upon exposure to peanut, according to a study published in the Journal...

The Carolina Reaper, also known as the HP22B, is a cultivar of Capsicum chinense. Image credit: Magnolia677 / CC BY 4.0.

Thunderclap Headaches: Rare Case Caused by ‘Carolina Reaper’ Chili Pepper

Apr 11, 2018 by News Staff

Taking part in a hot chili pepper eating contest might have some unexpected consequences, according to a team of doctors from Bassett Medical Center and...

Thin section of a Xenorhabdus nematophila cell, showing outer membrane blebs on the surface of the cell and in the surrounding area. Image credit: Mattia2 / Kenyon College.

Odilorhabdins: Researchers Discover New Class of Antibiotics

Apr 9, 2018 by News Staff

An international team of scientists led by the University of Illinois, Chicago, has discovered a new class of naturally produced, ribosome-targeting antibacterial...

Zhang et al utilized sequencing databases to identify hundreds of mutations in DNA sequences outside of coding genes, paving the way for novel therapeutic avenues to treat cancer. Image Credit: Zhang et al, doi: 10.1038/s41588-018-0091-2.

Researchers Identify Hundreds of Mutations outside of Coding Genes that Influence Tumor Gene Expression

Apr 6, 2018 by Zvi Cramer

Scientists have for the first time linked mutations located outside of coding genes to changes in tumor gene expression, aiding the development of future...

MacLean et al suggest that smoking status is associated with poor diet quality. Image credit: Quick Fix / CC BY-SA 2.0.

Smokers Have Worse Quality Diets than Former Smokers or Non-Smokers, Says New Study

Apr 5, 2018 by News Staff

A team of researchers from Fairfield University and Yale University has evaluated data from 5,293 U.S. adults and found that smokers consumed around 200...

Ashwanikumar et al have developed a drug delivery system using cell-penetrating self-assembling peptide nanomaterials (CSPNs); these drilled-shaped nanomaterials traverse cellular membranes to deliver drugs and can be fine-tuned into different shapes to optimize delivery. Image credit: Ashwanikumar et al, doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2018.02.041.

Scientists Develop Drug-Delivering ‘Nanodrills’ that Penetrate Cell Membranes

Mar 30, 2018 by Zvi Cramer

Researchers have created new drill-shaped nanomaterials that infiltrate cellular membrane and deliver drugs inside the cell, providing a versatile means...

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