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Sotos-Prieto et al show that modifying dietary habits can have a significant impact on health outcomes. Image credit: Silvia Rita.

Change in Diet Can Lower Risk of Total and Cardiovascular Mortality

Nov 1, 2017 by News Staff

A small, simple improvement in diet over the long-term — such as replacing one sugary beverage with a serving of nuts each day — may significantly...

Current skin cancer diagnosis can last a number of weeks and be very upsetting. Multiple stages can involve visiting a GP, being sent to a dermatologist for a skin biopsy, waiting for laboratory analysis, having a sentinel lymph node biopsy under general anesthetic, and then having more tests if the cancer has spread. However, a new imaging system developed by the ADVANCE Consortium could dramatically speed up the process and reduce the need for debilitating sentinel-lymph node biopsies by placing real-time diagnosis in the hands of a dermatologist. Image credit: ADVANCE Consortium.

New Laser Scanner to Detect Skin Cancer in Less Than 30 Seconds

Oct 30, 2017 by News Staff

Researchers from the European project ‘Automatic Detection of VAscular Networks for Cancer Evaluation’ (ADVANCE) have developed the world’s first...

Structure of the skin. Image credit: OpenStax College / CC BY 3.0.

Study: Skin Helps Regulate Blood Pressure and Heart Rate

Oct 26, 2017 by News Staff

In a new study published in the journal eLife, Dr. Andrew Cowburn of the University of Cambridge and co-authors show that skin helps regulate blood pressure...

Scanning electron micrograph of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Image credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Researchers Uncover New Antibiotic Resistance Genes

Oct 16, 2017 by News Staff

Chalmers University of Technology Professor Erik Kristiansson and co-authors have identified over 70 new metallo-β-lactamase genes that make bacteria...

KLFs are a subfamily of zinc finger transcriptional regulators with highly characterized roles in proliferation, survival, metabolism, and response to stress. Hsieh et al demonstrate that KLFs are critical determinants of aging, influencing both lifespan and age-related deterioration, and are broadly required for lifespan extension in all four mechanistically distinct longevity models tested. Importantly, the team provides evidence that these effects are mediated by KLF regulation of autophagy (autophagy was assessed using a GFP::LGG-1 translational reporter; GFP-positive puncta [red arrow] were counted in 30-150 total hypodermal seam cells in 10–20 animals) and are conserved in a mammalian system via a functional ortholog, KLF4. Together, the findings provide a role for the KLFs as a transcriptional regulatory point in longevity. Image credit: Hsieh et al, doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-00899-5.

Scientists Identify New Molecular Pathway that Controls Aging

Oct 16, 2017 by News Staff

A team of researchers led by Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has discovered a conserved molecular pathway that controls lifespan and...

Dry age-related macular degeneration is one of the most common causes of vision loss in people over the age of 50. Image credit: Pexels.

New Drug Slows Progression of Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Oct 11, 2017 by Enrico de Lazaro

An international team of researchers has found a way to slow the progression of an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause...

According to Henning et al, black tea may promote weight loss and other health benefits by changing bacteria in the gut. Image credit: Mathias Megerle.

Black Tea May Promote Weight Loss, Study Finds

Oct 10, 2017 by News Staff

In a study in mice, a team of researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, has found that black tea alters energy metabolism in the liver...

The surgical glue MeTro is applied directly to the wound and activated with light. Image credit: University of Sydney.

New Human Protein-Based Surgical Glue Seals Wounds in 60 Seconds

Oct 9, 2017 by News Staff

A biocompatible and highly elastic hydrogel sealant can effectively seal wounds in shape-shifting tissues without the need for common staples or sutures,...

For the first time, researchers have used mutations detected in circulating tumor DNA drawn from patient blood to predict responses to immunotherapy, supporting the usage of this non-invasive diagnostic approach in the clinic. Image credit: National Human Genome Research Institute.

DNA Shed into Blood by Tumors Can Predict Cancer Patients’ Response to Immunotherapy, Says Study

Oct 6, 2017 by Zvi Cramer

Scientists have shown that mutations present in circulating tumor DNA isolated from the blood predicts the likelihood a patient will respond to checkpoint...

Zinc selectively inhibits cancer cell growth. Image credit: Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health.

Study: Zinc Inhibits Growth of Esophageal Cancer Cells

Oct 4, 2017 by News Staff

An international research team led by University of Texas at Arlington scientist Zui Pan has discovered that zinc selectively halts the growth of cancer...

Ambrosia arborescens is a species of plant native to the Andes from Colombia south to Bolivia. Image credit: Dick Culbert / CC BY 2.0.

South American Medicinal Plant Compound Shows Anti-Cancer Stem Cell Activity

Oct 3, 2017 by Enrico de Lazaro

Damsin, a natural compound isolated from the South American medicinal plant Ambrosia arborescens, has been found to inhibit the growth of cancer stem cells,...

This is a digitally-colorized transmission electron microscopic (TEM) image of Zika virus. Virus particles, here colored blue, are 40 nm in diameter, with an outer envelope, and an inner dense core. Image credit: Cynthia Goldsmith, CDC.

Study: Anti-Dengue Antibody Protects against Zika Virus Infection

Sep 26, 2017 by News Staff

An antibody that protects against dengue virus is also effective against Zika in mice, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Immunology. This...

Immunohistochemical analysis of a human lung section stained with anti-PIWIL4 antibody. Scale bars - 10 μm. Image credit: Wasserman et al, doi: 10.1172/JCI94639.

Researchers Identify New Type of Lung Cell

Sep 19, 2017 by News Staff

A research team led by Boston University scientists has identified a new type of lung cell that is implicated in the body’s immune defense against pneumonia-causing...

A finger stick helps patients with diabetes take control of their blood sugar levels. Image credit: Darryl Leja National, Human Genome Research Institute.

Type 2 Diabetes is Reversible Condition, Researchers Claim

Sep 14, 2017 by News Staff

A body of research putting type 2 diabetes patients on a low calorie diet has confirmed that the condition is reversible. For many patients it can be reversed...

Researchers from the University of Michigan have uncovered that the cause of turbulence in non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma is due to heat-induced sound waves from the instrument’s electrodes. Image credit: Texas A&M University.

Heat-Induced Sound Waves Drive Turbulence in Plasma Therapy, Study Says

Sep 12, 2017 by Zvi Cramer

Non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma jets are a promising mode of treating a variety of afflictions. However, unpredictable turbulence in the plasma...

The only equipment needed to run the newly developed diagnostic test is a pen, paper and a digital drawing tablet. Image credit: RMIT University.

New Diagnostic Tool Detects Parkinson’s before Physical Symptoms Appear

Sep 11, 2017 by News Staff

A new diagnostic tool — which has an accuracy rate of 93% — developed by RMIT University researchers could detect Parkinson’s disease before...

Poor olfaction predicts Parkinson’s disease in short and intermediate terms, according to Chen et al. Image credit: Northwestern University.

Simple Scratch-And-Sniff Test Could Spot Parkinson’s Disease in Early Stages

Sep 8, 2017 by News Staff

A simple smell test may one day be able to help identify people at greater risk of developing Parkinson’s disease up to 10 years before the disease could...

Higher intake of red meat and poultry is associated with significantly increased risk of developing diabetes. Image credit: Snufkin.

Red Meat and Poultry Consumption Increases Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Study Finds

Sep 7, 2017 by News Staff

In a research article published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, Professor Koh Woon Puay of the Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, and colleagues...

‘Vampires’ May Have Been Real People with Erythropoietic Protoporphyria, Researchers Say

Sep 7, 2017 by News Staff

An international team of researchers, led by Dr. Barry Paw of the Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, has identified a genetic...