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UAB symposium highlights use of tissue engineering to repair broken hearts

The third annual Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering Symposium met at the University of Alabama at Birmingham last month, a gathering of noted physicians and scientists who share the goal of creating new tissues and new knowledge that can prevent or repair heart disease and heart attacks.

9 May 2017

Study reveals critical role of omega-3 fatty acids in preserving integrity of the blood-brain barrier

Already extolled for their health benefits as a food compound, omega-3 fatty acids now appear to also play a critical role in preserving the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, which protects the central nervous system from blood-borne bacteria, toxins and other pathogens, according to new research from Harvard Medical School.

5 May 2017

Scientists unravel how the body manages to keep blood flow in the brain so tightly controlled

The puzzle of how the brain regulates blood flow to prevent it from being flooded and then starved every time the heart beats has been solved with the help of engineering.

2 May 2017

Antidepressant improves drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier, rat study shows

NIH rat study suggests amitriptyline temporarily inhibits the blood-brain barrier, allowing drugs to enter the brain.

27 Apr 2017

ULCA scientists discover how autoantibodies cause some cases of severe hypertriglyceridemia

People with hypertriglyceridemia often are told to change their diet and lose weight. But a high-fat diet isn't necessarily the cause for everyone with the condition.

6 Apr 2017

UAB chemists design microcapsules for guided drug delivery system to target solid tumors

Chemists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have designed triple-threat cancer-fighting polymer capsules that bring the promise of guided drug delivery closer to preclinical testing.

30 Mar 2017

New research uncovers how brain's capillary network controls blood flow, monitors neuronal activity

All it takes is the flip of a protein "switch" within the tiny wire-like capillaries of the brain to increase the blood flow that ensures optimal brain function.

25 Mar 2017

TUM scientists show how diabetes damages small blood vessels around the heart

Diabetics have a significantly higher risk of suffering a heart attack. A research team at the Technical University of Munich has now identified one of the causes: Diabetes is associated with the loss of small blood vessels around the heart.

23 Mar 2017

Hypoxia may be cause for seizure-related neuronal degeneration in epilepsy, study finds

Neuronal degeneration is the most severe long-term consequence of repetitive seizures in patients with epilepsy, which until now was thought to be primarily caused by excitotoxicity, or over-stimulation of the neurons.

27 Feb 2017

Researchers reveal biological pathways involved in diabetic kidney disease

Diabetes is a leading cause of kidney disease, a serious, often fatal complication that is difficult to diagnose in early, potentially treatable stages.

24 Feb 2017

Researchers develop microfluidic device to study interactions between drugs and cells in kidneys

Instead of running tests on live kidneys, researchers at Binghamton, University State University of New York have developed a model kidney for working out the kinks in medicines and treatments.

9 Feb 2017

Vasculature in mini-brains expands research potential

Scientists have recently made a wondrous variety of mini-brains -- 3-D cultures of neural cells that model basic properties of living brains -- but a new finding could add to the field's growing excitement in an entirely new "vein": Brown University's mini-brains now grow blood vessels, too.

3 Feb 2017

Penn researchers discover antimicrobial that thwarts Zika viral entry into human cells

A panel of small molecules that inhibit Zika virus infection, including one that stands out as a potent inhibitor of Zika viral entry into relevant human cell types, was discovered by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

17 Jan 2017

Researchers develop innovative technique to examine and quantify blood vessels in the brain

A study published today in the Journal of Anatomy has made an important breakthrough in the examination of blood vessels in the brain giving scientists a clearer understanding of how dementia, brain cancer and stroke can affect veins and capillaries in this organ.

5 Jan 2017

Researcher develops new method to accurately identify elusive molecules

Among the most important molecules in the living world are sugars or carbohydrates, which play a vital role in life processes. Sugars provide the main source of fuel for the body, protect muscles from damage and contribute to the immune response.

21 Dec 2016

Sneezing elicits blinking response to protect the body from germs, says allergist

The changing weather brings about many things: holiday excitement, a different wardrobe and—perhaps most annoyingly—cold and flu season.

9 Dec 2016

MUSC researchers harness cutting-edge technology to uncover new role for pericytes during stroke

Pericytes are the primary locus of matrix-mellaproteinase-9-dependent (MMP-9) capillary damage and blood leakage during ischemia, according to preclinical findings reported by Medical University of South Carolina investigators in an article published online on November 14, 2016 by The Journal of Neuroscience.

5 Dec 2016

Experts use MRI scans to investigate heart function of kidney patients during dialysis treatment

Experts in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and kidney disease have carried out the first ever scans to study the heart function of kidney patients while they are having dialysis treatment.

30 Nov 2016

HSCI researchers use color tagging system to track development of blood stem cells

Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) researchers have used a colorful, cell-labeling technique to track the development of the blood system and trace the lineage of adult blood cells travelling through the vast networks of veins, arteries, and capillaries back to their parent stem cell in the marrow.

23 Nov 2016

Dietary supplement extracted from Amaranthus can increase plasma nitrate, study shows

A new, clinical study confirms that dietary supplementation of nitrate from a natural extract of Amaranthus species nicknamed "red spinach," results in a significant increase in plasma nitrite that ultimately enhances nitric oxide.