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Research findings may one day help keep ALS at bay

A new study published in the journal Nature Medicine on December 23, 2019, shows how to silence a defective gene responsible for the degeneration of the motor neurons in Lou Gehrig’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), in adult mice. This could help prevent disease progression if the condition is already symptomatic, and even suppress the illness if it has not yet started.

23 Dec 2019

Scientists unveil how Zika virus replicates

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Zika virus infection a global threat during the peak of its outbreak in 2016. Since then, scientists and health experts raced to understand the virus better to develop novel and effective vaccines and treatments for the disease. Now, a team of researchers in China revealed how a protein in the virus reshapes its host to boost viral replication.

23 Dec 2019

National veteran dataset will help dissect the relationship between mental illness and prostate cancer

There appears to be an unhealthy synergy between mental illness and prostate cancer, and researchers are working to dissect the relationship by first assembling the largest dataset ever of veterans with either condition or both.

23 Dec 2019

Vegans at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency finds study

January is a month for resolutions and veganism is one of the top favourites. A new study has found that those who choose vegan diet may be missing out on Vitamin B12 and may need supplements to avoid deficiency of the vitamin.

22 Dec 2019

Pilot study to explore vaginal birth-induced pelvic floor injury and recovery

If a new mother sustains an injury to her levator ani muscle--the main muscle supporting the pelvic floor--during vaginal childbirth, that woman is at risk of developing a pelvic floor disorder. Such an injury can have a substantial impact on a woman's quality of life.

22 Dec 2019

Scientists discover neurons that play an important role in eye movement during REM sleep

REM - Rapid Eye Movement - is not only the name of a successful American rock band, but also and not least a characteristic eye movement in paradoxical sleep, so in the stage with high dream activity. This sleep phase has a peculiarity:

21 Dec 2019

MIT engineers generate first laser ultrasound images in humans

For most people, getting an ultrasound is a relatively easy procedure: As a technician gently presses a probe against a patient's skin, sound waves generated by the probe travel through the skin, bouncing off muscle, fat, and other soft tissues before reflecting back to the probe, which detects and translates the waves into an image of what lies beneath.

21 Dec 2019

Study uncovers a previously unknown subtype of muscle stem cells

Scientists have discovered a new subtype of muscle stem cells. These cells have the ability to build and regenerate new muscles, making them interesting targets for the development of gene therapies.

21 Dec 2019

Patients' health values can impact success of treatment for pelvic floor problems

Researchers and health professionals in Swansea have revealed the value women put on their own health can have a direct effect on the success of medical treatment for pelvic floor problems.

21 Dec 2019

Researchers take first step to find causes of sarcopenia

Researchers have gained new insight into the mechanisms involved in how skeletal muscles lose their mass and strength as people age, called sarcopenia.

20 Dec 2019

Could high cholesterol lead to motor neuron disease?

Researchers suggest that motor neuron disease may be linked to an abnormal build-up of cholesterol and other lipids within cellular compartments.

20 Dec 2019

Scientists identify molecular mechanisms that protect cells against mechanical stress

Scientists at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) have identified the molecular mechanisms that allow our cells to adapt to, protect themselves against, and survive mechanical stress.

20 Dec 2019

Atomic-level structure of cardiac sodium channel

Atomic-level studies of the architecture of tiny sodium channel proteins, critical to generating electrical signals that start off each beat of the heart, are imparting striking details about their function, malfunctions, disruption by many disease mutations, and response to medication.

20 Dec 2019

Gastroesophageal reflux disease may affect nearly a third of U.S. adults every week

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a digestive disorder that causes hearburn and other uncomfortable symptoms, may affect nearly a third of U.S. adults each week, and most of those who take certain popular medications for it still have symptoms, according to a new Cedars-Sinai study.

19 Dec 2019

Study of Amazonian children provides clues for reversing global trends in obesity

Forager-horticulturalist children in the Amazon rainforest do not spend more calories in their everyday lives than children in the United States, but they do spend calories differently.

18 Dec 2019

New paper-based test for early Lyme diagnosis

A new paper in the journal ACS Nano reports the development of an incredibly cheap and highly sensitive test to diagnose Lyme disease in its earliest stages, when it can be most easily, effectively and inexpensively treated.

18 Dec 2019

Heavy drinking damages the heart

Drinking too much destroys the liver, as is well known. A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association on December 18, 2019, shows that excessive alcohol consumption also damages the heart muscle. This is seen by a rise in the level of certain biological molecules in the blood.

18 Dec 2019

Paper-based blood test can quickly and sensitively diagnose early-stage Lyme disease

After a day hiking in the forest, the last thing a person wants to discover is a tick burrowing into their skin. Days after plucking off the bloodsucking insect, the hiker might develop a rash resembling a bull's-eye, a tell-tale sign of Lyme disease.

18 Dec 2019

Teach children to wash their hands with a song

And now it’s back to nursery rhymes as doctors resort to innovative ways to teach children how to wash their hands properly and curb the spread of infections. An article published in the BMJdescribes this possibility using a common song.

17 Dec 2019

Cancer drug shows promise in battling Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a lifelong condition that affects the nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine. As a result, people with this neurodegenerative disease experience tremors, changes in speech, gait issues, and muscle rigidity. Though it has no cure, a new drug used to treat cancer shows promise in treating Parkinson’s.

17 Dec 2019