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'Good cholesterol' protects the liver from inflammation and injury, study shows

The body's so-called good cholesterol may be even better than we realize. New research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that one type of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) has a previously unknown role in protecting the liver from injury.

22 Jul 2021

Llama ‘nanobodies’ have the potential to outwit human cytomegalovirus

Scientists have developed a 'nanobody' - a small fragment of a llama antibody - that is capable of chasing out human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) as it hides away from the immune system.

22 Jul 2021

Research shows mental health consequences of long-term stays in refugee camps

A new quantitative study suggests people seeking asylum are more likely to experience mental health deterioration as they spend more time living in refugee camps, backing up qualitative evidence from aid organizations.

22 Jul 2021

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Delta changes the covid conversation

The resurgence of covid cases in the U.S. — largely attributable to the much more contagious delta variant — has given policymakers the jitters.

22 Jul 2021

Research provides vital insights about excess coffee consumption and brain health

It's a favorite first-order for the day, but while a quick coffee may perk us up, new research from the University of South Australia shows that too much could be dragging us down, especially when it comes to brain health.

22 Jul 2021

Can platelet size predict severity and mortality in COVID-19?

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has baffled researchers with its propensity to cause symptoms of largely unpredictable severity in the affected individuals. An exciting new study reports on the potential predictive value of platelet size in this situation. COVID-19 patients with severe disease often develop clots in vital organs, which leads to further complications. It is known that platelet size is a good indicator of activation.

22 Jul 2021

Largest genetic study identifies new drug targets to treat type 1 diabetes

Scientists have completed the largest and most diverse genetic study of type 1 diabetes ever undertaken, identifying new drug targets to treat a condition that affects 1.3 million American adults.

22 Jul 2021

New blood test could help predict the severity of COVID-19 symptoms

During the height of the pandemic, some hospitals were overwhelmed with patients seeking treatment for COVID-19.

22 Jul 2021

Pfizer vaccine and isolation independently associated with reduced household transmission of SARS-CoV-2

Israel was among the leading proponents of COVID-19 vaccination as the way out of the current worldwide restrictions on social and economic interactions and activity. A new study, recently released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, reports on the effects of the large-scale vaccination campaigns carried out in this country, relating to successful control of SARS-CoV-2 spread within households.

22 Jul 2021

Study: Omega-3 levels in blood erythrocytes are good mortality risk predictors

Levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood are as good a predictor of mortality from any cause as smoking, according to a study involving the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), in collaboration with The Fatty Acid Research Institute in the United States and several universities in the United States and Canada.

22 Jul 2021

Scientists restore memory in aging mice

Scientists at Cambridge and Leeds have successfully reversed age-related memory loss in mice and say their discovery could lead to the development of treatments to prevent memory loss in people as they age.

22 Jul 2021

Antibiotics may be the new weapon to fight against melanoma

Some antibiotics appear to be effective against a form of skin cancer known as melanoma. Researchers at KU Leuven, Belgium, examined the effect of these antibiotics on patient-derived tumours in mice. Their findings were published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

22 Jul 2021

Finding most promising targets for pan-coronavirus drugs

Safe and effective vaccines offer hope for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the possible emergence of vaccine-resistant SARS-CoV-2 variants, as well as novel coronaviruses, make finding treatments that work against all coronaviruses as important as ever.

22 Jul 2021

Research provides new insight into uncontrolled inflammation in COVID-19 patients

Research led by Queen Mary University of London provides new insight into the mechanisms that lead to uncontrolled inflammation in COVID-19 patients.

22 Jul 2021

Wildfire smoke drives people in low-vaccinated areas indoors, raising outbreak fears

Missoula's new downtown library was teeming with people who might typically spend a Saturday afternoon hiking, biking or otherwise making the most of Montana's abundant outdoor recreation. One look at the soupy haze blanketing the city and it was clear why.

22 Jul 2021

Big leagues balk at endorsing vaccination

Santa Clara County, where the San Francisco 49ers train and play their NFL home games, has one of the highest covid vaccination rates in California.

22 Jul 2021

A chilling cure: Facing killer heat, ERs use body bags to save lives

As a deadly heat wave scorched the Pacific Northwest last month, overwhelming hospital emergency rooms in a region unaccustomed to triple-digit temperatures, doctors resorted to a grim but practical tool to save lives: human body bags filled with ice and water.

22 Jul 2021

New motor imagery-based BMI system turns intentions into actions

A new wearable brain-machine interface (BMI) system could improve the quality of life for people with motor dysfunction or paralysis, even those struggling with locked-in syndrome – when a person is fully conscious but unable to move or communicate.

22 Jul 2021

Study reveals calcium's role in directing blood flow in the brain

Unlike the rest of the body, there is not enough real estate in the brain for stored energy. Instead, the brain relies on the hundreds of miles of blood vessels within it to supply fresh energy via the blood. Yet, how the brain expresses a need for more energy during increased activity and then directs its blood supply to specific hot spots was, until now, poorly understood.

22 Jul 2021

Use of topical fluorides for caries prevention in primary teeth

Alexandria, Va., USA - Parach Sirivichayakul, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand, presented the poster "Preventing Approximal Caries in Primary Teeth With Topical Fluorides" at the virtual 99th General Session & Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), held in conjunction with the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) and the 45th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research (CADR), on July 21-24, 2021.

22 Jul 2021