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Tiny implantable 'tea bag' senses glucose levels and automatically releases insulin

Children with Type 1 diabetes have only one option to control their blood sugar: insulin treatment. Ravaged by an autoimmune disease that attacks their own pancreas and islets -- microscopic clusters of cells that sense blood sugar and produce insulin -- patients are forced to rely on insulin from an external source.

11 Mar 2019

Blood-clotting protein may hold the key to liver regeneration, shows study

The liver is the only organ in the body that can regenerate. But some patients who undergo a liver resection, a surgery that removes a diseased portion of the organ, end up needing a transplant because the renewal process doesn't work.

11 Mar 2019

Study reveals how the microbiota controls activity of immune cells

A host protein called Serum Amyloid A (Saa) is a major factor mediating the effects of the microbiota on the function of immune cells called neutrophils, according to a study published March 7 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by John Rawls of Duke University School of Medicine, and colleagues.

8 Mar 2019

New antibacterial coating for intravascular catheters could help prevent infections

Brown University researchers have developed a new antibacterial coating for intravascular catheters that could one day help to prevent catheter-related bloodstream infections, the most common type of hospital-acquired infection.

8 Mar 2019

Research shows how SGLT-2 inhibitors induce a fasting state that triggers metabolic benefits

SGLT-2 inhibitors are a relatively new class of diabetes drugs that have shown many benefits for people with type 2 diabetes who have not responded well to previous interventions, including diet changes and metformin.

8 Mar 2019

Moderate alcohol consumption raises risk of high blood pressure, shows study

A study of more than 17,000 U.S. adults shows that moderate alcohol consumption--seven to 13 drinks per week--substantially raises one's risk of high blood pressure, or hypertension, according to research being presented at the American College of Cardiology's 68th Annual Scientific Session.

8 Mar 2019

Hidden FDA reports detail harm caused by scores of medical devices

Dr. Douglas Kwazneski was helping a Pittsburgh surgeon remove an appendix when something jarring happened. The surgical stapler meant to cut and seal the tissue around the appendix locked up.

7 Mar 2019

Better regulation of the immune system may help manage preeclampsia

Boosting the body's levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4)--an immune system protein that controls inflammation--may help manage the pregnancy complication preeclampsia, according to a new rodent study.

7 Mar 2019

Diabetes' sworn enemy could also be a protective asset

Montreal research team unravels an adaptive mechanism involved in controlling insulin action, showing that glucagon plays a crucial part in it and can thus be a protective asset.

6 Mar 2019

Liver tissue model can help investigate the effects of RNA interference

Novel therapies based on a process known as RNA interference hold great promise for treating a variety of diseases by blocking specific genes in a patient's cells. Many of the earliest RNAi treatments have focused on diseases of the liver, because RNA-carrying particles tend to accumulate in that organ.

6 Mar 2019

Lonza expands portfolio with addition of new 'Verified for Spheroids Human Hepatocytes'

Lonza has further expanded its hepatocytes portfolio characterization with the addition of Verified for Spheroids Human Hepatocytes, which are pre-screened for their ability to promote rapid spheroid formation in cell culture.

From Lonza 5 Mar 2019

Researchers identify first genetic defect linked to biliary atresia

A nationwide consortium of researchers has identified the first genetic defect linked to biliary atresia, a mysterious liver disease that is the leading cause for liver transplantation in children.

5 Mar 2019

Nicotine could affect human embryonic development at the single-cell level

Nicotine induces widespread adverse effects on human embryonic development at the level of individual cells, researchers report February 28th in the journal Stem Cell Reports.

4 Mar 2019

Weekend recovery sleep does not appear to reverse sleep loss induced risks

Insufficient sleep and untreated sleep disorders put people at increased risk for metabolic problems, including obesity and diabetes.

4 Mar 2019

Discovery paves the way for simple blood test to detect early stages of NAFLD

One in four people in Western and Asian societies develop a build-up of fat in the liver as a result of an unhealthy diet. This disease - referred to as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) - causes no symptoms initially but can develop into end-stage liver cirrhosis with limited treatment options.

1 Mar 2019

Sleep debt persists despite sleeping in late on weekends

Many people go without sleep for days, and think they can make it up by waking late on the weekend. However, this just makes things worse, according to a new study at the University of Colorado Boulder.

1 Mar 2019

Lipid-filled particle plays role in immune function and metabolism

Researchers have discovered that fat tissue releases a lipid-filled particle that has a role in immune function and metabolism. The study, in mice, was published online in the journal Science.

1 Mar 2019

Research shows how common fungus gets the flexibility to live in different host environments

The fungus Candida albicans is found in the gastrointestinal tract of about half of healthy adults with little if any effect, yet it also causes an oft-fatal blood infection among patients with compromised immune systems, including those with HIV/AIDS.

1 Mar 2019

Extra weekend sleep cannot repair the damage from sleep-deprived work week

Think sleeping in on the weekend can repair the damage from a week of sleepless nights? Not so, according to University of Colorado Boulder research published today in Current Biology.

28 Feb 2019

CN Bio to bring 10 organs together on a chip

London Organ-on-Chip specialist CN Bio today announced it has secured an exclusive license to technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for Organ-on-Chip systems which connect human tissues from up to 10 organs.

From CN Bio 28 Feb 2019