Pathophysiology News and Research

RSS

Primary sclerosing cholangitis: Therapy with synthetic bile acid acts directly on the immune system

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) is a rare, chronic inflammatory disease of the bile ducts and is difficult to treat. Studies conducted by the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at MedUni Wien under the guidance of Michael Trauner (Department of Internal Medicine III) were able to show positive effects from the administration of synthetically produced bile acids and bile acid receptor agonists.

28 Sep 2021

Women with type 2 diabetes and CVD less likely to reach treatment targets than men, study finds

Women with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD), or at high risk of developing CVD, are less likely to reach recommended treatment targets than men, according to an international study involving almost 10,000 patients with type 2 diabetes, being presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), held online this year (27 Sept-1 Oct). Nevertheless, women were less likely to experience adverse CVD outcomes apart from a stroke.

27 Sep 2021

Severe tinnitus following SARS-CoV-2 infection

A 49-year-old male with a history of COVID-19 presents with tinnitus.

21 Sep 2021

A novel FACS-based approach for SARS-CoV-2 serology

A recent study discusses a simple, sensitive, and quantitative serological test based on FACS assay to evaluate antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.

20 Sep 2021

A 100% French nasal vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 to move into the clinical phase in 2022

In contrast to intramuscular vaccines, only nasal vaccines are able to block the virus in the nose by inducing local immunity in the nasal mucosa, i.e. the portal of entry and multiplication of the virus.

18 Sep 2021

Link identified between early lower respiratory tract infections and development of OSA in children

Several birth cohorts have defined the pivotal role of early lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in the inception of pediatric respiratory conditions.

15 Sep 2021

Understanding platelets in COVID-19 may help identify diagnostic markers and treatments

Researchers in the United States and Japan have provided novel insights into the pathologic mechanisms underlying coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that may aid the identification of potential diagnostic biomarkers and treatment targets.

8 Sep 2021

Study uses novel technology to map the brain circuitry of spirituality

Scientists have long suspected that religiosity and spirituality could be mapped to specific brain circuits, but the location of those circuits remains unknown. Now, a new study using novel technology and the human connectome, a map of neural connections, has identified a brain circuit that seems to mediate that aspect of our personality. The work appears in Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier.

31 Aug 2021

Could soluble CD24 offer some hope against severe COVID-19?

A recent randomized phase III trial conducted by researchers at the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, US, evaluated the impact of CD24Fc in severe COVID-19 patients and showed promising clinical efficacy. This study is available as a preprint on the medRxiv* server.

26 Aug 2021

Persistence of Anti-PF4 levels in VITT patients four months after AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

A study published on medRxiv* preprint server reported the over-time changes in the ability of the serum to activate platelets in vitro.

25 Aug 2021

New prediction model can identify NSCLC patients who are not likely to respond to immunotherapy

Immunotherapy agents that inhibit the molecules PD1, PD-L1 or CTLA-4 have become widely used in clinical practice to treat non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC.

20 Aug 2021

Mutated enzyme impairs communication between neurons and causes motor defects in SCA34 model

In one type of a rare, inherited genetic disorder that affects control of body movement, scientists have found a mutation in an enzyme that impairs communication between neurons and what should be the inherent ability to pick up our pace when we need to run, instead of walk, across the street.

17 Aug 2021

Research suggests toll-like receptor 4 appears to play role in severe COVID

A group of researchers re-evaluated their previously proposed hypothesis, which stated that the TLR4 activated by the spike glycoprotein S1 domain increases ACE2 expression and, thereby, aids in COVID-19 infection.

16 Aug 2021

Study finds altered brain gene expression patterns in people with opioid use disorder

The epidemic of opioid abuse affects millions of people worldwide, but researchers know surprisingly little about the molecular changes caused by opioids in the human brain.

10 Aug 2021

Study explores ‘brain fog’ following COVID-19

A recent survey conducted in the United Kingdom revealed that approximately one in every five experiences prolonged coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms five weeks post-infection. Also, one in seven people reported persistent symptoms even after twelve weeks.

10 Aug 2021

Scientists decipher missing pieces of the reward system puzzle to increase motivation

Our motivation to put effort into achieving a goal is controlled by a reward system wired in the brain. However, many neuropathological conditions impair the reward system, diminishing the will to work.

6 Aug 2021

Flagging potential molecular predictors of response to biological therapies in ulcerative colitis

Several individuals suffering from bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis fail to respond to conventionally used biologic therapies.

3 Aug 2021

What is the potential of microphysiological systems in COVID-19 research?

In a recently published review article in the journal Drug Discovery Today, scientists have described the utility of human-based microphysiological systems MPSs in understanding the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection and developing effective therapeutic interventions. Moreover, they have described the establishment of a global working group to synchronize recent developments around MPSs and COVID-19 research.

3 Aug 2021

Injecting mice with pulmonary endothelial cells can reverse symptoms of emphysema

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian in New York have discovered that injecting mice with pulmonary endothelial cells-the cells that line the walls of blood vessels in the lung-can reverse the symptoms of emphysema.

21 Jul 2021

UTHSC announces an increase in research grant and contract awards for FY21

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center's Office of Research announced that annual research grant and contract awards for FY21, which ended June 30, total more than $121 million, a 20.6% increase from last year.

20 Jul 2021