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UNC scientists confirm and clarify key molecular details of nucleotide excision repair

Day in and day out, in our bodies, the DNA in cells is damaged for a variety of reasons, and thus intercellular DNA-repair systems are fundamental to the maintenance of life.

8 Feb 2017

Body dysmorphic disorder may be ‘under-diagnosed’ by cosmetic professionals, study suggests

Plastic surgeons and other cosmetic professionals are familiar with the challenges posed by patients with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) seeking cosmetic procedures, reports a survey study in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

7 Feb 2017

Sleep may be regulated by several brain-based immune proteins, study reveals

Sleep -- one of the most basic, yet most mystifying processes of the human body -- has confounded physicians, scientists and evolutionary biologists for centuries.

2 Feb 2017

NIH researchers shed light on role of S. epidermidis toxin in bacterial sepsis

Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria are a significant health concern for hospitalized infants, children and anyone with implanted medical devices.

2 Feb 2017

New treatment for C.diff infections reduces recurrences by 40%, study finds

A new treatment for Clostridium difficile (C.diff) infections reduces recurrent infections by nearly 40%, a large study has found.

25 Jan 2017

Researchers uncover how stress hormone prevents digestive enzymes from damaging pancreas

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have uncovered the mechanism by which the stress hormone FGF21 keeps digestive enzymes from damaging the pancreas.

18 Jan 2017

Skidmore College scientist discovers health benefits of balanced, protein-pacing, low-calorie diet

Research by Skidmore College exercise scientist Paul Arciero has found that a balanced, protein-pacing, low-calorie diet that includes intermittent fasting not only achieves long-term weight loss, but also helps release toxins in the form of PCBs from the body fat stores, in addition to enhancing heart health and reducing oxidative stress.

12 Jan 2017

S. pneumoniae uses hosts' immune defenses to spread infection, study reveals

The bacteria that cause most cases of pneumonia worldwide secrete a toxin that helps them jump from one body to the next - with help from the hosts' immune defenses. This is the finding of a study led by researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center and published online January 11 in Cell Host & Microbe.

12 Jan 2017

Scientists identify sugar molecule that reduces inflammatory response and COPD progression

Using a mouse model, scientists from the RIKEN-Max Planck Joint Research Center for Systems Chemical Biology and a number of other institutes have identified a sugar molecule that reduced the inflammatory response and progress of emphysema, a common component of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

27 Dec 2016

Genomic sequencing reveals new insights into major shigellosis outbreaks in California

In a study that could have significant impact on how disease outbreaks are managed, researchers at UC Davis and the California Department of Public Health have sequenced and analyzed genomes from Shigella sonnei (S. sonnei) bacteria associated with major shigellosis outbreaks in California in 2014 and 2015.

23 Dec 2016

Overexpression of nerve growth factor drives gastric tumorigenesis in mice

Gastric tumors are started by specialized cells in the stomach that signal nerves to make more acetylcholine, according to a study in mice.

16 Dec 2016

Common bacterium that causes gum infections may trigger rheumatoid arthritis

Investigators at Johns Hopkins report they have new evidence that a bacterium known to cause chronic inflammatory gum infections also triggers the inflammatory "autoimmune" response characteristic of chronic, joint-destroying rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

15 Dec 2016

Researchers discover first toxin antitoxin system in biofilms

Bacterial resistance does not come just through adaptation to antibiotics, sometimes the bacteria simply go to sleep.

8 Dec 2016

Queen's University expert to lead new €4m initiative for assessing impact of chemicals on health

A Queen's University Belfast expert is leading a €4m international initiative to investigate whether natural toxins and manmade chemicals are creating potentially dangerous mixtures that affect our natural hormones and cause major illnesses such as cancer, obesity, diabetes or infertility.

7 Dec 2016

Restaurants not effective in communicating risks of eating undercooked meat to customers, study shows

Front-line staff, such as servers in restaurants, are often trusted with providing customers with food safety information regarding their meals.

1 Dec 2016

Tiny, glowing crystals could be powerful new tool to detect and clean contaminated water sources

Tiny, glowing crystals designed to detect and capture heavy-metal toxins such as lead and mercury could prove to be a powerful new tool in locating and cleaning up contaminated water sources.

29 Nov 2016

Social status affects immune regulation and health status in rhesus monkeys

The richest and poorest Americans differ in life expectancy by more than a decade. Glaring health inequalities across the socioeconomic spectrum are often attributed to access to medical care and differences in habits such as smoking, exercise and diet.

24 Nov 2016

Research supports re-introduction of penicillin-type antibiotics as adjunct therapeutic for MRSA infections

Microbiologists have identified how MRSA may be more effectively treated by modern-day antibiotics, if old-fashioned penicillin is also used.

15 Nov 2016

Identifying foods that trigger IBS: an interview with Dr Bill Chey

IBS is a common medical condition which is diagnosed in the presence of characteristic gastrointestinal symptoms including recurring bouts of abdominal pain and diarrhea and/or constipation. IBS patients also commonly report bloating and abdominal distension or swelling.