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UVA researchers make unexpected discovery about irreplaceable nerve cells

Meticulous new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine has changed a well-accepted scientific belief about neurons, the vital nerve cells that allow us to experience the world and record those experiences as memories in our brains.

22 Nov 2018

Researchers elucidate infection process of bacterial pathogen Clostridium difficile

Scientists from the VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research identified the mechanisms by which the bacterial pathogen Clostridium difficile kills intestinal epithelial cells, thus destroying the protective mucosal barrier of the intestinal tract.

21 Nov 2018

Myriad biological, societal factors that impact CKD severity for children of African descent

Myriad biological and societal factors can impact the occurrence and accelerate progression of chronic kidney disease for children of African descent - including preterm birth, exposure to toxins during gestation and lower socioeconomic status - and can complicate these children's access to effective treatments, according to an invited commentary published in the November 2018 edition of American Journal of Kidney Diseases.

21 Nov 2018

Scientists discover toxic bullet involved in bacterial competition

A bacterial toxin that allows an infectious strain of bacteria to defeat its competitors has been discovered by Imperial College London scientists.

20 Nov 2018

Specific bacterial toxins reduce number of cells suppressing immune response

Staphylococcus aureus bacteria can cause numerous diseases, such as skin infections, pneumonia and blood poisoning.

16 Nov 2018

For wildfire safety, only particular masks guard against toxic particulate matter

Toby Lewsadder stepped outside an Ace Hardware store wearing a simple one-strap dust mask. He knew it wasn't the right defense against the wildfire smoke lingering in the air, but it was all he could find.

15 Nov 2018

Study finds lack of safety data for using flowers in cooking

A study of 23 flowers used in cooking shows a lack of chemical and toxicological data, which makes it impossible to set a limit for safe consumption, according to the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark.

12 Nov 2018

Researchers develop technique to disrupt communication between microorganisms

The World Health Organization considers Pseudomonas aeruginosa a germ requiring urgent action to prevent and control its spread. The bacteria can cause a variety of diseases from chronic lung infections to sepsis.

8 Nov 2018

Researchers find a class of drug that could be promising treatment for uveitis

Ocular inflammation uveitis is a serious disease that can destroy eye tissue and cause irreversible blindness.

2 Nov 2018

Study highlights global and local impacts of delayed mercury-controlling policies

Mercury is an incredibly stubborn toxin. Once it is emitted from the smokestacks of coal-fired power plants, among other sources, the gas can drift through the atmosphere for up to a year before settling into oceans and lakes.

2 Nov 2018

Antibiotic found in dirt can destroy mutant mycobacteria responsible for TB, study suggests

For decades, doctors have been using antibiotics to fight tuberculosis. And consistently, the microbe responsible for the disease, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, has been fighting back. When confronted with current drugs, such as the antibiotic rifamycin, the bacterium often mutates in ways that make it resistant to the treatment.

1 Nov 2018

Air pollution is the new tobacco says WHO Head

The head of the World Health Organization has said that air pollution is the “new tobacco” and breathing polluted air is killing 7 million people annually and harming billions of the population additionally.

29 Oct 2018

New 3D 'organ on a chip' could be used to develop new treatments for disease

Researchers have developed a three-dimensional 'organ on a chip' which enables real-time continuous monitoring of cells, and could be used to develop new treatments for disease while reducing the number of animals used in research.

26 Oct 2018

Modeling Alzheimer’s Disease Using Microfluidics

An interview with Dr. Joseph Park, the incorporation of astrocytes into the Alzheimer’s-in-a-dish culture system and it's applications in drug development.

24 Oct 2018

Newly discovered toxin stands out from others in the battle for microbial domination

A newly discovered toxin that some bacteria deploy to fend off competing bacteria stands out from others in the battle for microbial domination. While many deadly substances have been identified among bacteria, this previously unknown toxin behaves in a familiar way.

19 Oct 2018

Cases of Acute Flaccid Myelitis on the rise across U.S.

According to the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), cases of dangerous and rare Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) are being noted across United States. This disease manifests similar to acute flaccid paralysis caused by polio virus say the experts. There is at present no treatment for this condition that primarily affects children and leads to paralysis of the limbs.

18 Oct 2018

Targeting immune checkpoints in microglia could reduce out-of-control neuroinflammation

A group of Massachusetts General Hospital investigators is proposing that targeting immune checkpoints - molecules that regulate the activity of the immune system - in immune cells called microglia could reduce the inflammatory aspects of important neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

17 Oct 2018

Mice study shows antibiotics are not always necessary to cure sepsis

Biochemists, microbiologists, drug discovery experts and infectious disease doctors have teamed up in a new study that shows antibiotics are not always necessary to cure sepsis in mice.

17 Oct 2018

Lab study shows effectiveness of potential therapy for treatment-resistant hypothyroidism

A new "metal-coordinated" drug-delivery technology potentially could be used to supplement the standard therapy for hypothyroidism, which affects nearly 10 million Americans, and many more patients worldwide, according to results of a study published in the journal Thyroid this month.

15 Oct 2018

Study provides new insights on antibiotic-resistant bacteria

To fight your enemies, it helps to know their weaknesses. And, the more specific your knowledge, the easier it is to undermine their defenses.

10 Oct 2018