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Researchers uncover the binding mechanism of opioid receptor

Together with colleagues from Shanghai, Brussels, Canada and the USA, researchers from the University of Bonn have uncovered the binding mechanism of an important pain receptor.

27 Nov 2019

New compound may enhance dengue vaccine efficacy by simulating amino acid deficiency

A new study published in the journal Science Signaling on November 26, 2019, describes a mouse experiment, in which the immune response to the dengue vaccine was boosted when the mice were first given halofuginone, a plant compound that is well known to herbalists.

27 Nov 2019

Medicinal plants: from genes to drugs

We eat plants, wear their products, burn them for fuel, and use them to build our houses. Plants are the very basis of the food chain on earth. They are also the source of oxygen in the atmosphere, and a treasure house containing a host of compounds that have biological effects on the body. Some of these chemicals are produced as self-defence, to guard against pests and diseases.

27 Nov 2019

Alzheimer's may soon be treated with low dose radiation therapy

A new Phase I study is in the pipeline that would try the effects of low dose radiation therapy for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers from the Beaumont Research Institute in Royal Oak, Michigan are in the process of recruiting patients for their study. The study is titled, “Study of Low Dose Whole Brain Irradiation in the Treatment of Alzheimer's disease”.

27 Nov 2019

Scientists sheds light on small protein and its role in immune response

The immune system is the body’s defense against disease-causing pathogens. It works by warding off disease and potentially-damaging foreign bodies. Now, a team of researchers have developed a new method to shed light on the basic defense mechanism of the immune system.

27 Nov 2019

Study shows potential of hydromethylthionine treatment for Alzheimer's disease

In a paper published in today's online issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (DOI 10.3233/JAD-190772), TauRx has reported unexpected results of a pharmacokinetic analysis of the relationship between treatment dose, blood levels and pharmacological activity of the drug hydromethylthionine on the brain in over 1,000 patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease.

27 Nov 2019

New strategy could help cells get rid of disease-related debris

Tohoku University researchers have developed a strategy that could help cells get rid of disease-related debris. Further research could lead to treatments for neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases, Down syndrome, and maybe even aging-related diseases.

27 Nov 2019

Some antiarrhythmic medications for AFib less effective in obese patients

Atrial fibrillation, also known as AFib, is the most common type of irregular heartbeat, and it is associated with increased mortality. While researchers have identified a causal link between obesity and AFib, the underlying mechanism of how obesity contributes to the heart arrhythmia is still unknown.

27 Nov 2019

Geospatial model helps compare costs of different anticoagulant therapies

Appropriately selected anticoagulation therapy can help to reduce the medical costs of patients suffering from atrial fibrillation. A new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows that direct oral anticoagulants can be a more cost-effective alternative than traditional warfarin therapy when the patient's place of residence is taken into consideration.

27 Nov 2019

Helper protein exacerbates diabetic macular edema

In a recent study using mice, lab-grown human retinal cells and patient samples, Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists say they found evidence of a new pathway that may contribute to degeneration of the light sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.

27 Nov 2019

Researchers create new coating to prevent clotting, infection in synthetic vascular grafts

Researchers at McMaster University have created a new coating to prevent clotting and infection in synthetic vascular grafts, while also accelerating the body's own process for integrating the grafted vessels.

27 Nov 2019

New method can deliver chemotherapy drugs directly to malignant cells

It is a feeling that many who receive a cancer diagnosis can identify with: heartbreak and fear, followed by hopes that chemotherapy will save the day. Unfortunately, for many patients, chemo's painful side effects cause them to stop treatment prematurely.

27 Nov 2019

New technique could help produce uniform nanoparticles for use in drug delivery systems

A new technique in chemistry could pave the way for producing uniform nanoparticles for use in drug delivery systems.

27 Nov 2019

Discrimination hampers successful addiction recovery

Even after resolving a problem with alcohol and other drugs, adults in recovery report experiencing both minor or "micro" forms of discrimination such as personal slights, and major or "macro" discrimination such as violation of their personal rights.

26 Nov 2019

Study finds autism-related genetic mutations in aging brains of Alzheimer's patients

Researchers believe that autism is caused by mutations that occur sporadically in the egg or sperm or during pregnancy.

26 Nov 2019

Sanitization error might possibly have exposed hundreds to HIV at Indiana hospital

An Indiana hospital is in the news for all the wrong reasons. An accidental failure by one of the seven sterilization technicians working at the hospital was recently discovered. The technician failed to carry out a single step in a protocol concerning the sanitization of surgical equipment at Goshen Hospital, over a period from April 1 to September 30.

26 Nov 2019

Attacking HIV at the source

A new study published on November 26, 2019, in the journal Cell Reports, details a new discovery that may help avert HIV infection right at the start. The virus is known to take a long time to infect a person, and the scientists say they have found a period during which it can be weakened or killed, in the very first hours after it has entered a host. They call this the window of vulnerability.

26 Nov 2019

Looking for the source: new routes for allergy treatment

A new multinational study has reported a very full account of the B lymphocytes that produce group E antibodies, also called IgE (Immunoglobulin E), that are behind allergic reactions, which are common in up to a third of the world’s population.

26 Nov 2019

Scientists design new guidelines for computational modeling of behavioral data

New guidelines for scientists who use computational modelling to analyse behavioural data have been published today in the open-access journal eLife.

26 Nov 2019

International consortium to receive BRL 43.5 million for discovering drugs to treat neglected diseases

In the search for new drugs to treat neglected diseases and malaria, researchers at the University of Campinas and University of Sao Paulo will assemble a team of scientists in a global collaboration network co-funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative and the Medicines for Malaria Venture.

26 Nov 2019