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MSU scientists discover early cause of intestinal inflammation

Michigan State University scientists have identified an early cause of intestinal inflammation, one of the first stages of inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, which afflict around 11 percent of the world's population.

14 Jun 2018

UNC study provides insight into mechanism of CHD4-related heart defects

Heart defects are the most common type of birth defect, and can be caused by mutations in the gene CHD4. Researchers at the UNC School of Medicine have now revealed key molecular details of how CHD4 mutations lead to heart defects.

12 Jun 2018

Study finds link between inflammatory signals in heart muscle cells and atrial fibrillation

Interfering with inflammatory signals produced by heart muscle cells might someday provide novel therapeutic strategies for atrial fibrillation, according to an international team of researchers who have published their findings in the journal Circulation.

5 Jun 2018

Scientists develop new test to predict woman's risk of preterm birth

Scientists at UC San Francisco have developed a test to predict a woman's risk of preterm birth when she is between 15 and 20 weeks pregnant, which may enable doctors to treat them early and thereby prevent severe complications later in the pregnancy.

24 May 2018

People with atrial fibrillation should continue to be treated even if heart rhythm returns to normal

Patients with an abnormal heart rhythm that can leave them at a higher risk of suffering from stroke still need treatment even after their heart rhythm seems to have returned to normal, say researchers at the University of Birmingham.

11 May 2018

Survey: Childbirth hurts but pain relief options make it manageable

Few things are more daunting for first-time moms than the prospect of childbirth. They wonder: Will my baby be OK? What will labor and delivery be like? How painful will it be, and can I handle it? Moms who have been there offer the low-down on labor and delivery and their message is comforting.

8 May 2018

Researchers create adult-like cardiac model by introducing early stimulation

Researchers are now able to use induced pluripotent stem cells to form a model of human adult-like cardiac muscle by introducing electric and mechanical stimulation at an early stage. Since this muscle is similar to the adult heart, it could serve as a better model for testing the effects of drugs and toxic substances than current tissue engineered heart models.

5 Apr 2018

Multi-center study to evaluate promising new intervention for upper limb dysfunction after SCI

Kessler Foundation has been awarded an $857,600 sub-award from the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, to study a promising new intervention for upper limb dysfunction after spinal cord injury (SCI).

16 Mar 2018

The Importance of Fetal Fibronectin Testing for Women with Symptomatic Preterm Labor

Preterm birth is a dangerous condition that often goes undiagnosed. Fetal fibronectin (fFN) is a biomarker for preterm labor, but testing for fFN is widely underused. We explore this issue with Dr. Michael S. Ruma, a maternal-fetal specialist from the Perinatal Associates of New Mexico.

14 Mar 2018

Researchers create cardiomyocyte molds to mend broken hearts

2.5 billion. That's approximately the number of times the human heart beats in 70 years. And sometimes during the course of its unrelenting contractions and relaxations, the heart muscle can no longer bear the strain.

13 Mar 2018

Medicaid is rural America’s financial midwife

Brianna Foster, 23, lives minutes away from Genesis Hospital, the main source of health care and the only hospital with maternity services in southeastern Ohio's rural Muskingum County.

12 Mar 2018

New wearable tremor suppression gloves may hold huge benefits for Parkinson's disease patients

A new prototype for wearable tremor suppression gloves has a team of Western University researchers believing real change is on the way for the more than 6 million people in the world afflicted by Parkinson's disease.

2 Mar 2018

Nervous system can "put the brakes" on immune response and prevent excessive inflammation

Cells in the nervous system can "put the brakes" on the immune response to infections in the gut and lungs to prevent excessive inflammation, according to research by Weill Cornell Medicine scientists. This insight may one day lead to new ways to treat diseases caused by unchecked inflammation, such as asthma and inflammatory bowel disease.

2 Mar 2018

MIPT biophysicists study structure and interaction of nanofibrous scaffold with cardiac cells

Biophysicists from MIPT have studied the structure of a nanofibrous scaffold, as well as its interaction with rat cardiac cells.

2 Mar 2018

Study to track impact of Hurricane Harvey on pregnant moms

Johanna Bick, assistant professor of clinical psychology at the University of Houston, is launching a study of women who were pregnant during Hurricane Harvey, or who became pregnant within six months after, to track the role of stress in neonatal development and pregnancy outcomes and whether a simple online writing exercise can alleviate some of that anxiety.

13 Feb 2018

New biodegradable sensors could assist doctors when examining serious health conditions

This article features the recent development of biodegradable sensors which can be used to assist doctors when monitoring chronic health conditions.

17 Jan 2018

New biodegradable pressure sensor could help monitor serious health conditions

UConn engineers have created a biodegradable pressure sensor that could help doctors monitor chronic lung disease, swelling of the brain, and other medical conditions before dissolving harmlessly in a patient's body.

17 Jan 2018

Brain activity patterns linked to clinical outcomes achieved through DBS in dystonia patients

Dystonia affects more than 500,000 people across Europe. Globally, it is the third most common movement disorder after Parkinson's disease and essential tremor.

22 Dec 2017

Researchers reveal pathological mechanisms in congenital myotonic dystrophy

Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is the most common form of genetic muscular dystrophy that begins in adulthood. DM is characterized by progressive muscle wasting and weakness. People with this disorder often have prolonged muscle contractions (myotonic) and are not able to relax certain muscles after use.

12 Dec 2017

Researchers solve 3D structure of primary optogenetic tool

An international team of researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, the Institut de Biologie Structurale, and the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics has determined the 3-D structure of channelrhodopsin 2, a membrane protein widely used in optogenetics to control nerve cells with light.

28 Nov 2017

Contractions News and Research

MSU scientists discover early cause of intestinal inflammation

UNC study provides insight into mechanism of CHD4-related heart defects

Study finds link between inflammatory signals in heart muscle cells and atrial fibrillation

Scientists develop new test to predict woman's risk of preterm birth

People with atrial fibrillation should continue to be treated even if heart rhythm returns to normal

Survey: Childbirth hurts but pain relief options make it manageable

Researchers create adult-like cardiac model by introducing early stimulation

Multi-center study to evaluate promising new intervention for upper limb dysfunction after SCI

The Importance of Fetal Fibronectin Testing for Women with Symptomatic Preterm Labor

Researchers create cardiomyocyte molds to mend broken hearts

Medicaid is rural America’s financial midwife

New wearable tremor suppression gloves may hold huge benefits for Parkinson's disease patients

Nervous system can "put the brakes" on immune response and prevent excessive inflammation

MIPT biophysicists study structure and interaction of nanofibrous scaffold with cardiac cells

Study to track impact of Hurricane Harvey on pregnant moms

New biodegradable sensors could assist doctors when examining serious health conditions

New biodegradable pressure sensor could help monitor serious health conditions

Brain activity patterns linked to clinical outcomes achieved through DBS in dystonia patients

Researchers reveal pathological mechanisms in congenital myotonic dystrophy

Researchers solve 3D structure of primary optogenetic tool

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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