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Omicron variant BA.2.86 spreads faster, but current antivirals hold the line

Researchers discover the BA.2.86 Omicron lineage with higher transmission potential than current dominant strains, yet show that existing antivirals remain effective. Despite its higher infectivity, BA.2.86 exhibits lower pathogenicity in hamsters, indicating decreased replication capacity may lead to less severe infections.

7 Nov 2023

New technique helps 'visualize' osmotic pressure within living embryonic tissues

In order to survive, organisms must control the pressure inside them, from the single-cell level to tissues and organs.

3 Nov 2023

Scientists determine structure of key protein in neuronal communication

Neurons talk to each other using chemical signals called neurotransmitters. Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have drawn on structural biology expertise to determine structures of vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), a key component of neuronal communication.

2 Nov 2023

LMU medical scientists discover new mechanism of alarmin release

LMU medical scientists have demonstrated that important pro-inflammatory mediators are released into the bloodstream through tiny pores in the cell membrane at a very early stage of the immune response.

2 Nov 2023

Microscopic inflammation in IBD linked to higher risk of serious infections

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an independent risk factor for serious infection, even at very low levels of gastrointestinal inflammation.

1 Nov 2023

How to optimize nuclei extraction & counting for single cell sequencing

In this interview, News Medical talks to DeNovix about the best way to prepare nuclei samples before single cell sequencing workflows and optimize nuclei extraction.

From DeNovix Inc. 1 Nov 2023

New AI tool could lead to precision medicine by predicting drug response

An ideal medicine for one person may prove ineffective or harmful for someone else, and predicting who could benefit from a given drug has been difficult.

31 Oct 2023

New drug gets FDA approval for the treatment of common genetic disease in young boys

A new drug developed by professors from the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Binghamton University has received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a common genetic disease that mostly affects young boys.

31 Oct 2023

Modular nanoparticles developed for targeted drug delivery and neutralizing biological agents

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed modular nanoparticles that can be easily customized to target different biological entities such as tumors, viruses or toxins.

30 Oct 2023

Scientists identify mechanism of alcohol withdrawal headaches

About 283 million people worldwide suffer from alcohol use disorder, a debilitating health challenge for which limited therapeutic options are available. The cost to society is estimated at greater than $2 trillion annually.

30 Oct 2023

Discovery of protein interaction could lead to new schizophrenia treatments

The discovery of a physical interaction between two proteins in brain cells that can be traced in mice to control of movement, anxiety and memory could one day open the door to development of new schizophrenia treatment strategies, researchers say.

26 Oct 2023

Stanford chemists uncover new pathway for protein degradation, opening door to new therapeutics

When targeting problem proteins involved in causing or spreading disease, a drug will often clog up a protein's active site so it can't function and wreak havoc.

25 Oct 2023

Dementia and cholesterol: investigating links and impacts of hormone replacement therapy

The relationships between hormone replacement therapy (HRT), serum cholesterol levels, and dementia incidence.

25 Oct 2023

Study reveals unexpected role of pulmonary ionocytes in lung function

A new study by University of Iowa researchers finds that rare lung cells known as pulmonary ionocytes facilitate the absorption of water and salt from the airway surface.

24 Oct 2023

COVID-19 tied to elevated risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia complications

SARS-CoV-2 infection linked to increased benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) complications and medication use. Urological manifestations in COVID-19 patients emphasize the importance of awareness among clinicians.

22 Oct 2023

New method uses extracellular vesicles to enhance immunotherapy responses in glioblastoma

A team of researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has developed a new method for using extracellular vesicles to enhance responses to immunotherapy in glioblastoma, potentially opening the door for wider use of engineered messenger RNA (mRNA) for cancer therapy.

19 Oct 2023

Blue light technology to combat surface contamination by foodborne pathogens

How effectively antimicrobial blue light (aBL) inactivated dried cells and biofilms.

19 Oct 2023

Lung chip model offers new insights into how radiation damages the lungs

The lung is one of the tissues most sensitive to radiation in the human body. People exposed to high radiation doses following nuclear incidents develop radiation-induced lung injury (RILI), which affects the function of many cell types in the lung, causing acute and sustained inflammation, and in the longer term, the thickening and scarring of lung tissue known as fibrosis.

17 Oct 2023

Long-term lung issues and lower quality of life plague COVID-19 survivors, new study warns

New research in Scientific Reports reveals that COVID-19 survivors, especially those who had severe or critical illness, face long-term lung complications and a reduced quality of life. The study recommends 6-monthly pulmonary function tests for these survivors to monitor for chronic lung damage.

15 Oct 2023

New insights into coronavirus E channel could lead to antiviral drugs

The genome of the SARS-CoV-2 virus encodes 29 proteins, one of which is an ion channel called E. This channel, which transports protons and calcium ions, induces infected cells to launch an inflammatory response that damages tissues and contributes to the symptoms of Covid-19.

13 Oct 2023