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Study finds that e-cigarettes are potentially as harmful as tobacco cigarettes in damaging DNA

A study by chemists at the University of Connecticut (UConn) offers new evidence that e-cigarettes loaded with a nicotine-based liquid are potentially as harmful as unfiltered cigarettes when it comes to causing DNA damage.

13 Jun 2017

UConn researchers find e-cigarettes to be equally harmful as tobacco cigarettes

A study by chemists at the University of Connecticut offers new evidence that electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes are potentially as harmful as tobacco cigarettes.

12 Jun 2017

Phthalate exposure linked to depressed thyroid function in young girls

Early childhood exposures to specific phthalates were associated with depressed thyroid function in girls at age 3, according to scientists at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Phthalates, a class of chemicals thought to disrupt the endocrine system, are widely used in consumer products from plastic toys to household building materials to shampoos.

30 May 2017

New study finds dramatic reorganization of the gut caused by weight loss surgery

Obesity, already a global epidemic, is on the rise. Over one-third of the U.S. population is currently afflicted, according to the Centers for Disease Control and the monetary costs alone are approaching $150 billion dollars annually.

26 May 2017

Small molecules in saliva show potential for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

Your spit may hold a clue to future brain health. Investigators at the Beaumont Research Institute, part of Beaumont Health in Michigan, are hopeful that their study involving small molecules in saliva will help identify those at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease - a neurologic condition predicted to reach epidemic proportions worldwide by 2050.

17 May 2017

Studies show harmful links between use of e-cigarettes and bladder cancer risk

Data being presented at the 112th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association shows harmful links between the use of e-cigarettes and bladder cancer risk, and associates the intensity of smoking traditional cigarettes to a higher risk of mortality among bladder cancer patients

17 May 2017

Age-related macular degeneration could be arrested by switching to low-glycemic diet, study finds

A study in mice finds that development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) could be arrested by switching from a high-glycemic diet (starches as are found in white bread) to a low-glycemic (starches found in whole grains).

16 May 2017

Metabolite 'signatures' can accurately distinguish typhoid from other fever-inducing diseases

Researchers have identified a metabolite 'signature' that can accurately distinguish typhoid from other fever-inducing tropical diseases using patient blood samples.

9 May 2017

Study: Ovarian hormone changes may trigger headache in adolescent girls with migraine

Changes in female hormones may trigger headaches in adolescent girls, but their effect may depend on age and their stage of pubertal development, according to a new study from researchers at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

8 May 2017

Long periods of physiological stress can change composition of intestinal microbiota in soldiers

A new study finds that long periods of physiological stress can change the composition of microorganisms residing in the intestines, which could increase health risks in endurance athletes and military personnel.

4 May 2017

Phthalate exposure linked to increased risk of allergies among children

Phthalates, which are used as plasticizers in plastics, can considerably increase the risk of allergies among children.

3 May 2017

Novel technique can provide high-resolution profile of molecules inside living organisms

A novel technique developed by University of Toronto Scarborough researchers can for the first time get a high-resolution profile of which molecules are present inside a living organism.

2 May 2017

Knocking out lipid-modifying enzyme can boost post-heart attack healing, study shows

Two immune responses are important for recovery after a heart attack -; an acute inflammatory response that attracts leukocyte immune cells to remove dead tissue, followed by a resolving response that allows healing.

2 May 2017

Researchers develop highly sensitive method to detect early stages of colorectal cancer

A highly sensitive method that can detect even the earlier stages of colorectal cancer has been developed by researchers in Japan. Shimadzu Corporation, the Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, and the National Cancer Center in Japan have collaborated to develop a new screening method that comprehensively analyzes the metabolites in our blood.

26 Apr 2017

Abnormal levels of specific gut bacteria linked to chronic fatigue syndrome

Scientists at the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health have discovered abnormal levels of specific gut bacteria related to chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME/CFS, in patients with and without concurrent irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS.

26 Apr 2017

Genetic factors may increase person's risk for adverse effects of synthetic cannabinoids

Synthetic cannabinoid abuse is a growing problem in the United States, with new versions of the drugs coming on the market every year. New research is examining how the body processes these man-made drugs and the role that genetics might play in their metabolism.

25 Apr 2017

How physicians can prevent opioid abuse while providing adequate pain relief

Rather than being considered a miracle pill that magically takes away pain, prescription opioids are increasingly being seen as a precursor to heroin addiction and the cause of potentially deadly overdoses themselves.

19 Apr 2017

Vanderbilt geneticists find new way to tap plant pharmacopeia to produce improved therapeutics

Cocaine, nicotine, capsaicin. These are just three familiar examples of the hundreds of thousands of small molecules (also called specialized or secondary metabolites) that plants use as chemical ammunition to protect themselves from predation.

17 Apr 2017

Metabolite produced by intestinal bacteria protects against type 2 diabetes, study shows

A high concentration of indolepropionic acid in the serum protects against type 2 diabetes, shows a new study from the University of Eastern Finland. Indolepropionic acid is a metabolite produced by intestinal bacteria, and its production is boosted by a fibre-rich diet.

11 Apr 2017

Synthetic biologists engineer gut bacteria capable of sensing colitis

Synthetic biologists at Rice University have engineered gut bacteria capable of sensing colitis, an inflammation of the colon, in mice.

6 Apr 2017