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New genetic analysis reveals biological causes of muscle weakness in older people

A new largescale genetic analysis has found biological mechanisms that contribute to making people more susceptible to muscle weakness in later life, finding that diseases such as osteoarthritis and diabetes may play a large role in susceptibility.

11 Feb 2021

Researchers uncover traces of malarial adaptation in African people

Malaria is an ancient scourge, but it's still leaving its mark on the human genome. And now, researchers have uncovered recent traces of adaptation to malaria in the DNA of people from Cabo Verde, an island nation off the African coast.

29 Jan 2021

Certain malaria parasites use a mechanism to cross the blood–brain barrier

Malaria is one of the most common causes of death in children in Africa and is triggered by a small parasite that lives in the blood. When the parasite builds up in the blood vessels of the brain, it develops into one of the most dangerous forms of the disease, cerebral malaria.

27 Jan 2021

Scientists uncover elusive mechanism behind the most severe cases of blood disorder

With a name like glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, one would think it is a rare and obscure medical condition, but that's far from the truth.

19 Jan 2021

Researchers find potential biomarkers of Parkinson's disease

A research team led by Nagoya University in Japan has found that blood pressure, the hematocrit (the percentage of red blood cells in blood), and serum cholesterol levels change in patients with Parkinson's disease long before the onset of motor symptoms.

18 Jan 2021

Study: Fibroblast hormone promotes movement of hematopoietic stem cells

Discovery expected to contribute towards more effective methods of harvesting stem cells from bone marrow donors.

17 Jan 2021

No inflammation of cerebrospinal fluid in COVID-19 patients with neurological features, study finds

Many patients with COVID-19 have shown neurological complications, leading to scientific interest in the role played by its causative pathogen, SARS-CoV-2, in brain inflammation. A new study has described the absence of neuroinflammation in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

14 Jan 2021

New findings could help better understand the mechanisms underlying severe malaria

The levels of small molecules called microRNAs (miRNAs) circulating in blood could help identify early on children with life-threatening forms of malaria, according to a study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, an institution supported by "la Caixa" Foundation, in collaboration with the Manhiça Health Research Center (CISM) in Mozambique.

13 Jan 2021

Higher hemoglobin threshold does not improve outcomes in preterm infants

Very low birthweight infants are at a high risk for anemia and often need blood transfusions to survive. Some doctors use a higher level and some use a lower level of red blood cells to order a transfusion.

4 Jan 2021

The evolving role of platelet-rich plasma in cosmetic procedures

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment, which involves injecting a small amount of a patient's own blood to release various growth factors from platelets, continues to increase in popularity.

28 Dec 2020

Could engineered red blood cells be an effective antiviral against SARS-CoV-2?

In a new study, released on the bioRxiv* preprint server, a team of researchers explores the antiviral potential of red blood cells against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative pathogen of COVID-19.

24 Dec 2020

High altitude experts explain pneumolysis caused by COVID-19

The current COVID-19 pandemic has caused over 1 million deaths which can be attributed to its severe progressive pulmonary compromise.

21 Dec 2020

Using hypoxia adaptations in marine mammals to understand COVID-19

News-Medical talks to Terrie Williams about how the diving physiology that adapts marine mammals to hypoxia can improve our understanding of COVID-19.

16 Dec 2020

Detailed simulations reveal new information on sickle cell disease

Although there has yet to be a cure for sickle cell disease, researchers recently created detailed simulations on the Comet system at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) showing how these stiff red blood cells flow through blood vessels, deforming and colliding along the way.

11 Dec 2020

Experimental stem cell gene therapy may give a new lease of life for patient with sickle cell disease

"But it's a marathon whereas you keep going, the trail gets rockier and then you lose your shoes," the 27-year-old said. "It gets harder as you get older. Things start to fail and all you can think about is how much worse it's going to get down the road."

1 Dec 2020