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Discovery provides a potential target for infectious diseases immunotherapy

NIH investigators and colleagues have discovered that when the immune system first responds to infectious agents such as viruses or bacteria, a natural brake on the response prevents overactivation.

23 Jun 2020

Striking differences found between NHS trusts in COVID-19 ICU deaths

A University of Cambridge team led by Professor Mihaela van der Schaar and intensive care consultant Dr Ari Ercole of the Cambridge Centre for AI in Medicine is calling for urgent research into the striking differences in COVID-19 deaths they have discovered between the intensive care units of NHS trusts across England.

23 Jun 2020

Study explores the heritability of affectionate communication

A new study of twins finds that genetics play a significant role in how affectionate women are, but the same can't be said for men.

23 Jun 2020

Health care workers report high levels of distress during the height of COVID-19

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, health care workers on the front lines had high levels of acute stress, anxiety, and depression, a study by researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian has found.

23 Jun 2020

Increased physical activity associated with lower sleep apnea risk

A study published online as an accepted paper in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that increased physical activity is associated with a lower risk of obstructive sleep apnea, a common sleep-related breathing disorder.

23 Jun 2020

Clinical trial aims to find the optimal time for surgery after knee dislocation

It can happen from a check in a hockey game, or a fall from a ladder while cleaning out the gutters. There's usually a 'pop' and instant pain in the knee.

23 Jun 2020

New dengue virus serotype DENV3 has re-emerged in Singapore after three decades

Dengue infections are rising, even as public health authorities are battling to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV2) had previously been the predominant serotype but DENV3 has re-emerged in Singapore after almost three decades.

23 Jun 2020

Aphantasia may be associated with more cognitive functions than previously thought

Picture the sun setting over the ocean. It's large above the horizon, spreading an orange-pink glow across the sky. Seagulls are flying overhead and your toes are in the sand.

23 Jun 2020

Male COVID-19 patients produce more SARS-CoV-2 antibodies than women

Health officials in the United Kingdom urge male coronavirus survivors to donate blood, particularly its convalescent plasma component. This comes after a new study has found that men produce more antibodies, which could make their plasma a valuable treatment against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

23 Jun 2020

COVID-19 mortality higher in Spring in the USA

Now, a new study by researchers at the University of Louisville and Babson College and published on the preprint server medRxiv in June 2020 describes the increased risk of COVID-19 deaths in spring, in the USA.

23 Jun 2020

Smoking increases risk of COVID-19 for men but not women

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread over the world, scientists have had to come to terms with the fact that they don’t know much about the SARS-CoV-2 or the disease it causes. Now, a new study by researchers at the University College Cork, Ireland, and published on the preprint server medRxiv in June 2020 discusses the differences in COVID-19 risk between men and women who smoke.

23 Jun 2020

Antibodies against prevalent endemic human coronaviruses may provide cross-protection to SARS-CoV-2

Researchers from Qatar have demonstrated that antibody repertoires against endemic human coronaviruses are qualitatively different in children when compared to the general adult population, as well as healthy adult blood bank donors – and they may also provide cross-protection against epidemic/pandemic strains.

23 Jun 2020

Pangolin version of SARS-CoV-2 can cause COVID-19-like illness

The results of a recent multinational research endeavor, currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server, display the biological framework of SARS-CoV-2-related coronavirus in pangolins and reveal striking similarities to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in humans, but also show that it can be transmitted vertically to the fetus.

23 Jun 2020

Female reproductive organs not susceptible to direct SARS-CoV-2 infection

Researchers at the University in San Francisco, California, report that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is unlikely to negatively impact on pregnancy-related outcomes such as premature birth, transmission to babies via breast milk, and infertility.

23 Jun 2020

Novel treatment provides cardioprotection after heart attack in animal models

A novel treatment reduces heart damage after serious heart attacks in two animal models. Injections of two chemicals in a slow-release form significantly reduced the size of the dead heart tissue, known as the infarct, and improved the function of the left ventricle, as compared to untreated subjects.

23 Jun 2020

Three-quarters of U.S. workers can't work from home, face increased risk of exposure to COVID-19

About three-quarters of U.S. workers, or 108 million people, are in jobs that cannot be done from home during a pandemic, putting these workers at increased risk of exposure to disease.

23 Jun 2020

Dexamethasone could benefit certain hospitalized COVID-19 patients

The RECOVERY Collaborative Group has released a preliminary report describing the effects of dexamethasone treatment among patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

23 Jun 2020

St. Jude scientists create O-PDX models for pediatric brain tumor research

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have created orthotopic patient-derived xenograft (O-PDX) models representing a variety of pediatric brain tumor types.

23 Jun 2020

Air pollution contributes to cardiovascular disease risk in low, middle and high-income countries

From low-income countries to high-income countries, long-term exposure to fine particulate outdoor air pollution is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease and death, a new Oregon State University study found.

23 Jun 2020

PCORI approves up to $50 million in funding for new projects to address COVID-19

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Board of Governors today, building on its rapid response to the COVID-19 health crisis, approved allocating up to $50 million in additional funding for new projects in PCORI's COVID-19 funding opportunities, as well as enhancements to existing PCORI-funded studies.

23 Jun 2020