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Antibody that targets CXCR6 prevents and reverses multiple sclerosis in mouse model

Multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disorder, is known to be driven by "helper" T cells, white blood cells that mount an inflammatory attack on the brain and spinal cord. A new study from Boston Children's Hospital pinpoints the specific subgroup of helper T cells that cause MS, as well as a protein on their surface, called CXCR6, that marks them.

4 Oct 2019

New NIH grant to support innovative skin testing approach for diagnosing Parkinson's disease

Wenquan Zou, MD, PhD, an expert in degenerative neurological diseases, along with his collaborators Shu G. Chen, PhD also from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Jiyan Ma, MD, PhD, from Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Thomas Beach, MD, PhD, from Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, Arizona, have received a five-year, $3.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for diagnosing Parkinson's disease (PD) via an innovative skin testing approach.

4 Oct 2019

Study finds prevalence of antibiotic-resistant genes in groundwater

With climate change comes increasing water shortages, and potentially longer periods of drought. As policymakers look urgently to wastewater recycling to stem the gap in water resources, the question is-- how best to reuse water and ensure public safety.

4 Oct 2019

The impact of alcohol consumption on coronary heart disease may be underestimated

New research from the Prevention Research Center of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation suggests that the impact of alcohol consumption on coronary heart disease may be underestimated.

4 Oct 2019

Research provides promising new lead for schizophrenia treatment

Schizophrenia is a severe mental health condition that causes significant disability, and affects 1 in 100 people. Patients with schizophrenia commonly experience negative symptoms, which include lack of motivation, social isolation and inability to experience pleasurable feeling.

4 Oct 2019

NIH grants boost rare diseases research efforts

Of an estimated 6,500 to 7,000 known rare diseases, only a fraction - maybe 5% - have U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments.

4 Oct 2019

Early menopause puts women at greater risk of cardiovascular disease

Women who reach menopause before the age of 50 have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, according to researchers from The University of Queensland.

4 Oct 2019

The atomic-level structure of DNA polymerase delta – the enzyme behind DNA replication

A new study has revealed how the fundamental enzyme called DNA polymerase delta operates during DNA replication, making a copy of the genetic code that can be transmitted through the generations.

4 Oct 2019

Phage engineering gives antibacterial therapy a new lease of life

Researchers have been identifying and modifying known phages to fight against infectious bacteria.

4 Oct 2019

Scientists uncover the cause of a rare fatal nerve disease

A new study has revealed the cause of Pelizaeus-Merzbacher syndrome and how simply adding a chemical that binds to iron, so it can be removed from the cell, enables the sick cells to grow back.

4 Oct 2019

Even diet drinks increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, finds study

Drinking more than two artificially sweetened or sugary soft drinks each day may increase the risk of diabetes, say Harvard researchers.

4 Oct 2019

Twin birth rate falls in the US due to improvements in reproductive technology

According to a new report by the CDC, twin birth rates in the US have dropped by 4% since 2014, potentially due to improvements in reproductive technology.

4 Oct 2019

Low-magnetic field MRI produces clearer images and improves safety for patients with pacemakers

Researchers have developed a high-performance, low magnetic-field MRI system that produces superior images of the body’s internal structures and is also safer.

4 Oct 2019

Men should stay alcohol-free for at least six months before conception

A new study has revealed that men hoping to conceive should stop drinking for at least six months before to prevent congenital heart diseases.

4 Oct 2019

Study sheds new light on transmission dynamics of HIV-1B virus in Indonesia

Research into the molecular phylogeny (evolutionary history) of the HIV-1B virus in Indonesia has succeeded in illuminating the transmission period and routes for three clades (main branches of the virus).

4 Oct 2019

People eat more with friends and family than when dining alone, finds study

People eat more with friends and family than when dining alone - a possible throwback to our early ancestors' approach to survival, according to a new study. This phenomenon is known as 'social facilitation'.

4 Oct 2019

Researchers identify new targets to treat fibrotic diseases

When it comes to repairing injured tissue, specialized cells in the body known as fibroblasts are called into action. Fibroblasts give rise to healing cells called myofibroblasts, which generally is good in the short term - but bad when myofibroblast activation gets out of hand.

4 Oct 2019

New study pinpoints emergence and progression of Alzheimer's plaque in the brain

Long before symptoms like memory loss even emerge, the underlying pathology of Alzheimer's disease, such as an accumulation of amyloid protein plaques, is well underway in the brain.

4 Oct 2019

Healthy diet could reduce depression symptoms in young adults, study suggests

Young adults with depression whose diet is usually unhealthy showed significantly fewer symptoms of depression after eating a healthy diet for three weeks, according to a study published October 9, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Heather Francis from Macquarie University, Australia, and colleagues.

From PLOS ONE 4 Oct 2019

Brain stimulation increases functional connectivity of memory network

Magnetic stimulation of the posterior parietal cortex increases functional connectivity of a neural network implicated in memory, shows human research published in eNeuro.

From Society for Neuroscience 4 Oct 2019