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Late-life mortality plateaus can result from diverse statistical errors

Human error, not human biology, largely accounts for the apparent decline of mortality among the very old, according to a new report publishing on December 20 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Saul Newman of Australia National University in Canberra.

27 Dec 2018

Scientists gain new insight into aggressive breast cancers

Scientists from Cardiff University have uncovered a protein which drives aggressive breast cancer and could be targeted for developing new and improved therapies.

27 Dec 2018

Researchers develop vaccine effective against emerging tick-borne virus in mice

A group of researchers led by Michael Diamond of Washington University in St. Louis have developed a vaccine that is effective in mice against Powassan virus, an emerging tick-borne virus that can cause life-threatening encephalitis in humans.

27 Dec 2018

Targeting thymidylate biosynthesis in kinetoplastid and apicomplexan protozoans

Kinetoplastid and apicomplexan parasites include protozoans which are responsible for human diseases, and cause a serious impact on human health and the socioeconomic growth of developing countries. Chemotherapy is the main option to control these pathogenic organisms.

27 Dec 2018

Study uncovers how skin ages, loses fat and immunity

Dermal fibroblasts are specialized cells deep in the skin that generate connective tissue and help the skin recover from injury. Some fibroblasts have the ability to convert into fat cells that reside under the dermis, giving the skin a plump, youthful look and producing a peptide that plays a critical role in fighting infections.

27 Dec 2018

Researchers discover extent of opioid use and abuse in head and neck cancer patients

Cancer patients are often prescribed pain medications, for example during recovery from surgical procedures. However, for many cancer patients, the use of opioid pain medications during treatment can be a gateway to misuse or addiction once treatment ends.

27 Dec 2018

Research findings expand understanding of how memory works

Two Veterans Affairs researchers have explored how memory is tied to the hippocampus, with findings that will expand scientists' understanding of how memory works.

27 Dec 2018

Scientists suggest need for new approach to confront side effects of common anti-cancer therapy

Results of a new study by neuroscientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Toronto suggest that a new treatment approach is needed - and how this may be possible - to address adverse effects of aromatase inhibitors, drugs commonly prescribed to both men and women to prevent recurrence of estrogen-positive breast cancer.

27 Dec 2018

Neuronal cell death in Alzheimer's disease may actually not be a bad thing, shows study

For the first time, scientists at the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, in Lisbon, Portugal, have shown that neuronal cell death in Alzheimer's disease may actually not be a bad thing - on the contrary, it may be the result of a cell quality control mechanism trying to protect the brain from the accumulation of malfunctioning neurons.

27 Dec 2018

Study finds risk factors linked to REM sleep behavior disorder

Taking antidepressants for depression, having post-traumatic stress disorder or anxiety diagnosed by a doctor are risk factors for a disruptive and sometimes violent sleep disorder called rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder, according to a study published in the December 26, 2018, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

27 Dec 2018

Breast cancer drugs could tackle lung cancers resistant to targeted therapies

A class of drugs used to treat certain breast cancers could help to tackle lung cancers that have become resistant to targeted therapies, suggests a new study in mice from the Francis Crick Institute and the Institute of Cancer Research.

27 Dec 2018

New study reveals twist in how intoxication happens

As New Year's Eve approaches, many people will experience the familiar buzz that comes from imbibing a favorite cocktail or glass of wine.

27 Dec 2018

Study: Reactivation of HIV-infected cells depends on its size and cell cycle

Thanks to the development of antiretroviral drugs, human immunodeficiency virus is considered a manageable chronic disease today.

27 Dec 2018

NIPER researcher presents a review on autophagy in neuronal cells

Autophagy is a cellular degradation process that can cause the death of a cell in certain conditions. Autophagy is necessary to maintain cellular homeostasis by clearing out damaged cellular organelles and proteins through certain pathways.

27 Dec 2018

Genetic testing can help personalize diagnosis and treatment of kidney disease, study shows

A new study has found that genes cause about 1 in 10 cases of chronic kidney disease in adults, and identifying the responsible gene has a direct impact on treatment for most of these patients.

26 Dec 2018

Yale researchers use arthritis medication to treat patient with disfiguring sarcoidosis

An all-Yale team of researchers successfully treated a patient with disfiguring sarcoidosis, a chronic disease that can affect multiple organs, with a drug approved for rheumatoid arthritis.

26 Dec 2018

Using untargeted metabolomics to find biomarkers and therapeutic targets for CVD

Cardiovascular diseases are proven to be the leading cause of deaths throughout the world. If statistics are reviewed, almost four out of five deaths are due to myocardial infarction or stroke. Efforts to prevent CVD have little effect on the decrease of the number of CVD related deaths despite many medical advances.

26 Dec 2018

Study investigates role of miRNAs in anesthetic-induced myocardial conditioning

Many studies have shown that the mechanism of drug-induced myocardial conditioning is enzyme-mediated through messenger RNA and miRNA regulation. In this study Orriach et al. investigated the role that miRNAs play in the cardio-protective effect of halogenated anesthetics, which are widely used in cardiac surgery.

26 Dec 2018

New method of cancer stem cells activation to destroy tumors

This risky method of anti-cancer therapy was suggested by scientists of Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU). Their review of mechanisms for molecular activation of stem cells of gliomas (most widely-spread brain tumors) was approved for publishing in the Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience journal.

26 Dec 2018

New mechanism may explain neurons shrinking in Huntington's disease

A hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases like Huntington's is the progressive death of nerve cells in the brain. The cells don't die quickly, though. They first start to disconnect from each other because their neurites -- long finger-like extensions that make connections all through the brain -- become smaller.

25 Dec 2018