Medical Science News

RSS

People with major depressive disorder have reduced arginine levels, study shows

People suffering from major depressive disorder, MDD, have reduced arginine levels, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows. Arginine is an amino acid which the body uses to produce, e.g., nitric oxide.

21 Feb 2018

Australia lagging behind in psychedelic science renaissance

With research from the US showing that MDMA, or ecstasy, can effectively cure PTSD, it is time for Australia to embrace psychedelic science, according to Edith Cowan University addiction studies expert Dr Stephen Bright.

21 Feb 2018

Bioactive compound limits collateral damage in the kidneys after heart attack

A heart attack triggers an acute inflammatory response at the damaged portion of the heart's left ventricle. If this acute inflammation lingers, it can lead to stretching of the ventricle and heart failure. The inflammation can claim another victim -- the kidneys.

21 Feb 2018

Study reveals biological relevance of sex in effects of D-galactose induced aging

A research study by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in collaboration with the University of La Laguna demonstrates in mice the biological relevance of sex in the effects of accelerated ageing caused by a chronic treatment of D-galactose, a sugar found abundantly in milk and to a lesser extent in fruits and vegetables.

20 Feb 2018

Researchers target abnormal epigenetic mechanisms involved in childhood cancers

Several childhood cancer cell types show features of immature neural cells, and there is evidence suggesting that these tumors may arise from neural crest stem cells that underwent abnormal changes during embryonic development.

20 Feb 2018

Researchers discover potential new antimalarial treatment targets

Researchers have discovered crucial new processes that allow malaria parasites to escape red blood cells and infect other cells, offering potential new treatment targets.

20 Feb 2018

Computerized tissue-imaging may help predict early recurrence of lung cancer

Case Western Reserve and Cleveland Clinic are leading development of a computerized tissue-imaging program that could soon help identify which lung cancer patients are likely to face an earlier recurrence of the disease.

20 Feb 2018

Stanford researchers explore how gut bacteria respond to common changes in habitat

Researchers at Stanford University are studying how bacteria living in the gut respond to common changes within their habitat, working with mice.

20 Feb 2018

Scientists uncover genetic cause behind typhoid's antibiotic resistance

The genetic cause behind a strain of typhoid's resistance to five classes of antibiotics has been uncovered by scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and their collaborators at Public Health England and Aga Khan University, Pakistan.

20 Feb 2018

Research findings could help develop new drugs to prevent, treat dry eye disease

With computers, smartphones and contact lenses now essential to modern life, many -- one out of every 10 Japanese people -- suffer dry eye disease.

20 Feb 2018

New computational method helps narrow down genetic targets for autism diagnosis

Autism is a spectrum of closely related symptoms involving behavioral, social and cognitive deficits. Early detection of autism in children is key to producing the best outcomes; however, searching for the genetic causes of autism is complicated by various symptoms found within the spectrum.

20 Feb 2018

Father's age can affect offspring lifespan, mice study shows

How does the father's age at conception affect his children? Researchers at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Disease and fellow scientists have studied this question in mice.

20 Feb 2018

Older males could live longer with light intensity exercise, study suggests

A new study suggests that any level of exercise, including low intensity exercise, may extend life expectancy in older males.

20 Feb 2018

Study describes new protection mechanisms to fight neurodegeneration in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's

A new research study reveals RAC1 protein could be a new therapeutic target to study the molecular mechanisms related to the neurodegenerative processes in Parkinson's disease.

20 Feb 2018

New genetic risk score could help guide screening decisions for prostate cancer

One of the biggest challenges in treating prostate cancer is distinguishing men who have aggressive and potentially lethal disease from men whose cancer is slow-growing and unlikely to metastasize.

20 Feb 2018

Persistent bloating can be a sign of ovarian cancer, warns charity

The charity Target Ovarian Cancer that there is an "alarmingly low rate of awareness" among women that persistent bloating is a major symptom of ovarian cancer.

20 Feb 2018

Therapeutic target for glaucoma could have treatment ramifications for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

A therapeutic target to preserve vision in glaucoma patients could have treatment ramifications for age-related neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, according to findings released today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

20 Feb 2018

Brain's quality control process holds clues to obesity's roots

Deep in the middle of our heads lies a tiny nub of nerve cells that play a key role in how hungry we feel, how much we eat, and how much weight we gain. Around the clock, they produce a "grandfather" form of several hormones that help us regulate these crucial functions.

20 Feb 2018

Scientists explore connection between bad sleep habits and stiff blood vessels

What do bad sleep habits and stiff blood vessels have in common? Nothing good, say scientists exploring what appears to be a direct connection between a circadian clock that isn't working as it should and an enzyme that promotes inflammation working overtime.

20 Feb 2018

Immune history influences person's response to flu vaccine

New research on why the influenza vaccine was only modestly effective in recent years shows that immune history with the flu influences a person's response to the vaccine.

20 Feb 2018