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Binge drinkers have increased levels of biomarker molecule that may contribute to poor vascular function

A new study shows that binge drinkers have increased levels of a biomarker molecule - microRNA-21 - that may contribute to poor vascular function.

24 Jan 2018

Research findings may have broad implications for neurorehabilitation of amputees

When a person loses a hand, nerves that control sensation and movement are severed. This trauma deprives sensory and movement areas of the brain of stimulation, causing them to reorganize their functions.

24 Jan 2018

Valproic acid exposure results in characteristics linked to autism, zebrafish study shows

Exposure to a compound used to treat migraines and seizures causes characteristics associated with autism, groundbreaking research with zebrafish has demonstrated.

24 Jan 2018

Researchers use biomimetic engineering approach to develop vascular grafts

When a patient with heart disease is in need of a vascular graft but doesn't have any viable veins or arteries in his or her own body, surgeons can rely on synthetic, tissue-engineering grafts.

24 Jan 2018

Peripheral nerve cells play key role in wound healing process, research shows

Nerve cells in the skin help wounds to heal. When an injury occurs, cells known as glial cells change into repair cells and disseminate into the wound, where they help the skin to regenerate, researchers from the University of Zurich have shown.

24 Jan 2018

Artificial sweetener could lead to development of cancer therapies with less side effects

Artificial sweeteners are used in diet drinks and foods but also could someday be used as treatments targeting carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX), a protein associated with aggressive cancers.

24 Jan 2018

Fluorescence imaging can track vitamin C in the body

Vitamin C is best known as a nutrient. In high enough doses, however, vitamin C also shows potential against many cancers, according to recent studies. To successfully develop vitamin C (chemically named ascorbic acid) as a medication, it is crucial to probe its concentration in the body, thus ensuring safe and effective doses.

24 Jan 2018

UCSF researchers find new way to attack common drivers of 'undruggable' cancers

Cancer researchers have made great strides in developing targeted therapies that treat the specific genetic mutations underlying a patient's cancer.

24 Jan 2018

Discovery may advance stem cell therapies, gene-targeting treatments for neurological diseases

New research from Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute is among the first to describe how an mRNA modification impacts the life of neural stem cells.

24 Jan 2018

Genome analysis reveals leprosy's origin and drug resistance

Leprosy is an infectious disease with gruesome symptoms. It damages the skin, peripheral nerves, the upper respiratory tract, and the eyes.

24 Jan 2018

Universal vaccine produces long-lasting immunity against influenza A viruses in mice

Researchers have developed a universal vaccine to combat influenza A viruses that produces long-lasting immunity in mice and protects them against the limitations of seasonal flu vaccines, according to a study led by Georgia State University.

24 Jan 2018

Changes in vaginal bacteria associated with premature births

Changes to the communities of microbes living in the reproductive tract of pregnant women could help to spot those at risk of giving birth prematurely.

24 Jan 2018

Scientists introduce air-filled microbubbles as intravenous oxygen carriers

Severe oxygen deficiency eventually leads to cardiac arrest. If the blood’s oxygen content cannot be rapidly re-established, the patient may die within minutes. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, American scientists have introduced air-filled microbubbles that could be used as an intravenous oxygen carrier to increase the survival rate of such patients. Because they rapidly dissolve in blood, the risk of embolism is minimal.

24 Jan 2018

Scientists discover new target for anti-angiogenic tumor therapy

Actively growing tumors have a high demand for oxygen and nutrients. Therefore, they stimulate the growth of blood vessels.

23 Jan 2018

Forensic researchers identify precise way to assess individual's age at death

Forensic researchers at North Carolina State University have found a more accurate way to assess an individual's age at death, based on the bone mineral density of the femur. The technique could be used to help identify human remains.

23 Jan 2018

Study illustrates role of specific antibodies in protection against influenza

People with higher levels of antibodies against the stem portion of the influenza virus hemagglutinin protein have less viral shedding when they get the flu, but do not have fewer or less severe signs of illness, according to a new study published in mBio.

23 Jan 2018

Women with PCOS likely to have less diverse gut bacteria, study reveals

Women who have a common hormone condition that contributes to infertility and metabolic problems tend to have less diverse gut bacteria than women who do not have the condition, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

23 Jan 2018

UTA researcher wins NIH grant to build new technology for quicker diagnosis of heart failure

A UTA researcher will use a National Institutes of Health grant to build new imaging technology that will study blood vessel function in patients with heart failure that could lead to quicker diagnosis and life-saving treatment.

23 Jan 2018

Cognitive training holds potential to strengthen the aging brain

Relentless cognitive decline as we age is worrisome, and it is widely thought to be an unavoidable negative aspect of normal aging. Researchers at the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas, however, say their research could provide new hope for extending our brain function as we age.

23 Jan 2018

Metabolic shift can result in congestive heart failure

The heart derives its energy primarily from fatty acids. However, if a metabolic shift to other energy sources takes place, this can result in congestive heart failure, scientists from the German Cancer Research Center and Heidelberg University Hospital have now discovered.

23 Jan 2018