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New antibody design may pave way for treating diseases affecting the brain

Immunotherapy has proven to be effective against many serious diseases. But to treat diseases in the brain, the antibodies must first get past the obstacle of the blood-brain barrier.

16 Jan 2017

Nanoparticle exposure can trigger dormant viruses in lung tissue cells

Nanoparticles from combustion engines can activate viruses that are dormant in lung tissue cells. This is the result of a study by researchers of Helmholtz Zentrum München, a partner in the German Center for Lung Research, which has now been published in the journal 'Particle and Fibre Toxicology'.

16 Jan 2017

Impact of IBS on patients

The report reveals a quite alarming situation about the economic impact of IBS on healthcare system, society and patients themselves. In particular, it disclosed that there are a lot of hidden costs related to the utilization of healthcare resources by means of patients, frequently not recognized as IBS...

16 Jan 2017

Biomarker linked to depression during pregnancy and low birth weight in baby

Depression is very common during pregnancy, with as many as one in seven women suffering from the illness and more than a half million women impacted by postpartum depression in the U.S. alone.

12 Jan 2017

Study finds that T cells play important role in control of Zika infections

The worst of the global Zika virus outbreak may be over but many key questions remain, such as why the virus persists in certain tissues after the systemic infection has cleared; how does the immune system counteract the virus and protect against reinfection; what determines the likelihood of long-term complications?

12 Jan 2017

Endogenous retroviruses may have played significant role in development of the brain

Over millions of years retroviruses have been incorporated into our human DNA, where they today make up almost 10 per cent of the total genome.

12 Jan 2017

Concussions accelerate Alzheimer's disease-related brain atrophy and cognitive decline, research finds

New research has found concussions accelerate Alzheimer's disease-related brain atrophy and cognitive decline in people who are at genetic risk for the condition.

12 Jan 2017

Study reveals brain activity may be key to link between stress and heart disease

Increased activity in a deep-lying region of the brain called the amygdala is associated with a higher risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a study published in The Lancet. The amygdala is known to process emotions such as fear and anger and the finding sheds light on the possible mechanism by which stress can lead to cardiovascular disease (CVD), say the study authors.

12 Jan 2017

Scientists identify Smurf1 protein that plays role in autophagy of TB bacteria

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified a protein that is central to the immune system's ability to recognize and destroy the bacterium responsible for the global tuberculosis (TB) epidemic.

12 Jan 2017

Could pathogen infection really lead to Alzheimer’s?

New concepts of infectious disease are evolving with the realization that pathogens are key players in the development of progressive chronic diseases that originally were not thought to be infectious. Infection is well-known to be associated with numerous neurological diseases for which...

12 Jan 2017

AAN issues new guideline on mapping the brain before epilepsy surgery

Before epilepsy surgery, doctors may consider using brain imaging to locate language and memory functions in the brain instead of the more invasive procedure that is commonly used, according to a guideline published by the American Academy of Neurology in the January 11, 2017, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

12 Jan 2017

UNICEF launches new campaign to stress importance of early childhood development

UNICEF today launched #EarlyMomentsMatter, a new campaign supported by the LEGO Foundation to drive increased awareness about the importance of the first 1,000 days of a child’s life and the impact of early experiences on the developing brain.

12 Jan 2017

Inhibition of EZH2 protein could be new strategy to treat multiple myeloma

In a study published in the scientific journal Oncotarget, researchers from Uppsala University show how the protein EZH2 affects the development of multiple myeloma, and that inhibition of EZH2 could be used as a new strategy to treat the disease.

12 Jan 2017

Neuroscientists modify MRI scanner to study workings of infants' brains

In adults, certain regions of the brain's visual cortex respond preferentially to specific types of input, such as faces or objects -- but how and when those preferences arise has long puzzled neuroscientists.

12 Jan 2017

Researchers finding way to manipulate signals in bacteria to reduce infections

The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy has received a five-year, $1.25 million federal grant to continue its research into how bacteria that cause streptococcal infections can be manipulated.

12 Jan 2017

Researchers move one step closer to regenerating heart wall using stem cells

A process using human stem cells can generate the cells that cover the external surface of a human heart -- epicardium cells -- according to a multidisciplinary team of researchers.

12 Jan 2017

Penn Vet researchers identify potential target to fight against Ebola

Viruses and their hosts are in a eternal game of one-upmanship. If a host cell evolves a way to stop a virus from spreading, the virus will look for a new path. And so on and so forth.

12 Jan 2017

Novel treatment can effectively inhibit development of GVHD in mice, study shows

Graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) is the leading cause of non-relapse associated death in patients who receive stem cell transplants.

12 Jan 2017

Research findings could lead to development of novel therapeutic approaches against viral infections

Life is a question of balance, and the body is no exception. Expression levels of certain proteins can affect the immune system's ability to neutralize a virus.

12 Jan 2017

S. pneumoniae uses hosts' immune defenses to spread infection, study reveals

The bacteria that cause most cases of pneumonia worldwide secrete a toxin that helps them jump from one body to the next - with help from the hosts' immune defenses. This is the finding of a study led by researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center and published online January 11 in Cell Host & Microbe.

12 Jan 2017