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Combination of genetic, environmental risk factors can trigger fatal eating disorder in humans

In a new study, researchers from Columbia University Medical Center described a new mouse model featuring a combination of genetic and environmental risk factors that can trigger the compulsive restriction of food intake seen in patients with anorexia nervosa. The findings may help to identify new prevention and treatment strategies for the eating disorder in humans.

12 Apr 2016

Increased expression of VEGF-A promotes three common aging-related eye conditions

A Massachusetts General Hospital investigator has found that increased expression of the angiogenic factor VEGF-A promotes three common aging-related eye conditions - both versions of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and also cataracts - in an animal model.

12 Apr 2016

Glial cells can modulate specific nerve endings in the brain, find Rockefeller scientists

More than half of our brains are made up of glial cells, which wrap around nerve fibers and insulate them--similarly to how the plastic casing of an electric cable insulates the copper wire within--allowing electrical and chemical impulses to travel faster.

12 Apr 2016

Complete genetic map of scleroderma opens door for diagnosis and targeted treatment

Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease that affects one out of every 10,000 people in Europe and North America, mostly middle-aged women, and causes death in a high percentage of cases.

11 Apr 2016

Research shows viruses work in groups to attack host cells more effectively

Research at the Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology of the University of Valencia, led by professor Rafael Sanjuán, reveals that viruses work in groups to attack host cells more effectively. The results of this study were published in the journal 'Cell Host & Microbe'.

11 Apr 2016

Scientists develop wearable sweat sensors for medical analysis of sweat

Plants and trees soak up water in the soil by letting it vaporize through pores in the leaves. Scientists at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) have now taken this principle to develop a sweat sensor through which the sweat itself flows at a steady rate and is analyzed.

11 Apr 2016

Mouse-based study shows exercise decreases cancer incidence, slows tumor growth

When you're pounding along an icy pavement or sweating through a gym workout, you try to remind yourself of the many health benefits of exercise. Between gasps, you can say that a healthy, fit lifestyle helps prevents obesity, a worldwide problem of increasing magnitude that has been linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

11 Apr 2016

Kidney possesses circadian clock that regulates, coordinates variety of organ's functions

An internal clock within the kidneys plays an important role in maintaining balance within the body, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

11 Apr 2016

Flexible ramp scripting interface added for BioScope Resolve BioAFM

At the 7th AFM BioMed Conference, Bruker’s Nano Surfaces Division today announced the release of RampScript™, which provides extensive new scripting capabilities for the BioScope Resolve® BioAFM. BioScope Resolve has set new standards for highest resolution AFM imaging with the first ever images of microvilli on live cells and by routinely resolving submolecular structures, such as the major and minor groove of DNA, while operating on an inverted microscope.

From Bruker Nano Surfaces and Metrology 11 Apr 2016

Transcranial direct current stimulation can allow faster comprehension of meaningful word combinations

How the human brain processes the words we hear and constructs complex concepts is still somewhat of a mystery to the neuroscience community. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can alter our language processing, allowing for faster comprehension of meaningful word combinations, according to new research from the department of Neurology the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The work is published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

11 Apr 2016

Advanced assay offers better sensitivity for detecting a prion disease affecting elk

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), or prion diseases, are a family of rare progressive, neurodegenerative illnesses that affect both humans and animals. TSE surveillance is important for public health and food safety because TSEs have the potential of crossing from animals to humans, as seen with the spread of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). A study in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics describes an advanced assay that offers better sensitivity than currently available tests for detecting a prion disease affecting elk.

11 Apr 2016

New research demonstrates effectiveness of six-step hand-hygiene technique for reducing bacteria

New research demonstrates that the six-step hand-hygiene technique recommended by the World Health Organization is superior to a three-step method suggested by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in reducing bacteria on healthcare workers' hands. The study was published online today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

11 Apr 2016

Cornell researchers discover potential way to penetrate blood brain barrier

Cornell researchers have discovered a way to penetrate the blood brain barrier (BBB) that may soon permit delivery of drugs directly into the brain to treat disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and chemotherapy-resistant cancers.

11 Apr 2016

Researchers identify vital inflammatory mechanisms in type 1 diabetes, obesity-related kidney dysfunction

In a new study, published in the online edition of the journal EBioMedicine, a multi-disciplinary team led by researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine has identified key inflammatory mechanisms underlying type 1 diabetes and obesity-related kidney dysfunction.

11 Apr 2016

Traditional Chinese medicinal plant produces compounds that may help to kill human cancers

New research led by Professor Cathie Martin of the John Innes Centre has revealed how a plant used in traditional Chinese medicine produces compounds which may help to treat cancer and liver diseases.

11 Apr 2016

Maternal obesity, poor nutrition during pregnancy affect egg reserves of female child

New research involving mice, published in the April 2016 issue of The FASEB Journal, suggests that maternal obesity and poor nutrition during pregnancy affects the egg reserves of female offspring. This discovery improves scientific understanding of the long-term, generational, effects of obesity and poor nutrition. This understanding is the first step toward devising interventions to protect the fertility of females who experienced very difficult womb environments.

11 Apr 2016

Researchers find evidence that protein involved in regulating inflammation has anti-septic effects

Sepsis represents a serious complication of infection and is one of the leading causes of death and critical illness worldwide due in part to the lack of effective therapies. A report in the American Journal of Pathology provides evidence from both mouse and human studies that SHARPIN, a protein involved in regulating inflammation, has anti-septic effects. These findings may spur development of novel sepsis treatments.

11 Apr 2016

Newcastle scientists develop new type of genetic blood test to diagnose liver scarring

Newcastle scientists and medics have developed a new type of genetic blood test that diagnoses scarring in the liver - even before someone may feel ill.

11 Apr 2016

Zika virus may be linked to autoimmune disorder that attacks the brain's myelin

The Zika virus may be associated with an autoimmune disorder that attacks the brain's myelin similar to multiple sclerosis, according to a small study that is being released today and will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 68th Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada, April 15 to 21, 2016.

11 Apr 2016

New study suggests that Neanderthals across Europe may have diseases carried out of Africa

A new study suggests that Neanderthals across Europe may well have been infected with diseases carried out of Africa by waves of anatomically modern humans, or Homo sapiens. As both were species of hominin, it would have been easier for pathogens to jump populations, say researchers. This might have contributed to the demise of Neanderthals.

11 Apr 2016

Medical Science News

Combination of genetic, environmental risk factors can trigger fatal eating disorder in humans

Increased expression of VEGF-A promotes three common aging-related eye conditions

Glial cells can modulate specific nerve endings in the brain, find Rockefeller scientists

Complete genetic map of scleroderma opens door for diagnosis and targeted treatment

Research shows viruses work in groups to attack host cells more effectively

Scientists develop wearable sweat sensors for medical analysis of sweat

Mouse-based study shows exercise decreases cancer incidence, slows tumor growth

Kidney possesses circadian clock that regulates, coordinates variety of organ's functions

Flexible ramp scripting interface added for BioScope Resolve BioAFM

Transcranial direct current stimulation can allow faster comprehension of meaningful word combinations

Advanced assay offers better sensitivity for detecting a prion disease affecting elk

New research demonstrates effectiveness of six-step hand-hygiene technique for reducing bacteria

Cornell researchers discover potential way to penetrate blood brain barrier

Researchers identify vital inflammatory mechanisms in type 1 diabetes, obesity-related kidney dysfunction

Traditional Chinese medicinal plant produces compounds that may help to kill human cancers

Maternal obesity, poor nutrition during pregnancy affect egg reserves of female child

Researchers find evidence that protein involved in regulating inflammation has anti-septic effects

Newcastle scientists develop new type of genetic blood test to diagnose liver scarring

Zika virus may be linked to autoimmune disorder that attacks the brain's myelin

New study suggests that Neanderthals across Europe may have diseases carried out of Africa

Exploring the nanoscale: How AFM is transforming cosmetic science

Innovating Texture and Culture in Plant-Based Foods

Advancing brain microphysiological systems (bMPS)

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