Medical News

RSS

SARS-CoV-2 variants have higher transmissibility and a longer infectious period

Researchers analyzed data on three variants of concern and found that viral loads were higher and infection lasted longer for the B.1.1.7 variant. They all were more infectious than the original strain, and transmissibility also depended on population demographics.

31 May 2021

Function and regeneration of dendritic cells impaired in COVID-19

A group of researchers from Germany has investigated and analyzed circulating dendritic cells and monocyte subsets in 65 hospitalized COVID-19 patients with mild to severe presentations of the infection. A variety of patients were included in their study, from those who exhibited minor signs of acute disease to convalescents, as well as healthy controls

31 May 2021

A novel multiplexed diagnostic approach for COVID-19

Researchers developed a platform for detecting the virus directly from a patient's sample as well as the immune response through antibodies such as IgG and IgM.

31 May 2021

Report on the effectiveness of mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccines in Canada

The report has recently been published on the preprint server medRxiv* by Kwong et al. (May 28th, 2021) and focused on the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, confirming the supposed greater efficacy in preventing infection or severe outcomes following the administration of two doses.

31 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.617 may be more transmissible and pathogenic due to spike cleavage

In a new research paper currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server, a research group from the United Kingdom (UK) provides experimental evidence that B.1.617 lineage of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) – also known as the Indian variant of concern – shows enhanced cleavage of spike glycoprotein by furin, which can enhance its transmissibility and pathogenic traits.

31 May 2021

New material can enable a near-perfect merger between machines and the human body

Researchers at DTU Health Tech have developed a new material that can facilitate a near-perfect merger between machines and the human body for diagnostics and treatment.

31 May 2021

Tai chi mirrors the beneficial effects of conventional exercise, study shows

A new study shows that tai chi mirrors the beneficial effects of conventional exercise by reducing waist circumference in middle-aged and older adults with central obesity. The study was done by investigators at the University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Chinese Academy of Sciences; and UCLA.

31 May 2021

Cognitive reappraisal may reduce compulsive drug-seeking behavior in cocaine-addicted individuals

An emotion regulation strategy known as cognitive reappraisal helped reduce the typically heightened and habitual attention to drug-related cues and contexts in cocaine-addicted individuals, a study by Mount Sinai researchers has found.

31 May 2021

Diabetes remission diet can provide blood pressure control, reduce the need for anti-hypertensive drugs

New research has shown that if people achieve and maintain substantial weight loss to manage their type 2 diabetes, many can also effectively control their high blood pressure and stop or cut down on their anti-hypertensive medication.

31 May 2021

COVID-19 had claimed more than 3 million lives worldwide in 2020

By the end of 2020, COVID-19 had claimed the lives of more than three million people worldwide, representing 1.2 million more deaths than officially reported earlier, says a newly released report by the World Health Organization (WHO).

31 May 2021

AI models look for shortcuts that could lead to errors in diagnosis of COVID-19

Artificial intelligence promises to be a powerful tool for improving the speed and accuracy of medical decision-making to improve patient outcomes.

31 May 2021

Researchers discover a new and unique form of ALS

In a study of 11 medical-mystery patients, an international team of researchers led by scientists at the National Institutes of Health and the Uniformed Services University discovered a new and unique form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

31 May 2021

Researchers repurpose pre-existing anti-SARS-CoV antibody to develop potent neutralizing antibody against SARS-CoV-2

A team of scientists from the United States has recently engineered a pre-existing anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) neutralizing antibody to increase its binding affinity for the spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The engineered antibody demonstrates high potency in neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 and preventing infection in animals.

31 May 2021

More than a third of heat-related deaths attributable to human-induced global warming

Between 1991 and 2018, more than a third of all deaths in which heat played a role were attributable to human-induced global warming, according to a new article in Nature Climate Change.

31 May 2021

Could a mathematical application of information theory identify and predict SARS-CoV-2 mutations?

An interesting new study by researchers at the University of Portsmouth, UK, describes the use of a mathematical method to sequence genomes based on information theory. The method offers an alternative to clinical techniques, allowing mutations to be detected and possibly even predicted. In this way, it opens new research opportunities in bioinformatics and genetics.

31 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 NSP14 induces potent inflammation via NF-κB pathways, finds study

SARS-CoV-2 has a single-stranded RNA genome encoding both structural and non-structural proteins. Of these, the latter is known to play a variety of roles in viral replication and the assembly of new viral particles, as well as in suppressing cellular immune responses. A new study reports the activity of one such protein, the non-structural protein 14 (NSP14), which activates the inflammatory mediator NF-κB to trigger intense inflammation.

31 May 2021

Inflammatory brain injury higher in men with acute COVID-19, finds study

The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with both short- and long-term neurologic complications, including stroke, brain fog and persistent tiredness. A new study concludes that the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the central nervous system (CNS) are due to the endothelial injury and inflammation that this produces in the brain.

31 May 2021

New project aims to validate digital biomarkers for better treatment of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease affects seven to ten million patients in Western societies - with an upward trend. Patients suffer from symptoms such as tremors, gait and speech disorders, and memory loss.

31 May 2021

Study uncovers new mechanism of Alzheimer's that disorganizes blood vessels around amyloid plaques

Researchers at the Biomedicine Institute of Seville have discovered a new mechanism of Alzheimer's disease that disorganizes the blood vessels around amyloid plaques, one of the characteristic features of the disease.

31 May 2021

COVID-19, mass testing and the utility of wastewater epidemiology

In a recent study, researchers developed a methodology to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater with the potential for finding an association between the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) SARS-CoV-2 influent viral RNA load and COVID-19 cases in the community. This study indicates that a national scale wastewater-based epidemiology can play a role in COVID-19 surveillance.

31 May 2021

Medical News

SARS-CoV-2 variants have higher transmissibility and a longer infectious period

Function and regeneration of dendritic cells impaired in COVID-19

A novel multiplexed diagnostic approach for COVID-19

Report on the effectiveness of mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccines in Canada

SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.617 may be more transmissible and pathogenic due to spike cleavage

New material can enable a near-perfect merger between machines and the human body

Tai chi mirrors the beneficial effects of conventional exercise, study shows

Cognitive reappraisal may reduce compulsive drug-seeking behavior in cocaine-addicted individuals

Diabetes remission diet can provide blood pressure control, reduce the need for anti-hypertensive drugs

COVID-19 had claimed more than 3 million lives worldwide in 2020

AI models look for shortcuts that could lead to errors in diagnosis of COVID-19

Researchers discover a new and unique form of ALS

Researchers repurpose pre-existing anti-SARS-CoV antibody to develop potent neutralizing antibody against SARS-CoV-2

More than a third of heat-related deaths attributable to human-induced global warming

Could a mathematical application of information theory identify and predict SARS-CoV-2 mutations?

SARS-CoV-2 NSP14 induces potent inflammation via NF-κB pathways, finds study

Inflammatory brain injury higher in men with acute COVID-19, finds study

New project aims to validate digital biomarkers for better treatment of Parkinson's disease

Study uncovers new mechanism of Alzheimer's that disorganizes blood vessels around amyloid plaques

COVID-19, mass testing and the utility of wastewater epidemiology

How industrial hygiene flow calibration supports defensible exposure data

How electrical engineering ensures accurate calibration and patient safety

The importance of ketones from a clinical and medical perspective

Latest News