Medical News

RSS

COVID-19 patients improve after experimental heart cell therapy

Four of six critically ill COVID-19 (coronavirus) patients significantly improved after receiving an experimental therapeutic designed to reduce inflammation, a major cause of death from this disease, according to a case series published by Cedars-Sinai and Capricor Therapeutics.

12 May 2020

Transcranial direct current stimulation does not affect metabolism, study shows

Transcranial direct current stimulation, tDCS, is a promising treatment for conditions such as depression and addictive disorders.

12 May 2020

‘No intubation’: Seniors fearful of COVID-19 are changing their living wills

Last month, Minna Buck revised a document specifying her wishes should she become critically ill.

12 May 2020

Too little sleep can negatively impact adults with asthma

A good night's sleep is crucial to good health. A new article in Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology reveals that too little sleep, and occasionally too much sleep, can negatively impact adults with asthma.

12 May 2020

Millions stuck at home with no plumbing, kitchen or space to stay safe

In nearly half a million American homes, washing hands to prevent COVID-19 isn't as simple as soaping up and singing "Happy Birthday" twice while scrubbing.

12 May 2020

How the brain makes a limb feel like it does not belong

What is body integrity dysphoria (BID)? News-Medical speaks to Professor Peter Brugger and Dr. Gianluca Saetta to find out.

12 May 2020

Deciding who can return to work after COVID-19 outbreak recedes

A new paper describes a strategy that could help decide which workers can safely go back to work once a lockdown is easing off. The study, published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020, could help to apply required measures for serological testing and income replacement among affected workers with accuracy and completeness.

12 May 2020

Potential for COVID-19 transmission from human eye

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in May 2020 reports the presence of ACE2 receptors in the eye at high concentrations. These molecules are the entry points for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is causing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

12 May 2020

Does cholesterol play a role in COVID-19?

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in May 2020 suggests that the strikingly increased mortality in COVID-19 patients who are either old or also have high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease is due to high tissue cholesterol levels. It also indicates the role of a healthy diet, by showing that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in blood oppose the effects of cholesterol and thus the risk for severe COVID-19 symptoms.

12 May 2020

Insulins sold at U.S. retail pharmacies are consistent with product labeling, finds study

JDRF, the American Diabetes Association (ADA), and The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, announce the results of a study examining the consistency and potency of insulin purchased at U.S. retail pharmacies.

12 May 2020

UC Santa Barbara researcher receives NSF award to study the coordinated behavior of neural circuits

Everything we do comes down to a series of neural signals that translate into physical behaviors. We receive information through our senses, sensory neurons convert this information into electrical and chemical signals that are processed by other neurons in our brains and ultimately, motor neurons fire muscles that move our limbs.

12 May 2020

Symptomatic COVID-19 patients less likely to be smokers

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages in many parts of the world, a new study shows that smoking may not play a significant role in increasing the severity of illness in these patients. The study is published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020.

12 May 2020

SARS-CoV-2 binds heparan sulfate, preventing host cell infection

A new study published in May 2020 on the preprint server bioRxiv shows that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can bind to a sugar molecule called heparan sulfate (HS), thereby hindering its entry into the host cell.

12 May 2020

Study: Diarrhea-causing bacteria provoke host's response to increase infectivity

A type of E. coli bacteria that causes bloody diarrhea uses an amino acid produced by the body in response to infection to intensify its symptoms, according to a new study from UT Southwestern scientists.

12 May 2020

Study sheds more light on the evolutionary ancestry of SARS-CoV-2

There is ongoing debate among policymakers and the general public about where SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, came from. While researchers consider bats the most likely natural hosts for SARS-CoV-2, the origins of the virus are still unclear.

12 May 2020

Study shows how diarrhea-causing bug finds its way through the human gut

A study from UT Southwestern researchers sheds new light on how the bug that's the No. 1 cause of bacterial diarrhea finds its way through the human gut.

12 May 2020

Study: New combination treatment significantly improves degenerative joint diseases

Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is a fatal condition that is especially prevalent in the skin, cardiovascular and the musculoskeletal systems. There exists a wide gap between existing knowledge of the disease and a potential treatment or cure.

12 May 2020

Antiviral cocktail may help treat mild COVID-19 patients

The skyrocketing number of cases due to the coronavirus pandemic has taken a massive toll on the health systems in many countries. Since the advent of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), hundred of research teams are racing to find an effective vaccine and treatment to combat the deadly infection. Now, a team of researchers in Hong Kong suggests that combining three existing antivirals may help treat COVID-19 patients.

12 May 2020

Study provides genetic explanation behind the sex bias observed in certain diseases

Some diseases exhibit a clear sex bias, occurring more often, hitting harder or eliciting different symptoms in men or women.

12 May 2020

Collaborative approach is essential to speed up COVID-19 vaccine candidates, say NIH experts

A harmonized and collaborative approach to the clinical testing, scale-up and distribution of candidate vaccines to prevent COVID-19 is essential, scientific leaders write in a perspective published today in Science.

12 May 2020