Medical research has shown promising results regarding the potential of gene therapy to cure genetic conditions such as sickle cell disease and the findings of this study, published in Nature Medicine, offer important new insights into processes happening in the body after treatment. The present study looked at samples from six patients with sickle cell disease who were undergoing gene therapy as part of a major clinical trial at Boston Children’s Hospital. The research brought together an international team of experts, to take a closer look at the genetic changes in the stem cells of patients before and after gene therapy ...

Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses in the world, but current anti-depressants have yet to meet the needs of many patients. Neuroscientists from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) recently discovered a small molecule that can effectively alleviate stress-induced depressive symptoms in mice by preventing aversive memory formation with a lower dosage, offering a new direction for developing anti-depressants in the future. “Depression affects millions of individuals worldwide, necessitating more effective treatments. Conventional methods, such as drug therapy with delayed onset of action and psychotherapy, have limitations in yielding satisfactory ...

DURHAM, N.C. -- Once a favored food of grazing dinosaurs, an ancient lineage of plants called cycads helped sustain these and other prehistoric animals during the Mesozoic Era, starting 252 million years ago, by being plentiful in the forest understory. Today, just a few species of the palm-like plants survive in tropical and subtropical habitats. Like their lumbering grazers, most cycads have gone extinct. Their disappearance from their prior habitats began during the late Mesozoic and continued into the early Cenozoic Era, punctuated by the cataclysmic asteroid impact and volcanic activity that mark the K-Pg boundary 66 million years ago. However, unlike the dinosaurs, somehow a few groups ...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – In the background of image recognition software that can ID our friends on social media and wildflowers in our yard are neural networks, a type of artificial intelligence inspired by how own our brains process data. While neural networks sprint through data, their architecture makes it difficult to trace the origin of errors that are obvious to humans — like confusing a Converse high-top with an ankle boot — limiting their use in more vital work like health care image analysis or research. A new tool developed at Purdue University makes finding those errors as simple as spotting mountaintops from an airplane.   “In a sense, if a neural ...

Amsterdam, November 16, 2023 – A large case series aimed at understanding the factors underlying Motorist Disorientation Syndrome (MDS) has found that patients experience severe, consistent symptoms comparable to vestibular migraine. Previously there has been speculation that underlying peripheral vestibular hypofunction, when the inner ear part of the balance system is not working properly, contributes to this presentation. However, vestibular deficits were not a consistent feature in the patients studied. The findings have been published in the Journal of Vestibular Research. In ...

Rabies virus variants closely related to variants present in White-tufted marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) have been detected in bats in Ceará state, Northeast Brazil.  Rabies is a deadly disease for humans. Its emergence in distinct wildlife species is a potential source of human infection and hence a public health concern. Marmosets are common in forests and conservation units throughout Brazil. In or near urban areas, they are often captured as pets and later abandoned. They have been linked ...

A rare but potent genetic mutation that alters a protein in the brain’s immune cells, known as microglia, can give people as much as a three-fold greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. A new study by researchers in The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT details how the mutation undermines microglia function, explaining how it seems to generate that higher risk. “This TREM2 R47H/+ mutation is a pretty important risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease,” said study lead author Jay Penney, a former postdoc in the MIT lab of Picower Professor Li-Huei ...

An international research team is the first to use artificial intelligence (AI) analysis to identify dual-purpose target candidates for the treatment of cancer and aging, the most promising of which was experimentally validated. The findings were published in the journal Aging Cell.  Researchers from the University of Oslo, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, and clinical stage AI-driven drug discovery company Insilico Medicine used Insilico’s AI target discovery engine, PandaOmics, to analyze transcriptomic data derived from ...

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects neurons in the brain and spinal cord causing loss of muscle control. A study by the University of Barcelona has designed a potential therapeutic strategy to tackle this pathology that has no treatment to date. It is a molecular trap that prevents one of the most common genetic ALS-causing peptide compounds, the Poly-GR dipeptide, from causing its toxic effects in the body. The results show that this strategy reduces the death of neurons in patients and in an animal model (vinegar flies) of the disease.   The first authors of this international research study published in the journal Science Advances are ...

After 40 years of treating metastatic bladder cancer with chemotherapy as a primary treatment, scientists now present a new approach using immunotherapy combinations. The results of not just one, but two studies have been presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) conference in Madrid. The outcomes of these studies are going to revolutionize the landscape of bladder cancer treatment. Traditionally, cisplatin-based chemotherapy has been the standard treatment for bladder cancer patients who are able to tolerate this drug. However, responses have been limited, and durable outcomes rare. Over the past years, two phase-3 clinical trials studied the effects ...

Ithaca, N.Y.—Many songbirds are nesting earlier in spring because of warmer temperatures brought about by climate change. But the shift brings another danger that is especially deadly for nestlings: greater exposure to temperature variability in the form of cold snaps and heat waves. Such extremes result in more nest failures. These findings come from a Cornell Lab of Ornithology study just published in the journal Nature Communications.   "When we talk about temperature changes, the focus is mostly on averages," said co-lead author Conor Taff, a researcher in Cornell University's ...

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a widely used advanced life support procedure that provides cardiac and respiratory support to critically ill patients. ECMO use has been increasing exponentially over the last decade as it has shown success in resuscitating patients in critical situations like the COVID-19 pandemic and is now a lifesaving treatment modality in intensive care units (ICUs). However, prolonged ECMO use may be associated with an increased risk of mortality. Identifying risk factors for in-hospital mortality and developing standardized nursing practice guidelines for ECMO management may improve the survival rates in patients. In this vein, ...

CLEVELAND—A combined $1.35 million from the Dr. Ralph and Marian Falk Medical Research Trust was awarded to two researchers from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine to advance their work on finding more effective treatments—and better options—for two debilitating diseases. The Falk Trust awarded Reshmi Parameswaran, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, pathology and pediatrics at the School of Medicine, $1 million over three years for her work in cancer cell therapy. Carlos Subauste, a professor of medicine and pathology at the School of Medicine, received a two-year, ...

WASHINGTON – Children whose mothers are highly stressed, anxious or depressed during pregnancy may be at higher risk for mental health and behavior issues during their childhood and teen years, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. “Our research suggests that psychological distress during the pregnancy period has a small but persistent effect on children’s risk for aggressive, disinhibited and impulsive behaviors,” said study author Irene Tung, PhD, of California State University Dominguez Hills. “These findings add to the evidence that providing widely accessible mental health care and support ...

DALLAS, November 16, 2023 — Disparities in health care persist, with Hispanic and Black adults reporting less satisfaction with their interactions with physicians, leading to poorer quality of care and health outcomes.[1],[2],[3] While 19% of people in the U.S. identify as Hispanic, fewer than 7% of physicians do.[4] This lack of representation in the delivery of health care has been shown to exacerbate health disparities among underrepresented groups and is a significant barrier to the Hispanic Latino community achieving optimal health.[5] In response to this challenge, the American Heart Association, a global force for ...

The use of lithium metal as the anode for batteries is one of the smarter options with better energy density than other materials. However, the interface between the electrode and electrolyte has quite a few issues that can be addressed for a safer and more functional outcome in the future.   The researchers are keen on replacing the graphite anode with lithium metal anode to construct a battery system with higher energy density. However, the Li metal anode is unstable and readily reacting with electrolyte to form a solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI). Unfortunately, the natural SEI is brittle and fragile, resulting in poor ...

Philadelphia, November 16, 2023 – Immunotherapies that target the CD20 antigen have revolutionized how patients with a variety of blood cancers and hematologic disorders have been treated. However, many patients develop resistance to these treatments due to a loss of the antigen that’s being targeted. Now, a new study from researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) has found that gene splicing occurring within these cells can cause significant changes in CD20 protein levels that render the therapies ineffective. The findings, published today by ...

November 16, 2023, Republic of Korea  — The International Vaccine Institute (IVI), an international organization with a mission to discover, develop, and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines for global health, signed an MOU yesterday with University of Cambridge (UCAM), University of Hong Kong (HKU), and the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) to promote vaccine research and global health initiatives, including the establishment of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute (HKJCGHI).   HKJC will support the HKJCGHI through one of their largest donations in history, ...

About The Study: In this study of 34,000 patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) who underwent surgery from 2004 to 2019, the risk of recurrence decreased over time, and higher disease stage was associated with shorter times from surgery to recurrence. Screening-detected CRC was associated with a lower risk of recurrence. Because the risk of recurrence was so low in selected patient groups, future research is warranted to explore risk-stratified surveillance protocols in patients with CRC.  Authors: Claus Lindbjerg Andersen, Ph.D., of Aarhus University Hospital in Aarhus, Denmark, ...

DALLAS, November 16, 2023 — Cardiovascular mortality is on the rise in rural areas of the United States, where more than 60 million Americans live, according to an American Heart Association presidential advisory. Understanding and addressing the unique health needs of people in rural America is critical to the Association’s pursuit of a world of longer, healthier lives. Today — on National Rural Health Day — the Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, announces two new collaborative efforts to help close the gap between ...

DALLAS, Nov. 16, 2023 — For people living with a health condition like heart disease or stroke, traveling away from home can pose some special challenges. The American Heart Association, the leading voluntary health organization devoted to a world of longer, healthier lives for all, says with a little pre-travel prep, you can turn travel woes from “oh no” to “let’s go!” “As we look forward to the holidays, many people will be traveling to spend treasured time with family and friends, or maybe just to enjoy some ...

PARIS (16 November, 2023)—Two landmark clinical trials reported today at the Union meeting showed that an oral antibiotic taken for six months once-daily substantially reduced the risk of developing drug-resistant TB. The antibiotic levofloxacin safely reduced the risk of multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) disease in children by 56%, researchers from the Desmond Tutu TB Centre at Stellenbosch University announced at the Union Conference in Paris today. The Unitaid-funded trial also showed that levofloxacin given once ...

Investigators from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model based on epigenetic factors that is able to predict patient outcomes successfully across multiple cancer types. The researchers found that by examining the gene expression patterns of epigenetic factors — factors that influence how genes are turned on or off — in tumors, they could categorize them into distinct groups to predict patient outcomes across various cancer types better than traditional measures like cancer grade and stage. These findings, described in Communications Biology, also lay the groundwork ...

Brigham researchers found an association between alterations in circadian rest-activity rhythms and risk of frailty incidence in older adults Wearable devices can be used to measure a variety of signs and signals related to our health. A new study by researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, suggests that such devices may also be able to help predict older adults at risk of health complications related to frailty. The team found an association between disturbances in daily patterns of rest and activity, or circadian ...

Threats posed by the climate crisis disproportionally affect certain communities and social groups that are more exposed. People living in low- and middle-income (LMIC) countries are at heightened risk. Within these countries, women typically face higher climate risk than men. To show where women working in agri-food systems – systems that encompass production, but also post-harvest handling and distribution – are most threated by climate change, an international team of researchers has developed a hotspot map that identifies and ranks localities by threat level. “We show that significant ...