Opinion | Social Determinants of Health: Measuring What Matters
Since the early 2000s, global health experts have recognized what we know as “social determinants of health” (SDOH) and understood the critical role they play in the health and wellbeing of populations. Collectively, SDOH is a broad range of economic and social conditions – adequate housing and nutrition, access to education, employment, and healthcare services, […]
New technique shows in detail where drug molecules hit their targets in the body
Scientists at Scripps Research have invented a way to image, across different tissues and with higher precision than ever before, where drugs bind to their targets in the body. The new method could become a routine tool in drug development. Described in a paper in Cell on April 27, 2022, the new method, called CATCH, […]
A new polymer system to revolutionize the delivery of therapeutics
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently announced that they have engineered a new class of material, called a “polyzwitterionic complex,” or “pZC,” which is able to both withstand the harsh acidic conditions of the stomach and then dissolve predictably in the comparatively gentle environment of the small intestine. This property means that pZCs […]
What Are 5 Dangers of Alcohol? 5 Negative Effects on Health
Even trace amounts of alcohol can have long-term negative effects on your physical and mental health. Alcohol consumption is a personal choice, and many find it to be a wonderful relaxant or enjoy the pleasure it produces. You must, however, remember that alcohol is a psychoactive drug that produces addiction. Like all substances, alcohol harms […]
Wearing dentures may affect a person’s nutrition: First study to report results of matched health and dental records to assess nutrition levels
Dentures may have a potentially negative impact on a person’s overall nutrition, according to new research from Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Dentistry. The research team leveraged electronic dental and health records to gain a better understanding of how oral health treatments affect individuals’ overall health over time. This is believed to be […]
Opinion | How to Stop Sabotaging Yourself
Doctors have already proven their worth. We have succeeded beyond what most of the population will achieve. And yet, there are certain goals we cannot seem to achieve. And the worst part is that we know we could do it, and the person getting in our way is someone we know well. We look at […]
Revising the lifecycle of an important human parasite
“We have been interested in the romantic life of the parasite Cryptosporidium for some time,” says Boris Striepen, a scientist in Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine. Cryptosporodium is a leading cause of diarrheal disease in young children around the world. The intestinal parasite contributes to childhood mortality and causes malnutrition and stunting. How a parasite […]
Regulating the regulators of the immune system
Checkpoint inhibitors have become important tools in the cancer-fighting arsenal. By blocking proteins that normally restrain the immune response, these drugs can help the immune system destroy cancer cells. But they don’t work in all patients. And now a new study in Nature Immunology led by researchers from Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine suggests a […]
Bioengineers visualize fat storage in fruit flies
For the first time, researchers have visually monitored, in high resolution, the timing and location of fat storage within the intact cells of fruit flies. The new optical imaging tool from the lab of bioengineering professor Lingyan Shi at the University of California San Diego is already being used to untangle often discussed, yet mysterious, […]
Urgent action required to protect world’s coral reefs from disappearing within three decades, warn experts
An international team of environmental scientists have published a series of significant recommendations to protect, conserve and study the world’s coral reefs — the ‘canaries in the coal mine’ of climate change. The Vibrant Oceans Initiative presented their white paper on the future of the delicate and crucial habitats at the Our Oceans Conference held […]