Body’s response to different strains of tuberculosis could affect transmission: Study could shed light on disease spread, development of resistance
Two strains of the bacterium causing tuberculosis have only minor genetic differences but attack the lungs in completely different fashion, according to Rutgers researchers. The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, could help break the cycle of rapid transmission of TB, the second-leading infectious killer in the world after COVID-19, according to the World […]
New research sheds fresh light on the ‘presenteeism’
Employees who are unwell only engage in presenteeism when they have not met their daily work goals, according to new research from Trinity College Dublin. The study, published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology recently, also found that working on a day when you feel ill drains mental energy which cannot be recovered the […]
Newly identified cell type could be the key to restoring damaged salivary glands: Scientists make fundamental advance in understanding salivary gland biology
Scientists at Scripps Research and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research have discovered a special type of cell that resides in salivary glands and is likely crucial for oral health. As the researchers described in Cell Reports on April 12, 2022, the new type of salivary gland cell called “ionocyte” that works to […]
Researchers have uncovered a regulator of body weight that could lead to new treatments for metabolic disorders
Yale scientists uncover key regulator of body weight. Yale scientists have discovered that a protein known as augmentor-alpha regulates body weight in mice, an insight that could lead to new treatments for metabolic disorders. The findings were published April 11 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research team decided to take […]
Can You Be Bipolar and Schizophrenic?
Are schizophrenia and bipolar disorder the same? Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have similar symptoms, which can make them hard to diagnose. Sometimes people have both disorders, or they have a mix of symptoms from both conditions at the same time or close together, which is called schizoaffective disorder. Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have similar symptoms, […]
Genetic ‘hotspots’ that speed up and slow down brain aging could provide new targets for Alzheimer’s drugs
Researchers from a USC-led consortium have discovered 15 “hotspots” in the genome that either speed up brain aging or slow it down — a finding that could provide new drug targets to resist Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative brain disorders, as well as developmental delays. The research appears online today in Nature Neuroscience. “The big […]
New method for probing the bewildering diversity of the microbiome
In recent years, researchers have begun to explore the vast assemblage of microbes on and within the human body. These include protists, archaea, fungi, viruses and vast numbers of bacteria living in symbiotic ecosystems. Known collectively as the human microbiome, these tiny entities influence an astonishing range of activities, from metabolism to behavior and play […]
Researchers identify neuronal mechanisms that control food cravings during pregnancy: Dopamine and compulsive eating behavior
Many people have felt the sudden and uncontrollable urge to eat a certain food. These urges — known as cravings — are very common, mostly during pregnancy. During this time, the mother’s body undergoes a series of physiological and behavioural changes to create a favourable environment for the embryo’s development. However, the frequent consumption of […]
Hold the salt: Study reveals how reducing sodium intake can help patients with heart failure: Surprising findings show a low-salt diet doesn’t prevent death or hospital visits, but does improve symptoms and quality of life.
For the past century people with weak hearts have been told to lower their salt intake, but until now there has been little scientific evidence behind the recommendation. The largest randomized clinical trial to look at sodium reduction and heart failure reported results simultaneously in The Lancet and at the American College of Cardiology’s 71st […]
COVID Isn’t Over
A new omicron subvariant, BA.2, is now the dominant COVID strain, however, doctors have seen it function like a bad cold.