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Released: 15-Nov-2017 1:05 PM EST
Linking heart attack damage with the spleen and kidney, an integrated approach to the study of heart failure
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Ganesh Halade has published a functional and structural compendium of the simultaneous changes taking place in the heart, spleen and kidneys in mice during the period of acute heart failure immediately following a heart attack and during the longer period of chronic heart failure that comes next.

13-Nov-2017 4:55 PM EST
Stem Cells Fail to Alleviate Peripheral Artery Disease
Northwestern University

A stem cell therapy did not improve walking ability in people with peripheral artery disease, although exercise did lead to significant improvements, according to a new study. This is the largest trial of this type of therapy in people with blockages in leg arteries. Scientists were disappointed that stem cell therapy didn’t improve walking, because earlier research suggested it could be beneficial.

Released: 15-Nov-2017 11:05 AM EST
Water Baths as Good as Bleach Baths for Treating Eczema
Northwestern University

For patients suffering from eczema (atopic dermatitis), dermatologists will sometimes recommend bleach baths to decrease bacterial infection and reduce symptoms. But a new Northwestern Medicine study found no difference in the effectiveness of a bleach bath compared to regular water baths. In addition, bleach baths can cause stinging and burning of skin, and occasionally even trigger asthma flare-ups in patients.

Released: 15-Nov-2017 9:00 AM EST
Search for Novel Biomarkers Indicating Early Cardiovascular Disease Risk Wins Funding to Design Larger Scale Study in People of Mexican Ancestry
Texas Biomedical Research Institute

Texas Biomedical Research Institute scientists have been granted funding from the National Institutes of Health to pursue a promising study on the ultimate causes of heart disease and metabolic disorders.

Released: 15-Nov-2017 9:00 AM EST
La Búsqueda de Nuevos Biomarcadores que Indiquen el Riesgo de una Enfermedad Cardiovascular Temprana Gana una Beca para el Diseño de un Estudio a Mayor Escala en Personas de Ascendencia Mexicana
Texas Biomedical Research Institute

A los científicos del Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Texas) les han otorgado una beca por parte del National Institutes of Health (NIH) (Institutos Nacionales de Salud) para llevar a cabo un estudio prometedor sobre las causas principales de enfermedades del corazón y los trastornos metabólicos.

Released: 14-Nov-2017 5:05 PM EST
Finding a Key to Unlock Blocked Differentiation in Microrna-Deficient Embryonic Stem Cells
University of Alabama at Birmingham

In a study published in Stem Cell Reports, Rui Zhao and colleagues have partly solved a long-unanswered basic question about stem cells — why are pluripotent stem cells that have mutations to block the production of microRNAs unable to differentiate?

Released: 14-Nov-2017 1:05 PM EST
Researchers Identify Hormone for Treating Sepsis
University of California, Riverside

Biomedical scientists at the University of California, Riverside have identified a hormone that may lead to improved survival rates for patients with sepsis. Using a mouse model, they have discovered that the human protein resistin could be used to treat this medical emergency. The researchers found that mice expressing human resistin had a 100 percent survival rate from a sepsis-like infection when compared to wild-type mice with the same infection.

Released: 14-Nov-2017 9:05 AM EST
Psoriasis Severity Linked to Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

People with psoriasis are at a higher risk to develop type 2 diabetes than those without psoriasis, and the risk increases dramatically based on the severity of the disease. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found people with psoriasis that covers 10 percent of their body or more are 64 percent more likely to develop diabetes than those without psoriasis, independent of traditional risk factors such as body weight. Applying the study’s findings to the number of people who have psoriasis worldwide would equate to 125,650 new cases of diabetes attributable to psoriasis per year.

Released: 14-Nov-2017 9:00 AM EST
Researchers Reverse Heart Failure in Marfan Mice
Johns Hopkins Medicine

In experiments with mice that have a rodent form of Marfan syndrome, Johns Hopkins researchers report that even modestly increasing stress on the animals’ hearts — at levels well-tolerated in normal mice — can initiate heart failure. The findings, described August 4 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight, revealed a novel cellular pathway in heart tissue that leads to heart failure and may serve as a model for a new standard of treatment for children with this aggressive form of Marfan syndrome.

Released: 14-Nov-2017 8:05 AM EST
Einstein Researchers Receive $6 Million Grant to Untangle the Genetic Protections Against Alzheimer’s Disease
Albert Einstein College of Medicine

The number of older adults with Alzheimer’s disease continues to rise, but the number of treatments for the condition has not kept pace. Now, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, part of Montefiore, have received a $6.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to identify networks of genes in healthy centenarians that protect them against dementia. The results could help identify new targets for drugs to treat Alzheimer’s.

10-Nov-2017 9:05 AM EST
Quick! What's That Smell? Mammal Brains Identify Type of Scent Faster Than Once Thought
NYU Langone Health

It takes less than one-tenth of a second — a fraction of the time previously thought — for the sense of smell to distinguish between one odor and another, new experiments in mice show.

   
11-Nov-2017 5:05 AM EST
Potential New Autism Drug Shows Promise in Mice
Scripps Research Institute

NitroSynapsin is intended to restore an electrical signaling imbalance in the brain found in virtually all forms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

   
Released: 13-Nov-2017 5:00 PM EST
New Player in Alzheimer’s Disease Pathogenesis Identified
Sanford Burnham Prebys

Scientists have shown that a protein called membralin is critical for keeping Alzheimer’s disease pathology in check. The study, published in Nature Communications, shows that membralin regulates the cell’s machinery for producing beta-amyloid (or amyloid beta, Aβ), the protein that causes neurons to die in Alzheimer’s disease.

Released: 13-Nov-2017 11:30 AM EST
Medicaid Expansion under ACA Linked to Higher Rate of Smoking Cessation
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

When low-income adults were newly covered by Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), they were more likely to quit smoking cigarettes than their counterparts in states that did not offer Medicaid expansion. The findings support a policy-driven approach to reduce high smoking rates among low-income adults by giving greater access to smoking cessation programs.

   
Released: 13-Nov-2017 11:30 AM EST
Parental Medicaid Expansion Translates into Preventive Care for their Children
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

When low-income parents enroll in Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) state expansion program, their children have considerably better odds of receiving annual preventive care pediatrician visits. This “spillover effect" demonstrates that the potential benefits of Medicaid expansion extend beyond the newly covered adults.

   
Released: 13-Nov-2017 6:00 AM EST
Exposure to Benzene During Pregnancy: A Pilot Study Raises Concerns in British Columbia
Universite de Montreal

Université de Montréal research reveals that 29 pregnant women living near natural-gas hydraulic fracturing sites had a median concentration of a benzene biomarker in their urine that was 3.5 times higher than that found in women from the general Canadian population.

Released: 13-Nov-2017 5:05 AM EST
New Tool Quantifies Power Imbalance Between Female and Male Characters in Hollywood Movie Scripts
University of Washington

A new machine learning tool analyzed language in 800 Hollywood movie scripts found subtle but widespread gender bias in degree of power and agency given to and female and male characters.

10-Nov-2017 11:30 AM EST
New Study Offers Added Hope for Patients Awaiting Corneal Transplants
Case Western Reserve University

New national research led by Jonathan Lass, MD of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center has found that corneal donor tissue can be safely stored for 11 days before transplantation surgery to correct eye problems in people with diseases of the cornea. This is four days longer than the current conventional maximum of seven days in the United States.

Released: 9-Nov-2017 8:05 AM EST
A Neighborhood’s Quality Influences Children's Behaviors Through Teens, Study Suggests
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

The quality of the neighborhood where a child grows up has a significant impact on the number of problem behaviors they display during elementary and teenage years, a study led by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers suggests.

Released: 8-Nov-2017 2:00 PM EST
UW Scientists Create a Recipe to Make Human Blood-Brain-Barrier
University of Wisconsin–Madison

In a report published this week (Nov. 8, 2017) in Science Advances, researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison detail a defined, step-by-step process to make a more exact mimic of the human blood-brain-barrier in the laboratory dish. The new model will permit more robust exploration of the cells, their properties and how scientists might circumvent the barrier for therapeutic purposes.

6-Nov-2017 2:00 PM EST
How Chronic Inflammation Tips the Balance of Immune Cells to Promote Liver Cancer
UC San Diego Health

Chronic inflammation is known to drive many cancers, especially liver cancer. Researchers have long thought that’s because inflammation directly affects cancer cells, stimulating their division and protecting them from cell death. But University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers have now found that chronic liver inflammation also promotes cancer by suppressing immunosurveillance — a natural defense mechanism in which it’s thought the immune system suppresses cancer development. The study is published November 8 in Nature.

   
6-Nov-2017 5:05 PM EST
How Cells Detect, Mend DNA Damage May Improve Chemotherapy
Washington University in St. Louis

Human cells have a way of detecting and mending DNA damage caused by some common chemotherapy drugs, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The findings could have important implications for treating cancer.

Released: 8-Nov-2017 12:05 PM EST
Video of Blood Clot Contraction Reveals How Platelets Naturally Form Unobtrusive Clots
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

The first view of the physical mechanism of how a blood clot contracts at the level of individual platelets is giving researchers a new look at a natural process that is part of blood clotting. The team describes how specialized proteins in platelets cause clots to shrink in size.

Released: 7-Nov-2017 3:00 PM EST
Targeting a microRNA Shows Potential to Enhance Effectiveness of Diabetes Drugs
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Researchers have found a vital role for miR-204 in beta cells — regulating the cell surface receptor that is the target of many of the newer type 2 diabetes drugs, such as Byetta, Victoza, Trulicity, Januvia, Onglyza and Tradjenta. This drug target is the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor, or GLP1R.

Released: 7-Nov-2017 9:05 AM EST
Bacteria May Help Babies’ Digestive Tracts More Than Suspected, Scientists Find
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Some of the first living things to greet a newborn baby do a lot more than coo or cuddle. In fact, they may actually help the little one’s digestive system prepare for a lifetime of fighting off dangerous germs. But these living things aren’t parents, grandparents or siblings – they’re helpful bacteria.

7-Nov-2017 9:00 AM EST
How SORLA Protects Against Alzheimer’s Disease
Sanford Burnham Prebys

Researchers have identified a new protective function for a brain protein genetically linked to Alzheimer’s. The findings, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, could inform novel treatment strategies to combat neurodegenerative diseases.

6-Nov-2017 12:05 PM EST
Penn Study Pinpoints H3N2 Mutation in Last Year’s Flu Vaccine as Responsible for Lowered Efficacy
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

The below average efficacy of last year’s influenza vaccine (which was only 20 to 30 percent effective) can be attributed to a mutation in the H3N2 strain, a new study reports. With the mutation, most people receiving the egg-grown vaccine did not have immunity against H3N2 viruses that circulated last year.

Released: 6-Nov-2017 2:05 PM EST
Huntsman Cancer Institute Study Identifies Enhanced Impact of Treatment for Hereditary Cancer Patients
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah

eople with an inherited syndrome called familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) have a 100% lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer if they do not seek appropriate medical care. Recent findings published by researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah identified a promising prevention treatment for patients with FAP.

3-Nov-2017 2:00 PM EDT
Climate Change Likely to be More Deadly in Poor African Settlements
 Johns Hopkins University

Conditions in crowded urban settlements in Africa make the effects of climate change worse, pushing temperatures to levels dangerous for children and the elderly in those areas.

3-Nov-2017 8:00 AM EDT
Researchers Report First-Ever Protein Hydrogels Made in Living Cells
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Johns Hopkins cell biologists report what they believe is the first-ever creation of tiny protein-based gelatin-like clumps called hydrogels inside living cells. The ability to create hydrogels on demand, they say, should advance the long scientific struggle to study the elusive structures—which form in nature when proteins or other molecules aggregate under certain conditions—and to uncover their suspected contributions to human diseases.

   
3-Nov-2017 3:30 PM EDT
Scientists Find Potential “Missing Link” in Chemistry That Led to Life on Earth
Scripps Research Institute

Chemists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found a compound that may have been a crucial factor in the origins of life on Earth.

Released: 6-Nov-2017 10:05 AM EST
NIH Funds Research to Fight Alzheimer’s Disease with Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Albert Einstein College of Medicine

The National Institutes of Health has awarded Albert Einstein College of Medicine nutrition scientist Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani, Ph.D., R.D., a five-year, $4 million grant to test whether a diet rich in foods with anti-inflammatory properties can reduce cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease risk. Middle-aged and older participants from the Bronx will follow this diet, which is designed to appeal to a multicultural population, and researchers will measure cognitive function over time to assess its impact.

Released: 6-Nov-2017 10:05 AM EST
Researchers Discover Eight New Epilepsy Genes
Universite de Montreal

A new study examining 200 children with epileptic encephalopathy – epilepsy combined with intellectual or overall developmental disability –identified eight new genes involved in this type of epilepsy thanks to their use of whole-genome sequencing, which had never been done before in an epileptic study of this scope.

Released: 3-Nov-2017 3:50 PM EDT
Career Ended by Devastating Crash, Cyclist Turns Toward Treating Sepsis
Vanderbilt University

Sinead Miller was a pro cyclist at the top of her game, a lifelong athlete with unrivaled discipline and drive, when a traumatic brain injury ended her career. She drew upon that determination to earn a biomedical engineering Ph.D. and create a device to treat sepsis.

2-Nov-2017 8:00 AM EDT
Psoriasis and Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients are Prescribed Similar Drugs, Yet Psoriasis Patients Face Higher Liver Disease Risk
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Compared to controls, patients with psoriasis (PsO) are at higher risk for serious liver disease than patients with rheumatoid arthritis – two autoimmune diseases often treated with similar drugs that can cause liver damage.

Released: 2-Nov-2017 2:05 PM EDT
‘Super T Cells’ Engineered for Optimal Performance Drive New Roswell Park Gene-Therapy Approach
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

Researchers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute have initiated a clinical trial based on a unique two-pronged strategy for arming the immune system to more effectively attack cancer cells.

   
Released: 2-Nov-2017 1:05 PM EDT
Penny-Wise, Pound-Foolish Decisions Explained by Neurons’ Firing
Washington University in St. Louis

People sometimes spend as much time deciding whether to spend a few cents more on groceries as they do deciding whether to spend a few thousand dollars extra when buying a car. A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that these spending habits may reflect how our brains tally differences in value among objects that vary greatly in worth.

   
Released: 2-Nov-2017 1:05 PM EDT
In Autism, Too Many Brain Connections May Be at Root of Condition
Washington University in St. Louis

Mutations in a gene linked to autism in people causes neurons to form too many connections in rodents, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The findings suggest that malfunctions in communication between brain cells could be at the root of autism.

Released: 2-Nov-2017 12:05 PM EDT
Mechanical Engineering Faculty Member Awarded Grant by National Institutes of Health
Texas Tech University

Craig Snoeyink Craig Snoeyink, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering, has been awarded a grant by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) worth $385,900 that will allow him to build a high-speed, 3-D, super-resolution microscope and develop the imaging software to analyze the data.

1-Nov-2017 3:45 PM EDT
Sleeping Through the Snoring: Researchers ID Neurons That Rouse the Brain to Breathe
Beth Israel Lahey Health

A common and potentially serious sleep disorder, obstructive sleep apnea affects at least one quarter of U.S. adults and is linked to increased risk of diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. In a paper published today in the journal Neuron, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) identified specific neural circuitry responsible for rousing the brain of mice in simulated apnea conditions. The findings could lead to potential new drug therapies to help patients with obstructive sleep apnea get more rest.

Released: 2-Nov-2017 9:00 AM EDT
UIC Hopes to Reduce LGBTQ Youth Homelessness
University of Illinois Chicago

A new website, "3/40 Blueprint," was recently launched by the University of Illinois at Chicago as a primary site for identifying promising practices that serve LGBTQ youth who are experiencing homelessness and to publish new information on the struggles of this vulnerable population.

Released: 1-Nov-2017 5:05 PM EDT
Close Friends Linked to a Sharper Memory
Northwestern University

Maintaining positive, warm and trusting friendships might be the key to a slower decline in memory and cognitive functioning, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.

Released: 1-Nov-2017 2:05 PM EDT
For 1 in 10 Cancer Patients, Surgery Means Opioid Dependence
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

More than 10 percent of people who had never taken opioids prior to curative-intent surgery for cancer continued to take the drugs three to six months later. The risk is even greater for those who are treated with chemotherapy after surgery.

Released: 1-Nov-2017 10:00 AM EDT
Topical Gel Made From Oral Blood Pressure Drugs Shown Effective in Healing Chronic Wounds in Test Animals
Johns Hopkins Medicine

An international team of researchers led by Johns Hopkins has shown that a topical gel made from a class of common blood pressure pills that block inflammation pathways speeds the healing of chronic skin wounds in mice and pigs.

27-Oct-2017 2:40 PM EDT
Invasive Weevil Threatens California’s Palm Trees and Date Industry
ISCA Technologies

Effort to stop the spread of invasive South American palm weevil that is devastating palm trees in San Diego County will use environmentally-friendly pheromone formulation.

Released: 1-Nov-2017 6:00 AM EDT
Your Bones Affect Your Appetite—and Your Metabolism!
Universite de Montreal

A Montreal Clinical Research Institute discovery sheds light on osteocalcin, a hormone produced by our bones that affects how we metabolize sugar and fat.

25-Oct-2017 10:00 AM EDT
Monitoring Crohn's Disease Using Inflammation Biomarkers and Symptoms Led to Better Patient Outcomes Than Using Symptoms Alone
Mount Sinai Health System

An efficacy and safety study of two treatment models for patients with Crohn’s disease has found that monitoring both inflammation biomarkers and symptoms led to superior outcomes compared to clinical management of symptoms alone.

Released: 31-Oct-2017 3:05 PM EDT
Tisch Cancer Institute Director Ramon Parsons Awarded $6.7 Million for Research on Cancer-Causing Gene Mutated in Cancers with the Least Treatment Options
Mount Sinai Health System

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has awarded Ramon Parsons, MD, PhD, the prestigious Outstanding Investigator Award, granting him $6.7 million over seven years for research into the tumor-suppressing functions of the PTEN gene, which he discovered.

Released: 31-Oct-2017 1:05 PM EDT
Study to Examine the Impact of Stress on the Health of Sexual Minority Adolescents
Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Investigators will study a large national sample of youth who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual to discover how different stress triggers, over time, can set the stage for poor health outcomes such as depression, self-harm, and substance use .

Released: 31-Oct-2017 1:05 PM EDT
How to Store Information in Your Clothes Invisibly, Without
University of Washington

University of Washington computer scientists have created fabrics and fashion accessories that can store data — from security codes to identification tags — without needing any on-board electronics or sensors.



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