Top Health News -- ScienceDaily
Top stories featured on ScienceDaily's Health & Medicine, Mind & Brain, and Living Well sections.
Physician-scientists found that a subset of artificial heart patients can regenerate heart muscle, which may open the door to new ways to treat and perhaps someday cure heart failure.
Posted: December 21, 2024, 12:10 am
Scientists have uncovered new details about the mechanism behind cancer progression. Researchers explored the influence the mechanical stiffening of the tumor cell's environment may have on the structure and function of the nucleus.
Posted: December 21, 2024, 12:07 am
A breakthrough in understanding how a single-cell parasite makes ergosterol (its version of cholesterol) could lead to more effective drugs for human leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease that afflicts about 1 million people and kills about 30,000 people around the world every year.
Posted: December 20, 2024, 8:35 pm
Combining bioinformatics and experimetal approaches, researchers have discovered replication hubs for human norovirus, the leading cause of viral gastroenteritis accounting for an estimated 685 million cases and approximately 212,000 deaths globally per year. The findings could lead to designing antiviral drugs to prevent, control or treat these serious infections.
Posted: December 20, 2024, 8:35 pm
Researchers conducted a comprehensive review of Chagas disease in Switzerland. Although typically found in Latin America, Chagas disease affects between 2,000 and 4,000 people in Switzerland. The review underscores the need for improved screening and healthcare strategies to eliminate Chagas disease in Switzerland.
Posted: December 20, 2024, 6:30 pm
Researchers trained a large language model to read medical charts, looking for signs that kids with ADHD received the right follow-up care when using new medications.
Posted: December 20, 2024, 6:29 pm
Using an AI tool, researchers have analyzed brain images from 70-year-olds and estimated their brains' biological age. They found that factors detrimental to vascular health, such as inflammation and high glucose levels, are associated with an older-looking brain, while healthy lifestyles were linked to brains with a younger appearance.
Posted: December 20, 2024, 6:29 pm
Researchers have been able to identify at least three distinct subtypes of a rare type of bone cancer for the first time, which could transform clinical trials and patient care.
Posted: December 20, 2024, 6:28 pm
Researchers trained a large language model to read medical charts, looking for signs that kids with ADHD received the right follow-up care when using new medications.
Posted: December 20, 2024, 6:28 pm
When you are feeling hungry, the brain takes the necessary steps toward consuming a meal. Many of these steps are not well known, but a new study reveals brain circuits and chemical messengers that contribute to the regulation of meal initiation and food intake. The findings have implications for the development of improved therapies to manage obesity, a worldwide epidemic.
Posted: December 20, 2024, 6:28 pm
New findings point to an opportunity to improve therapies that use small RNAs to silence disease-causing genes, potentially including those involved in cancer.
Posted: December 20, 2024, 6:28 pm
People who suffer from continued symptoms of concussion should seek a referral to physical therapy as soon as possible, new research suggests.
Posted: December 20, 2024, 12:03 am
A study may explain why some patients with Crohn's disease continue to experience symptoms, even in the absence of inflammation.
Posted: December 20, 2024, 12:03 am
A research team examined the atomic composition of enamel samples from two human teeth.
Posted: December 20, 2024, 12:03 am
Impatience, studies of more than 1,200 people found, is the emotion people feel when they face a delay that seems unfair, unreasonable, or inappropriate -- like a traffic jam outside of rush hour, or a meeting that should have ended 15 minutes ago. Patience is the form of emotion regulation we use to cope with those feelings of impatience.
Posted: December 20, 2024, 12:03 am
A team of chemists has unveiled a novel method to simplify the synthesis of piperidines, a key structural component in many pharmaceuticals. The study combines biocatalytic carbon-hydrogen oxidation and radical cross-coupling, offering a streamlined and cost-effective approach to create complex, three-dimensional molecules. This innovation could help accelerate drug discovery and enhance the efficiency of medicinal chemistry.
Posted: December 20, 2024, 12:03 am
Artificial intelligence that is as intelligent as humans may become possible thanks to psychological learning models, combined with certain types of AI.
Posted: December 20, 2024, 12:02 am
Inflammation in the hippocampus -- the brain's memory center -- significantly alters motivation and behavior in mice, according to new research.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:30 pm
Mutational signatures etched into the cells' genome by an anti-cancer drug called temozolomide (TMZ) uncover an Achilles' heel for TMZ chemotherapy resistance, according to new research.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:29 pm
A research team found out how AHCC, a standardized extract of cultured Lentinula edodes mycelia, might be able to suppress the progression of liver fibrosis.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:29 pm
Antibodies can improve the rehabilitation of people with acute spinal cord injury. Researchers have investigated this with promising results. For the first time, it was possible to identify patient groups that displayed a clinically relevant treatment effect.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:29 pm
Researchers have discovered that certain components of so-called 'good' cholesterol -- high-density lipoproteins (HDL) -- may be associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:28 pm
Deubiquitinases (DUBs) are enzymes used by cells to trim protein modifications made from the protein ubiquitin, and thereby regulate proteins. Malfunctioning of DUBs could lead to diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. A protein called USP53 has been recently linked with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, a hereditary liver disease in children, yet its mechanism of action has remained elusive. While its sequence made it part of a deubiquitinase family, previous attempt to detect catalytic activity had remained inconclusive. Now, a team has decoded the mode of action of USP53 and its related enzyme called USP54.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:25 pm
When introducing genes into yeast to make it produce drugs and other useful substances, it is also necessary to reliably switch the production on or off. Researchers have found three gene regulation design principles that provide a flexible guideline for the effective control of microbiological production.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:25 pm
A new study reveals significant improvements in the health of older adults when compared to previous generations.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:24 pm
Researchers have studied placental genes to explore how Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) affects a child's development. Differences showed up between pregnancies from frozen and fresh embryo transfers in the placentas. Changes were also observed in the function of a gene associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:24 pm
Opening new doors for the development of nanotechnologies in medicine and other fields, scientists recreate and compare two natural mechanisms to better program the timescale of molecular communication and functionality.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:24 pm
There are several strategies for the early detection of prostate cancer. The first step is often a blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA). If PSA levels exceed a certain threshold, the next step typically involves taking a tissue sample for analysis. Another option is to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to search for signs of a tumor before deciding whether a biopsy is necessary, reserving biopsies only for cases where abnormalities are detected. Researchers at conducted a study to determine whether this MRI-first approach is safe over the long term. Their findings show that this strategy poses no additional risk to patients for at least three years.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:24 pm
Hand choice, an unconscious decision, is influenced by target-related information, but if these are non-informative, the choice will be approximately 50-50. In this equilibrium situation, non-target information may also aid in decision-making, but no research has demonstrated this. Now, researchers have investigated the effect of somatosensory stimulation on motor decisions in healthy participants. The results revealed that wrist stimulation significantly increased the likelihood of choosing the stimulated hand, highlighting its application in stroke rehabilitation.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:24 pm
Researchers have discovered a surprising link between a chronic gut infection caused by a common virus and the development of Alzheimer's disease in a subset of people. It is believed most humans are exposed to this virus -- called cytomegalovirus or HCMV -- during the first few decades of life. According to the new research, in some people, the virus may linger in an active state in the gut, where it may travel to the brain via the vagus nerve -- a critical information highway that connects the gut and brain. Once there, the virus can change the immune system and contribute to other changes associated with Alzheimer's disease. This virus may be a target for antiviral treatments.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:24 pm
Parasites that cause the deadly illness known as sleeping sickness can spread beyond their native Africa as a result of mutations to key genes, a study shows.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:24 pm
The best way to deal with narcissistic people in your personal life may be the hardest advice to take, according to an expert who has studied narcissism for more than 20 years. The best course of action is to identify narcissistic people early on and get them out of your life, said the professor of psychology.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:24 pm
Wearing sunscreen is important to protect your skin from the harmful effects of UV radiation but doesn't cool people off. However, a new formula protects against both UV light and heat from the sun using radiative cooling. The prototype sunblock kept human skin up to 11 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius) cooler than bare skin, or around 6 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius) cooler than existing sunscreens.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:24 pm
New discoveries about the severe developmental disorder known as Rett syndrome could open the door to better treatments for the devastating, life-shortening condition.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:22 pm
Findings of a new study into severe allergic reactions offer a sobering warning to people allergic to tree nuts and, more broadly, could lead to quicker diagnoses in emergency care for people with all anaphylactic allergies.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:22 pm
A team of researchers used a new technique, called high-resolution template matching, or HRTM, to uncover in unprecedented detail the movement of ribosomes -- the molecular structures that synthesize proteins inside cells.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:22 pm
New research has identified previously unknown genetic links to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), providing new insights into the genetic underpinnings of the condition.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:20 pm
Physician researchers found 39 weeks of gestation is optimal for delivery in mothers with chronic hypertension.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:19 pm
Phase I clinical trial of a drug was successfully completed, with promise to treat Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. The compound, named VU319, is the first end-to-end drug discovery effort related to memory loss, starting from the earliest basic science research through human clinical trials.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:19 pm
Researchers have combined two sequencing technologies in single cells to find new differences in mRNAs resulting from Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:18 pm
A team has discovered a new communication pathway between the gut and lung. Their findings highlight how a little-known member of the gut microbiome reshapes the lung immune environment to have both beneficial and detrimental effects on respiratory health.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:18 pm
A study of more than 2,400 people with atrial fibrillation, who had an average age of 73, found that drinking more than five cups of caffeinated coffee daily was associated with better performance on an array of cognitive tests than drinking less than one cup or avoiding coffee altogether.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:17 pm
Researchers have uncovered important insights that could improve how mental health conditions are treated with brain stimulation therapy -- a treatment where electrical signals are used to stimulate specific parts of the brain.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:17 pm
A new study has demonstrated for the first time how and why music can reduce distress and agitation for people with advanced dementia. The study involved interviews with staff and music therapists on inpatient mental health dementia wards, a review of published research, and a national survey of UK healthcare professionals.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:17 pm
Stitching together four molecules found in the standard flu vaccine ensures an immune response to all of them, scientists have shown.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:16 pm
A new role has been uncovered for a cell's own RNA in fending off attacks by RNA viruses. Some of the cell's RNA molecules, researchers found, help regulate antiviral signaling. These signals are part of the intricate coordination of immune responses against virus invasion. With RNA increasingly seen as both a drug and a druggable target, the new findings open the potential for RNA-based therapeutics for combating both infection and autoimmunity.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:16 pm
New research finds a pervasive low-quality diet among pregnant and postpartum individuals, reflecting 'an urgent need for widespread improvement.'
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:15 pm
A team of researchers shows how proteins called 'chaperones' are vital in ensuring that neurons can transmit signals to one another. When this neurotransmission breaks down, devastating diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's along with many others, can occur. The team's research provides new understanding of how the most crucial part of the process works and is a stepping stone toward understanding the underlying mechanics of neurodegenerative diseases.
Posted: December 19, 2024, 8:15 pm
In a new study, participants tended to assign greater blame to artificial intelligences (AIs) involved in real-world moral transgressions when they perceived the AIs as having more human-like minds.
Posted: December 18, 2024, 10:49 pm
New research shows that the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on people's immune response to microorganisms. During the lockdown, inflammation level in the body was low, but afterwards, the immune system reacted more intensely to viruses and bacteria.
Posted: December 18, 2024, 10:49 pm
Researchers are closer to understanding what drives the autoimmune disorder Sj gren's disease, thanks to new discoveries about the role of calcium signaling, regulatory T cells, and interferon. Their latest study finds that impaired regulatory T cells are a critical contributing factor to Sj gren's disease in both mice and humans, and identifies an existing rheumatology drug as a promising therapy for the disease.
Posted: December 18, 2024, 10:48 pm
Dyslexia is a common learning difficulty in which genes often play a role. How do genes associated with dyslexia relate to brain structure in the general population? In a large-scale study, a team of scientists found that genetic variants that increase the chance of dyslexia were associated with differences in brain areas involved in motor coordination, vision, and language.
Posted: December 18, 2024, 10:48 pm
Researchers may have found a new target in fighting malaria -- a cholesterol-managing protein called PfNCR1.
Posted: December 18, 2024, 10:48 pm
Until now, scientists have been unable to determine how metformin, a Type 2 diabetes medication that lowers blood sugar, works. A study provided direct evidence in mice that it reversibly cuts the cell's energy supply by interfering with mitochondria to lower glucose levels.
Posted: December 18, 2024, 10:48 pm
Research has uncovered a vulnerability in prostate cancer animal models that starves prostate tumors of critical nutrients and stunts their growth, which could lead to the development of new treatments for the deadly disease.
Posted: December 18, 2024, 10:47 pm
Research finds connections between mood and circadian rhythm disruptions in study using Fitbit data from hundreds of medical interns.
Posted: December 18, 2024, 10:47 pm
For healthy older adults, using antibiotics is not associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment or dementia, according to a new study.
Posted: December 18, 2024, 10:47 pm
People with breathing problems during sleep may have a larger hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for memory and thinking, according to a new study. The study, which included mostly Latino people, also found that those with lower oxygen levels during sleep had changes in the deep parts of the brain, the white matter, a common finding of decreased brain health that develops with age.
Posted: December 18, 2024, 10:47 pm
A researcher has defined 'kindness' and believes this could hold the key to better communication within healthcare teams and improve care for patients.
Posted: December 18, 2024, 6:23 pm
A research team developed a system that automatically recommends the optimal rehabilitation program based on a simple test to check the severity of motor paralysis after a stroke.
Posted: December 18, 2024, 6:23 pm