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Weighing the risks and benefits of drug screening

Little evidence supports the new recommendations for clinical screening for drug use. Do the potential benefits outweigh the potential harms?

10 Jun 2020

Cys-C protein can predict risk of cardiovascular and renal diseases

The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is normally specified as a measure of kidney function. The GFR is the volume of blood that the kidneys filter per minute (the unit of measurement, in relation to a standardized body surface area, is therefore ml/min/1.73 m2).

10 Jun 2020

Identifying key predictors of mortality in young dialysis patients

The percentage of children and young people who have severe kidney disease and require renal replacement therapy (RRT) is relatively low at approximately 2% .

9 Jun 2020

Study unravels role of a protein in osteoclast generation

Bone-dissolving cells called osteoclasts are derived from a type of immune cells called macrophages. They are necessary for the maintenance and renewal of bones.

9 Jun 2020

Examining the effect of smoking, nicotine and vaping on COVID-19 severity

Researchers at the University of Oxford say they will be conducting the most extensive study to date linking primary and clinical data for the assessment of associations between smoking status and the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

9 Jun 2020

Orthotics breakthrough helps improve overall mobility of children with cerebral palsy

Researchers have confirmed that adapting splints in combination with the footwear used by disabled children to help them walk can decrease the energy they use by as much as 33%.

9 Jun 2020

Exposure to flame retardant impacts paternal reproduction

A new study from the University of Georgia has shown that exposure to a now-banned flame retardant can alter the genetic code in sperm, leading to major health defects in children of exposed parents.

9 Jun 2020

Happiness could offer protection from gastrointestinal distress

Serotonin, a chemical known for its role in producing feelings of well-being and happiness in the brain, can reduce the ability of some intestinal pathogens to cause deadly infections, new research by UT Southwestern scientists suggests.

9 Jun 2020

Study reveals new strategy to tackle cancer

A study led by the Institut de Neurociències describes a new strategy to tackle cancer, based on inducing a potent stress in tumor causing cell destruction by autophagy.

9 Jun 2020

Heart transplant recipients affected by COVID-19 face racial, gender disparities

Physician-scientists specializing in heart failure wanted to know: if their heart transplant patients contract COVID-19, would they have a different experience than the general public or others who are also immunosuppressed?

9 Jun 2020

Avacta provides update on COVID-19 antigen diagnostic test development with Adeptrix

Avacta Group plc is pleased to announce that a BAMS™ diagnostic test for COVID-19, being developed with Adeptrix, has reached the prototype stage.

From Avacta Life Sciences Ltd. 9 Jun 2020

Researchers examine bat genome assemblies to find solution for COVID-19

While questions remain about the origin of COVID-19, many scientists now believe the virus spread to humans from bats. Two Texas Tech University researchers are now taking a closer look at whether bats also could offer a solution to the pandemic.

9 Jun 2020

New evidence supports long-debated mode of evolution

A team working at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) found evidence to support a long-debated mode of evolution, revealing how evolution captures environmental variation to teach old genes new tricks: Sweat bees switch from solitary to social behavior, repurposing ancient sets of genes that originally evolved to regulate the development of other traits.

9 Jun 2020

Synthetic monoclonal antibodies effectively neutralize SARS-CoV-2 in laboratory conditions

In a new study available on the preprint server bioRxiv*, a multinational research group demonstrated how monoclonal antibodies strongly inhibit severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in vitro at even sub-nanomolar concentrations. This makes them a prime candidate for the treatment of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

8 Jun 2020

Study identifies potential biomarker for prescreening donor's stem cells

A new study released today in STEM CELLS addresses a significant problem that has been confronting human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) therapy.

8 Jun 2020

Scientists create 3D-printable material that mimics cartilage, biological tissues

Biological tissues have evolved over millennia to be perfectly optimized for their specific functions. Take cartilage as an example. It's a compliant, elastic tissue that's soft enough to cushion joints, but strong enough to resist compression and withstand the substantial load bearing of our bodies: key for running, jumping, and our daily wear and tear.

8 Jun 2020

Using antibodies to detect Alzheimer’s disease

News-Medical speaks to Professor Vendruscolo about his research that uses antibodies to detect Alzheimer's disease, which could help to improve drug discovery.

8 Jun 2020

Sleep is also essential for artificial brains, shows study

No one can say whether androids will dream of electric sheep, but they will almost certainly need periods of rest that offer benefits similar to those that sleep provides to living brains, according to new research from Los Alamos National Laboratory.

8 Jun 2020

Monocytes could be critical in dysregulated immunity in COVID-19

A new study by Spanish researchers as part of the GEN-COVID Project, and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in June 2020, suggests that monocytes are primarily involved in triggering the hyperinflammatory immune response that may underlie severe COVID-19 infection.

8 Jun 2020

UTEP researchers unlock potential of carbon quantum dots to combat neurological disorders

The contributions of researchers from The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) have yielded the first indication that carbon quantum dots, a class of nanoparticles, can be utilized to combat neurological disorders, according to a paper published in the journal Processes as part its special issue on protein biosynthesis and drug design and delivery.

5 Jun 2020