Monthly Archives: March 2023

Immune System Cells In The Gut Linked To Stress-Induced Depression

Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have discovered an immune cell in the intestine that affects the gut microbiome, which can impact brain functions associated with depression.  Published in Nature Immunology,  the study found that targeting these immune cells with medication or therapy may be possible to develop new treatments for depression. “The results of our study […]

New Drug Candidate Against Mpox

Mpox — previously known as “monkeypox” — is currently spreading worldwide. An international research team from Goethe University and the University of Kent has now identified a compound that could help fight the disease.  Their study has been published in the Journal of Medical Virology. Nitroxoline is the name of the new drug candidate that […]

Genes Long Known to Control the Formation of Bones Before Birth Also Control Bone Healing Later in Life

A new study pinpointed key Hox genes, specific to each location in the body, as the controllers of stem cells involved in both forming and repairing bone. HOX proteins act like the body’s “zip code,” specifying the position of limbs in the fetus by encoding instructions for transcription factors, which attach to DNA and influence […]

Novel Drug Makes Mice Skinny Even on Sugary, Fatty Diet

When we give this drug to the mice for a short time, they start losing weight. They all become slim,” said Madesh Muniswamy, PhD, professor of medicine in the health science center’s Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine. Magnesium is the fourth most abundant element in the body, and plays many key […]

Stem Cells Unique Way Of Discarding Misfolded Proteins: The Key To Maintaining Long-term Health

In humanity’s ongoing quest for the elixir of life, science keeps pointing to stem cells. Research increasingly shows that maintaining stem cell fitness promotes a long healthspan, and new findings show keeping stem cells clean and tidy is an integral step. In a study published March 21, 2023 in Cell Stem Cell, researchers at University […]

Combined And Progestagen-Only Hormonal Contraceptives And Breast Cancer Risk

There is a relative increase of 20% to 30% in breast cancer risk associated with both combined and progesterone-only contraceptives, whatever the mode of delivery, though with five years of use, the 15-year absolute excess incidence is at most 265 cases per 100,000 users.  The results appear in a new study publishing March 21 in […]

Research Finds Hope in Stem Cell Therapy for Perianal Fistulas in Patients with Crohn’s Disease

In a clinical trial, researchers loaded stem cells from a patient’s own fat tissue onto a bioabsorbable plug that was then surgically implanted to close an anal fistula tract. They followed the patients for one year and reported results. Perianal fistulas are painful tunnels between the intestine and the skin that often do not go […]

High Doses of Selenium May Protect Against Ovarian Cancer

A new study, published in Redux Biology, finds that high doses of selenium have anti-cancer properties. Selenium has been investigated as a potential anti-cancer agent for the reduction of the risk of different malignancies including colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer, as well as an adjuvant to conventional anti-tumour therapies. Such use is limited, however, by […]

Could Matcha Tea Have Anti-Depressant Properties?

Depression is a common mood disorder, affecting 5% of adults worldwide. Whilst effective treatments do exist, some patients experience unpleasant side effects, and an estimated 30.9% of patients have either no or a poor response to medication. Researchers are working to understand complementary and alternative therapies that may aid in treating depression. A​ recent study […]

Telomere Shortening: Signs of Alzheimer’s

Changes in the brain caused by Alzheimer’s disease are associated with shortening of the telomeres — the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that shorten as cells age — according to a new study led by Anya Topiwala of Oxford Population Health, part of the University of Oxford, UK, published March 22 in the […]