Monthly Archives: November 2023

Abnormally high levels of HDL-C, colloquially known as ‘good cholesterol’, are associated with an increased risk of dementia in older adults, a Monash University-led study has found. Researchers said very high levels of HDL-C linked to dementia risk in this study were uncommon and not diet related, but more likely to reflect a metabolic disorder. […]

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of being prepared with drug interventions to contain viral outbreaks that can otherwise have devastating consequences.  A team of researchers discovered that nano-sized particles released by cells, termed “extracellular vesicles” (EVs), can curb the viral infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 — its wild type and variant strains — and potentially other […]

In a study of air pollution data in relation to markers of reproductive development in infancy, Rutgers researchers found certain pollutants may negatively alter anogenital distance, a measure of prenatal exposure to hormones. Cross-sectional studies in adult men and women have shown that alterations in anogenital distance — the length between genitals and the anus […]

Study by Brigham investigators revealed how genetic changes in certain types of brain cells may contribute to the inflammatory response seen in Alzheimer’s disease Immune-regulating brain cells known as microglia are known to play a role in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A new study by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding […]

Throughout the course of our lives, DNA can break in response to natural and environmental factors. Thankfully, our bodies have dedicated enzymes and pathways which can glue our broken DNA back together through several different mechanisms, known as DNA repair pathways. researchers have pieced together the lesser-known DNA repair pathway, called polymerase theta-mediated end joining […]

A new study shows that shrinkage in the hippocampus area of the brain is associated with cognitive decline, even in people who don’t have amyloid plaques in the brain. The hippocampus plays a role in memory. “These results suggest that neurodegenerative diseases other than Alzheimer’s are contributing to this decline, and measuring the hippocampus volume […]

The global impact of the coronavirus pandemic has ignited a renewed focus on emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.  Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University are making great strides in combating pneumococcal pneumonia, one of the leading causes of respiratory deaths worldwide. Despite the existence of vaccines against pneumococcal infections such as otitis media, sinusitis, and meningitis, […]