Author Archives: Francisco Fernandez, MD

A pioneering study led by UCL and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists has revealed why a common genetic variant worsens disease outcomes for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).  Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are devastating adult-onset neurodegenerative disorders with shared genetic causes and common pathological […]

A new test developed at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has proven high accuracy in detecting early signs of Alzheimer’s disease in a study that involved 465 participants. The study was published in the journal Neurology.  The research team behind the study aimed to determine the diagnostic accuracy of a plasma Aβ42/Aβ40 […]

Pancreatic cancer is often difficult to diagnose. This is because there are no validated, specific screening tests that can easily and reliably find early-stage pancreatic cancer in people who do not show symptoms. Furthermore, people with pancreatic cancer often do not have clearly identified symptoms in the early stages of the disease. This means it […]

A new study by researchers at Caltech, has discovered that a small-molecule metabolite, produced by bacteria in the gut, can travel to the brain and increase the anxiety levels in mice. The study helps uncover a molecular explanation of how the gut interactions with the brain, also known as gut-brain axis, can influence emotional behaviors. […]

Non-neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NNAMD) is a major medical condition that affects millions of people in the Western world. The use of Macular translocation surgery, transplantation of autologous adult retinal pigmental epithelial (RPE) cells, and injection of suspensions of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived RPE cells have been pursued as potential treatments.  Recently, a team […]