Author Archives: Francisco Fernandez, MD

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neuroinflammatory disease characterized partly by the inability to clear, and subsequent build-up, of amyloid-beta (Aβ). According to research AD has a bi-directional relationship with circadian disruption with sleep disturbances starting years before the disease onset.  In a recently published study, researchers found that the phagocytosis of Aβ42 undergoes a daily […]

In a recently published study researchers found that a form of Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell cancer treatment, a type of immunotherapy, was effective in treating leukemia patients. The treatment kept two leukemia patients in remission for 10 years.  The results of the study were published in the journal Nature. CAR T-cell therapy is a […]

Lung Cancer  Lung cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer mortality, and like in many other cancers the early detection is key to improve survival. Unfortunately there are no reliable blood-based tests available for early-stage lung cancer diagnosis.  One test commonly used for screening of lung cancer is low dose computed tomography, but […]

In a recently published study, researchers from the University of Connecticut have developed a biomimetic injectable hydrogel using amnion membrane (AM) which can self-assemble in situ and retain the stem cells at the target site. The researchers evaluated the hydrogel and its efficacy in intraarticular injections, using a rat model. The hydrogel was evaluated with […]

The effects of sleep deprivation and how it can affect our health in multiple areas including cognition, physiological, and physical is an extensively studied subject. But according to studies both short sleep, which is considered to be less than 6 hours, and long sleep, more than 8 hours can cause unfavorable health outcomes.  What is […]

In a research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the University of California, Irvine and Japan’s University of Tsukuba found that even very light workouts can increase the connections between some parts of the brain that intervene in the formation and storage of memories. Physical exercise has beneficial […]

Colorectal cancer is a disease in which cells in the colon or rectum grow out of control. Sometimes abnormal growths, called polyps, form in the colon or rectum. Over time, some polyps may turn into cancer. Also colorectal adenomas that persist and grow for long periods can become malignant.  Not counting some kinds of skin […]