Author Archives: Rocio Gallegos, MD

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 […]

Pancreatic cancer is tricky to manage because it spreads easily and early, and the tumors have a unique biological makeup. But, researchers made a breakthrough by learning about the genetic changes that occur during tumor migration — and also found a drug that can obstruct the process. The five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is […]

The number of people surviving a heart attack has increased significantly, but this severe cardiac event causes irreparable damage to their hearts. This damage is permanent because the human heart has no ability to grow new heart muscle cells. Instead, connective tissue cells known as fibroblasts migrate into the damaged area of the heart muscle. […]

An international team of researchers has developed a handheld, non-invasive device that can detect biomarkers for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases. The biosensor can also transmit the results wirelessly to a laptop or smartphone. The device relies on electrical rather than chemical detection, which researchers say is easier to implement and more accurate. Current state of […]

A compound which binds to an inner region of a calcium channel to indirectly regulate it, outperformed gabapentin without troublesome side effects, providing a promising candidate for treating pain. Calcium channels play a central role in pain signaling, in part through the release of neurotransmitters such as glutamate and GABA according to Rajesh Khanna, director […]

Liver fibrosis may occur as a result of liver diseases such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), and currently, there is no medical treatment to cure liver fibrosis. Doctors often try to address the underlying causes of the diseases, such as obesity and diabetes, and these treatments may lead […]

Doctors often prescribe radiation along with surgery to treat a brain tumor called meningioma that originates in the protective membranes surrounding the brain. But side effects from radiation can be serious, including memory loss and cognitive decline, so it’s important to know which patients really need it. Now, researchers have found a highly accurate way […]