The blood-brain barrier: a layer of cells between blood vessels and the rest of the brain, kicks out toxins, pathogens and other undesirables that can sabotage the brain’s precious gray matter and its overall health. “A leaky blood-brain barrier is a common pathway for a lot of brain diseases, so to be able to seal […]
A team of engineers has designed a new class of tiny, self-propelled robots that can zip through liquid at incredible speeds and may one day even deliver prescription drugs to hard-to-reach places inside the human body. The group’s microrobots used for the study are really small. Each one measures only 20 micrometers wide, several times […]
A decade after UC San Francisco scientists identified an over-the-counter antihistamine as a treatment for multiple sclerosis, researchers have developed an approach to measure the drug’s effectiveness in repairing the brain, making it possible to also assess future therapies for the devastating disorder. The researchers first identified clemastine as a potential MS therapy, and used […]
Back in the 1920s, researchers discovered that cancer patients had sweet-smelling urine. “This was one of the first things we learned about cancer patients,” says Associate Professor Lykke Sylow. Where previous studies have examined the connection between cancer and insulin, Lykke Sylow and colleagues’ new study is the first to compile the best research on […]
Dioxins are highly toxic compounds that are primarily produced by industrial processes, and their persistence in the environment makes them a significant public health concern. They can be released into the air during natural processes as well, such as forest fires and volcanoes. Today people are exposed to dioxins primarily by eating food, in particular […]
Several strategies are being investigated for restoring sight to the people who are blind, including using stem cells from the body to regenerate retinal neurons lost to injury or disease. While regenerative stem cells have not been identified in the adult human retina, they have been found in zebrafish. Experts are investigating how cells called […]
People challenged with chronic back pain have been given hope with a new treatment that focuses on retraining how the back and the brain communicate. The study divided 276 participants into two groups: one undertook a 12-week course of sensorimotor retraining and the other received a 12-week course of sham treatments designed to control for […]
Researchers have shown that obesity in experimental models led to senescence of macrophages, an immune cell subtype within fat or adipose tissue. Many of the macrophages within obese tissue were senescent and those senescent cells may be a significant driver of fat tissue fibrosis. These findings suggest that obesity accelerates cellular or biological immune aging […]
An international research team has established a link between gut microbiota and chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis. The team has discovered that a protein naturally present in the gut acts on the microbiota and causes the formation of molecules that exacerbate the symptoms of these diseases. The protein in question, phospholipase A2-IIA, was discovered […]
Thirdhand smoke, or THS, comprises the residual pollutants from tobacco smoke that remain on surfaces and in dust after tobacco has been smoked. It can remain on indoor surfaces indefinitely, causing potentially harmful exposure to both smokers and non-smokers. Researchers have found that acute exposure of the skin to THS elevated biomarkers is associated with […]