New research shows that the brain and spinal cord scars in people with MS may offer clues to why they develop progressive disability in comparison to related diseases that don’t develop them. In a study researchers and colleagues assessed if inflammation leads to permanent scarring in MS, Aquaporin-4 antibody positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (AQP4-NMOSD) […]
A recent study from the lab of the University of Kentucky’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Director Linda Van Eldik, Ph.D., has been published in PLOS ONE. The work centers around the idea that various anti-inflammatory drugs could be effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study focused on a protein known as p38. Many labs […]
Chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is on the rise worldwide. The benefits of current medications are limited by problematic side effects. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, a South Korean research team has now introduced a new method of treatment. It is based on nanoparticles that mimic a special […]
Opioids are the gold standard for treatment of chronic and acute pain; however, their use may result in significant gastrointestinal side effects, including nausea, vomiting, and constipation. The reasons behind these side effects are not well understood. A new study is the first report of how opioids like morphine cause gastric inflammation. “Because of a […]
Rice engineering students in the StimuSock team designed a sock with a smart insole that can deliver both transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and vibration therapy that block pain signals to the brain and provide haptic feedback to help with balance issues, respectively. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2022 estimates, over […]
In a major Swedish study, researchers have discovered a link between the levels of certain bacteria living in the gut and coronary atherosclerotic plaques. The new study was based on analyses of gut bacteria and cardiac imaging among 8,973 participants aged 50 to 65 from Uppsala and Malmö without previously known heart disease. “We found […]
Current treatments for atrial fibrillation (AFib), a common heart condition characterized by fast and irregular beats that can lead to stroke and heart failure, have multiple side effects and are ineffective for preventing AFib recurrence. New research led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and published in Science reveals that certain immune cells play […]
University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have discovered a way to identify pregnant women at risk of preeclampsia, a serious disorder characterized by high blood pressure and kidney dysfunction which can result in premature delivery, seizures and even death. Complications from the condition are the second-leading cause of maternal death around the world. The […]
A low-cost version of ketamine to treat severe depression has performed strongly in a double-blind trial that compared it with placebo. In research published today in the British Journal of Psychiatry, researchers led by UNSW Sydney and the affiliated Black Dog Institute found that more than one in five participants achieved total remission from their […]
Expanding home blood pressure monitoring among US adults with hypertension could substantially reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease and save healthcare costs in the long term, according to a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier. The results of the study show that expanding home monitoring has the potential to […]