Stem cells offer great promise in the treatment of many diseases and injuries, from arthritis and diabetes to cancer, due to their ability to replace damaged cells. However, current technology used to harvest stem cells is labor intensive, time consuming and expensive. Biomedical engineer Professor Majid Warkiani from the University of Technology Sydney led the […]
Arthritis is a common and painful disease caused by damage to our joints. Normally pads of cartilage cushion those spots. But injuries or age can wear it away. As cartilage deteriorates, bone begins to hit bone, and everyday activities like walking become terribly painful. The best treatments available try to replace the damaged cartilage with […]
Muscle stem cells are responsible for muscle growth, repair and regeneration following injury throughout a person’s life. In fully grown adults, muscle stem cells are quiescent — they remain inactive until they are called to respond to injury by self-replicating and creating all of the cell types necessary to repair damaged tissue. But that regenerative […]
In recent decades, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes has increased dramatically. We refer to insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, and insulin clearance as components of “insulin homeostasis,” given that these traits encompass action, production, and removal of insulin. Dysfunction in insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion underlie the development of type 2 diabetes. The role of […]
Sudden cardiac arrest, occurring in the setting of impaired cardiac function and structural heart disease that lead to ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation, is a leading cause of death in the world. Implantable cardioverter defibrillators improve survival in at-risk populations at the cost of reduced quality of life from shocks and potential for worsening […]
Vitiligo is an acquired pigmentary disorder of the skin that is characterized by circumscribed, depigmented macules and patches. The condition is frequently associated with disorders of autoimmune origin, with thyroid abnormalities being the most common. Initial lesions occur most frequently on the hands, forearms, feet, and face, favoring a perioral and periocular distribution. The lesions […]
Scald burns in children are a common presentation to the emergency department. Burn injury has devastating long-term physical, psychological, and financial consequences for the child and family. The ideal dressing would require a 1-time application in the emergency department and would relieve pain, be readily available, be inexpensive, expedite healing, and reduce scarring. Human amniotic […]
Today, by and large, patients receive a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s only after they exhibit well-known signs of the disease, such as memory loss. By that point, the best treatment options simply slow further progression of symptoms. But research has shown that the seeds of Alzheimer’s are planted years, even decades, earlier, long before the cognitive […]
People with serious food allergies face potentially fatal consequences if they’re accidentally exposed to triggering foods. But tests in allergic mice show that swallowing a form of butyrate, a compound produced by healthy gut bacteria, offers protection against peanut allergy, scientists report. The treatment might also counteract other food allergies, as well as inflammatory diseases. […]
A new study from University of Louisville researchers in the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute has found that exposure to e-cigarette aerosols can cause heart arrhythmias in animal models, both in the form of premature and skipped heart beats. The study findings, published Oct. 25 in Nature Communications, suggest exposure to specific chemicals within e-cigarette […]