Health & Medicine
Drosophila Fezf found to be essential in neural circuit formation
Billions of neurons are wired up to into highly organised neural circuits in the brain. The creation of these circuits is a complex process and it is essential that neurons find the correct partners. Matt Pecot and colleagues from Harvard Medical School are interested in understanding this neural circuit formation. In their studies, by using Drosophila, they have identified the […]
ADHD and its comorbidities: Implications for management
Dr Wen-Harn Pan, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, is interested in the relationship between nutrition and health. One of her most recent projects, published last year, investigated the link between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and whether risk factors such as allergy and anaemia could be modified to improve the ways in which attention deficit hyperactivity is both identified and […]
Exciting advancements in ovarian cancer treatment
Ovarian cancer is treacherous and challenging to treat. With standard treatment unchanged since the 1990s and newer costly treatments failing to restrain the tumour’s growth over long periods of time, an overhaul in anti-cancer treatment is urgently needed. With fresh insights into the biology and progression of ovarian cancer, Lev Ashraphyan, Vsevolod Kiselev from Institute of Gynecologic Oncology and Mammology […]
Fluorescent imaging sheds new light on apoptosis
Researchers at the Avera Cancer Institute are using state-of-the-art fluorescent imaging to shed new light on the physical and biochemical processes behind apoptosis – also known as ‘programmed cell death’. The novel, cost-effective and user-friendly method uses three fluorescent stains, enabling the real-time, structure-function based identification of apoptosis in live, apoptotic tumour cells. This unique protocol developed by Dr Nandini […]
NPCR: Next generation cancer register
Knowledge is power and in this modern age, data is often our most valuable commodity. Nowhere is this truer than in healthcare, where patient data is revolutionizing the way we treat diseases such as cancer. To that end, the National Prostate Cancer Register (NPCR) is providing a valuable resource for physicians, patients, and researchers. And it has already contributed to […]
A framework for global health promotion: The Circle of Health
The Circle of Health (COH) is an interactive and exemplary framework that bridges gaps in health promotion and draws together both the external and internal factors that drive our health. Spearheaded by Patsy Beattie-Huggan, BN, MScN, founder and president of The Quaich Inc., this novel tool was developed, refined and evaluated through broad consultation in PEI, Canada. With collaborators Kirsten […]
RNA sequencing reveals secrets of skin aging
As we age, so does our skin. One of the factors that affects how quickly skin appears to age is exposure to UV light. Dr Jeong-Sun Seo of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Republic of Korea, is investigating how UV light affects skin aging at the genetic level. Using RNA sequencing data, Dr Seo and his team demonstrate that some […]
Towards a quantitative personalised oncology
Dr Heiko Enderling from Moffitt Cancer Center, together with researchers from the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, focus on Mathematical Oncology, and radiotherapy in particular, highlighted by the interconnectivity of metastatic disease through a patient’s immune system. Studies show that different radiation doses induce anti-tumour immunity at different strengths. This prompted the research team to develop […]
Using eHealth to monitor idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Dr Marlies Wijsenbeek and Dr Karen Moor from the Erasmus Medical Centre are developing novel eHealth tools, in collaboration with patients, to enable home monitoring of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Patients are able to use the eHealth tool to find information about IPF, record their symptoms and conduct consultations via video or email. Furthermore, the patient can take […]
Extracellular vesicle DNA: A promising cancer biomarker
Lung cancer patients could one day receive faster, cheaper and more accurate diagnoses thanks to extracellular vesicle DNA found in liquid biopsies. These were the findings of a research team led by Professors Kye Young Lee and Jae Young Hur of Konkuk University’s School of Medicine. Their work offers an alternative to invasive tissue biopsies which are currently used to detect […]