Health & Medicine

Elucidating the substance use disorder-HIV health syndemic

Dr Bryan Garner is a Senior Implementation Research Scientist with RTI International. His latest research explores the neglected overlap between HIV and substance use disorders (SUDs). In May 2019, clients of AIDS service organisations (ASOs), ASO staff, and HIV/AIDS Planning Council members participated in a Stakeholder-Engaged Real-Time Delphi (SE-RTD) survey exploring the prevalence and individual-level negative impact of five SUDs […]

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Health & Medicine

Tomato seed saponins promise to cure dermatitis

Dr Hiroshi Shimoda from Oryza Oil & Fat Chemical Co Ltd and Professor Toshio Morikawa of Kindai University conducted a study on the chemical composition and bioactive properties of tomato seeds. The researchers found steroidal saponins called lycoperosides, previously associated with skin-health promotion, to be the major seed components, more abundant in seeds than in tomato fruits. The researchers further […]

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Health & Medicine

Myocardial lipid metabolism: Targeting CD36 to treat cardiac disease

Jan Glatz, Emeritus Professor of Cardiac Metabolism at Maastricht University, conducts research into the transmembrane protein CD36, which regulates cellular lipid metabolism. CD36 facilitates the uptake of long-chain fatty acids in cardiac muscles while the recycling of CD36 between endosomes and the sarcolemma regulates this uptake. Heart diseases are commonly associated with changes in the uptake and use of its […]

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Health & Medicine

A new method to predict adult-onset type 1 diabetes

Adult-onset type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease often mistaken for type 2 diabetes. Distinguishing adult-onset type 1 diabetes from type 2 diabetes is vital so that appropriate treatment can begin immediately. This is mainly achieved by identification of GADA, an islet autoantibody found in patients with adult-onset type 1 diabetes. A radio-binding assay is currently used for GADA detection, […]

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Health & Medicine

Using genetic signatures to better classify spinal neurons

Professor Samuel Pfaff at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies builds on previous work revealing important principles related to neural development, gene regulation, axon guidance and connectivity, and spinal motor circuit function. Spinal neurons were traditionally grouped into around 12 cardinal classes – but this doesn’t describe their full diversity. Now, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies team has developed […]

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Health & Medicine

Hearing loss: who gains the most from cochlear implants?

Hearing loss can cause severe disabilities and impair daily life. Cochlear implants may be an option for those who experience extreme deafness, but there are long waiting lists for potential recipients in countries with limited healthcare options. Paula Greenham of Greenham Research Consulting has investigated what factors are most likely to result in improved quality of life for individuals requiring […]

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Health & Medicine

Exosome microRNAs as liquid biopsies for the monitoring of prostate cancer

Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is a highly aggressive variant of prostate cancer that emerges in response to hormone therapy. Dr Sharanjot Saini and her staff, from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, USA, are studying exosomes – nano-sized vesicles that transfer lipids, proteins, or genetic information between cells. These could be used as a source of biomarkers to […]

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Health & Medicine

Male infertility and the genesis of mature sperm cells

About 10% of all males in the United States who are attempting to conceive suffer from infertility. Dr Rajakumar Anbazhagan, Dr Maria L. Dufau and Dr Kavarthapu Raghuveer from the National Institutes of Health, USA, aim to understand the biochemical pathways behind male factor infertility to devise a better strategy to address the issue effectively. The researchers identified a protein […]

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Health & Medicine

Controlling heart rhythm reduces adverse outcomes in atrial fibrillation

Around 2% of the European population suffer from atrial fibrillation, a heart condition characterised by a change in heart rhythm that increases the risk of serious health complications. Currently, therapies to directly address the arrhythmia are not used for all patients. The Atrial Fibrillation Network Association (AFNET) was the responsible organisation for the EAST-AFNET 4 trial, which set out to […]

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Health & Medicine

Transitional care programs for older adults: Improving Canada’s core health services

Transitional care programs are critical for ensuring better health management and continuity of care, oftentimes when older adult patients are required to move between healthcare services and settings and are most vulnerable to worse health outcomes. Transitional care programs are also found to be beneficial in reducing acute-care health resources and costs in countries around the world, however, for numerous […]

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