… to aid research on aging and impact of long spaceflights. Note: Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers Deok-Ho Kim and Devin Mair will participate in a NASA teleconference for journalists on Tuesday, March 14, at 11 a.m. ET. Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers are collaborating with NASA to send human heart “tissue-on-a-chip” specimens into space as early as March. The project is designed to monitor the tissue for changes in heart muscle cells’ mitochondria (their power supply) and ability to contract in…
When mice are exposed to chronically low levels of oxygen, similar to those experienced at 4,500 meters of elevation, their metabolism changes. Compared to those of us who live at sea level, the 2 million people worldwide who live above 4,500 meters (or 14,764 feet) of elevation—about the height of Mount Rainier, Mount Whitney, and many Colorado and Alaska peaks—have lower rates of metabolic diseases such as diabetes, coronary artery disease, hypercholesterolemia, and obesity. Now, researchers at Gladstone Institutes have…
Infections with the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus are difficult to fight – especially because the fungus forms a biofilm and can thus protect itself from antifungal drugs and the immune defence system. The cancer drug Imatinib prevents the compartmentalisation. There are up to 10,000 fungal spores in every cubic metre of air that can enter our bodies when we breathe them in. Some of these belong to the species Aspergillus fumigatus, a widespread fungus found everywhere in the environment. In immunocompromised…
MHH research team analyses genetic and epigenetic regulators. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 leads to severe disease in some people, while others do not get ill or only experience mild disease. But why is this the case? Unfortunately, we do not know exactly. We do know that an overactive innate immune system is causing severe COVID-19 disease, but it is unclear how this is regulated. A team led by Professor Dr. Yang Li from Hannover Medical School (MHH) has come a step…
Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for the treatment of severe blood cancers is the only medical intervention that has cured two people living with HIV in the past. An international group of physicians and researchers from Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, and the United States has now identified another case in which HIV infection has been shown to be cured in the same way. In a study published this week in Nature Medicine, in which DZIF scientists from Hamburg and Cologne…
… of a wide range of mental health disorders related to stress, anxiety. Virginia Tech research points to a molecule critical in development of the brain’s stress response. Virginia Tech researchers studying brain development have identified a molecule that is critical in developing the stress response, a finding that sheds new light on the potential cause of mental health conditions such as stress, anxiety and related disorders. Deficiencies in the molecule called DSCAML1, short for DS cell adhesion molecule like 1,…
MHH cardiology starts the multicentre ORION HF study. She wants to find out whether a preparation in tablet form can correct iron deficiency and alleviate the typical symptoms of heart failure. People with heart failure, also called heart failure, often have too little iron in the body. Iron deficiency exacerbates the symptoms of heart disease such as shortness of breath, tiredness and weakness. A dose of iron can help those affected. So far, this is done by infusion through the…
In epilepsy research, it has long been assumed that a leaky blood-brain barrier is a cause of inflammation in the brain. Using a novel method, researchers from Bonn University Hospital (UKB) and the University of Bonn have demonstrated that the barrier between the blood and the central nervous system remains largely intact. The approach of their study provides important insights into the development of epilepsy and could significantly optimize drug development in the pharmaceutical industry. The study results have recently…
Study could help the 4.8 million people in the UK with diabetes. A new way to reduce progression of diabetic kidney disease, affecting 40% of people with diabetes, has been discovered by scientists. The University of Bristol-led study published today [7 February] in JCI Insight, could help the 4.8 million people in the UK with diabetes who are four times more likely to need either dialysis or a kidney transplant. Recent clinical trials show a commonly used blood pressure medicine,…
Blocking an immune-regulating protein reverses the damage caused by acute and chronic kidney disease, a preclinical study suggests. In a world first, scientists at Duke-NUS Medical School, the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) and colleagues in Germany have shown that regenerative therapy to restore impaired kidney function may soon be a possibility. In a preclinical study reported in Nature Communications, the team found that blocking a damaging and scar-regulating protein called interleukin-11 (IL-11) enables damaged kidney cells to regenerate, restoring impaired…
A research group funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation has identified a gene that drives T lymphocytes to exhaustion. This opens up new approaches for more effective immunotherapies. A tough battle requires endurance. This is also true for white blood cells as they tackle cancer – or more specifically for T lymphocytes or T cells, a group of white blood cells involved in the immune system’s fight against cancer cells. However, T cells can become exhausted during this fight….
Serotonin transporter in the brain increased. Scientists led by Julia Sacher from MPI CBS and Osama Sabri from the Leipzig University Hospital have discovered in an elaborate patient study that the transport of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain increases in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) shortly before menstruation. Their findings provide the basis for a more targeted therapy of this specific mood disorder, in which patients only have to take antidepressants for a few days. PMS, or premenstrual…
Dynamic movement of H1N1 proteins reveal new vulnerabilities. According to the World Health Organization, each year there are an estimated 1 billion cases of influenza, between 3-5 million severe cases and up to 650,000 influenza-related respiratory deaths globally. Seasonal flu vaccines must be reformulated each year to match the predominantly circulating strains. When the vaccine matches the predominant strain, it is very effective; however, when it does not match, it may offer little protection. The main targets of the flu…
Cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases are closely linked. Researchers at the MHH now want to demonstrate the molecular mechanisms and investigate the influence of age-related changes in the heart, lungs and immune system. Cardiovascular diseases and diseases of the lower respiratory tract are among the most common causes of death, especially in older people. Epidemiological studies examining the incidence and distribution of diseases demonstrate a close link between cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. However, little is known about the molecular biological causes….
New research reveals a region specific corticothalamic pathway between the thalamic reticular nucleus and the layer 5 cells of the frontal cortex. The pathway recruits inhibition in the thalamus proportional to the degree of cortical synchrony. The cortex is at the apex of information processing in the mammalian brain. Interestingly, however, beside olfactory inputs, no fast, precise information reaches the cortex without a thalamic transfer. Indeed, without exception all cortical regions receive thalamic inputs and none of them (olfactory cortex…
NIH study provides new insights on role of gut in staph colonization. A promising approach to control Staphylococcus aureus bacterial colonization in people—using a probiotic instead of antibiotics—was safe and highly effective in a Phase 2 clinical trial. The new study, reported in The Lancet Microbe, found that the probiotic Bacillus subtilis markedly reduced S. aureus colonization in trial participants without harming the gut microbiota, which includes bacteria that can benefit people. The research was conducted by researchers at the…
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