Olfactory neurons can fight and clear influenza B without being killed. Influenza researchers have long focused most of their efforts on the epithelial cells lining the lungs because these are the cells that become infected and killed while producing new copies of the virus. But other cells lining the upper airways are exposed to viruses in the same amounts and somehow aren’t as likely to be killed by infection. Is it because of something the virus does, or something those…
Device could preconcentrate samples from COVID-19 patients in asymptomatic stages of the disease, providing early detection capability. Diagnostic devices that are used at home or in doctors’ offices are often not sensitive enough to detect small amounts of a virus that might be present in samples from asymptomatic patients, which can occur in early stage COVID-19. In Biomicrofluidics, by AIP Publishing, scientists report a membrane-based invention that can concentrate the virus content of a sample of urine or saliva, allowing…
Researchers at the Smart-Aging Research Center (IDAC) at Tohoku University have developed an innovative training protocol that, utilizing immersive virtual reality (IVR), leads to real physical and cognitive benefits. We all know that physical exercise is crucial for overall well-being and helps postpone aging-related disorders; what is more surprising is that physical exercise can have beneficial effects not only on the body but on cognitive functions too. Unfortunately, physical activities are not always possible for people suffering or recovering from…
Immune cells called ‘natural killer’ (NK) cells could be a powerful weapon for fighting lung cancer, according to Australian researchers. Studying preclinical and patient samples of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute team revealed that NK cells – but not T cells – are essential for slowing the aggressive spread of the cancer. ‘Supercharging’ the NK cells further boosted their cancer-fighting abilities. The discovery offers hope for better treatments for people with SCLC, many of…
Preclinical study in Cell Reports points to possible treatment for epileptic seizures. Scientists studying neuronal energy metabolism found evidence that the loss of an important energy regulator called AMPK in neural stem cells or glial cells called astrocytes causes neuronal death in laboratory rodents. They also discovered that AMPK loss in neural stem cells or neurons causes spontaneous brain seizures in the animals. Publishing their findings in Cell Reports, the multi-institutional research team–led by Cincinnati Children’s cancer biologist Biplab Dasgupta,…
In laboratory studies, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and Johns Hopkins University researchers observed a key step in how cancer cells may spread from a primary tumor to a distant site within the body, a process known as metastasis. Trying to determine how groups of cells migrate to other parts of the body, the scientists used tissue engineering to construct a functional 3D blood vessel and grew breast cancer cells nearby. They observed the cancer cells reaching out to the…
Patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF) benefit from early rhythm control therapy, according to results of EAST – AFNET 4, an AFNET/EHRA trial presented in a Hot Line session today at ESC Congress 2020. [1,2] Early rhythm control therapy with antiarrhythmic drugs and/or AF ablation reduced a composite of cardiovascular death, stroke, and hospitalization for worsening heart failure or acute coronary syndrome in 2789 patients with early AF and cardiovascular risk factors compared to usual care over a 5-year…
Understanding the skin damage caused by rubbing could lead to better topical skin treatments and help prevent the formation of new routes for viral and bacterial infection. Tohoku University biomechanical engineers have developed a better understanding of the damage that can be caused by something rubbing against the skin. The study was published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics. Kenji Kikuchi, who was involved in the study, says their findings suggest that damaged skin from rubbing face masks and coverings…
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common muscle disease in children and is passed on by X-linked recessive inheritance. Characteristic is a progressive muscular atrophy. The disease often results in death before the third decade of life. Researchers of the Universities of Maynooth (Ireland) and Bonn have found a connection between dystrophic muscles and the lymphatic system in mice with Duchenne disease. The results have now been published in the journal “iScience”. The muscular atrophy in Duchenne disease is…
Researchers from Kanazawa University find that as gastric cancer spreads throughout the peritoneal cavity, inflammatory protein IL-17A induces tissue fibrosis, causing lethal side effects and hampering chemotherapy. Gastric cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer-associated mortality worldwide, is renowned for its ability to disseminate throughout the peritoneal cavity. As well as causing secondary tumors in other organs, metastatic gastric cancer cells trigger extensive stromal fibrosis, or the formation of scar tissue, that can be more deadly than the cancer…
Researchers at Osaka University identify vicious cycle involving RNA exosome that accelerates disease progression in FTLD/ALS. Researchers at Osaka University have identified a fault in the RNA quality control system of cells that leads to the haywire production of toxic proteins in frontotemporal lobar degeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FTLD/ALS). Their new study, published in The EMBO Journal, shows that an abnormality of the C9orf72 gene produces toxic proteins that hinder the cells’ ability to destroy defective C9orf72 RNA, which…
A congenital disorder of the fat metabolism can apparently cause chronic hyperreaction of the immune system. This is the conclusion reached by researchers from the University of Bonn in a recent study. The results are published in the journal Autophagy. Some individuals suffer from a genetic defect that causes their cells to form an unusual kind of fat. The consequences of this very rare disorder are grave. In some patients, the nerve cells responsible for transmitting pain die over time;…
Scientists report a detailed model of aerosol transport through air, considering several environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity and ambient flow The novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is thought to spread through natural respiratory activities, such as breathing, talking and coughing, but little is known about how the virus is transported through the air. University of Missouri scientists report, in Physics of Fluids, by AIP Publishing, on a study of how airflow and fluid flow affect exhaled droplets that can…
Insights provide new path forward in the study of asthma and the development of novel therapies Researchers identify master regulator genes of asthma, provide new path forward in the study of asthma and the development of novel therapies. Bottom Line: Identification of these master regulator genes provides a new path forward in the study of asthma and the development of novel therapies and treatments. Results: After identifying nasal gene signatures for mild, moderate, and severe persistent asthma, the researchers applied…
The airborne transmission of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 via aerosol particles in indoor environment seems to be strongly influenced by relative humidity. This is the conclusion drawn by researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) in Leipzig and the CSIR National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi from the analysis of 10 most relevant international studies on the subject. Therefore, they recommend controlling the indoor air in addition to the usual measures such as social distancing and masks. A relative…
Huddersfield researchers publish study that found that dexamethasone could reduce death rates in hospitalised COVID-19 patients early in the pandemic. A study from early in the global coronavirus pandemic that evidenced the benefits of using steroids to combat COVID-19 in severely ill patients could have saved lives, according to the University of Huddersfield researchers involved. Dr Hamid Merchant and Dr Syed Shahzad Hasan assessed the results of using corticosteroid such as dexamethasone on hospitalised COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory distress…
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