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  • Immune genes are altered in Alzheimer’s patients’ blood

    A new Northwestern Medicine study has found the immune system in the blood of Alzheimer’s patients is epigenetically altered. That means the patients’ behavior or environment has caused changes that affect the way their genes work.

    Many of these altered immune genes are the same ones that increase an individual’s risk for Alzheimer’s. Northwestern scientists theorize the cause could be a previous viral infection, environmental pollutants or other lifestyle factor and behaviors.

  • AI model as diabetes early warning system when driving

    Low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) are one of the most dangerous complications of diabetes and pose high risk during cognitively demanding tasks requiring complex motor skills, such as driving a car. The utility of current tools to detect hypoglycemia is limited by diagnostic delay, invasiveness, low availability, and high costs. A recent study published in the journal NEJM AI provides a novel way to detect hypoglycemia during driving.

  • Scientists develop a low-cost device to make cell therapy safer

    A tiny device built by scientists at MIT and the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology could be used to improve the safety and effectiveness of cell therapy treatments for patients suffering from spinal cord injuries.

  • Lighting up Alzheimer’s-related proteins to allow for earlier disease detection

    Many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, are difficult to diagnose before symptoms begin to appear. However, disease-related biomarkers such as aggregated proteins called amyloids could provide important insight much earlier, if they can be readily detected. Researchers publishing in ACS Sensors have developed one such method using an array of sensor molecules that can light up amyloids. The tool could help monitor disease progression or distinguish between different amyloid-related conditions.

  • Disrupted cellular function behind type 2 diabetes in obesity

    Disrupted function of “cleaning cells” in the body may help to explain why some people with obesity develop type 2 diabetes, while others do not. A study from the University of Gothenburg describes this newly discovered mechanism.

  • Precursor of Cholesterol Protects Cells From Ferroptosis

    In a groundbreaking study, a team led by Würzburg Professor José Pedro Friedmann Angeli has shown that the cholesterol precursor 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) plays a crucial role as an antioxidant: it integrates into the cell membranes and protects the cells by preventing a certain type of cell death, known as ferroptosis.

  • Buck Scientists Identify How Dietary Restriction Slows Brain Aging & Increases Lifespan

    Restricting calories is known to improve health and increase lifespan, but much of how it does so remains a mystery, especially in regard to how it protects the brain. Buck scientists have uncovered a role for a gene called OXR1 that is necessary for the lifespan extension seen with dietary restriction and is essential for healthy brain aging.

  • Unravelling individual differences in DNA mutation risks

    Mutations, which occur continuously in every cell of our bodies, are a key contributor to cancer, ageing, and neurodegeneration. While exposure to mutagenic chemicals, or mistakes in cellular processes during DNA replication contribute to these mutations, the exact distribution and patterns of these changes across human chromosomes have remained a mystery until now.

  • Novel Approach for Lymph Node Metastasis Treatment

    Researchers at Tohoku University have discovered a new approach for treating lymph node metastasis. Anticancer drugs are administered directly into the LNs under ultrasound guidance (Lymphatic Drug Delivery System or LDDS) to target sentinel lymph nodes (LNs) and generate antitumor effects locally, preventing distant metastasis. This approach not only improves the anticancer effect but also reduces the nasty side effects commonly associated with systemic chemotherapy.

  • A universal coronavirus vaccine could save billions of dollars if ready before next pandemic

    A new study suggests once developed, having a universal vaccine in advance of the next coronavirus epidemic/pandemic can save up to 7 million hospitalizations and 2 million deaths even when it is the only intervention being implemented and its efficacy is as low as 10%.

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