Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have tested a new combination therapy in animal models to see if they could find a way to make an already effective treatment even better. Since they’re using a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug to do it, this could help humans sooner than later. These findings […]
Dramatic changes to radiotherapy treatments due to Covid-19
Dramatic changes were seen in the delivery of radiotherapy treatments for cancer during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic in England. Much shorter radiotherapy courses were delivered, treatments were delayed where it was safe to do so and some increases were seen in order to compensate for reduced surgical capacity. Experts believe the changes […]
Blue Monday isn’t a thing. The data shows April could be way tougher
Blue Monday – the third Monday of January – is, or so the theory goes, the most depressing day of the year. It’s cold, you’ve spent all your money on Christmas and all your new year’s resolutions have failed. Then 2021 came along and added a devastating new wave of […]
Fast-spreading UK coronavirus variant could be dominant in U.S. by March, CDC says
A new, highly transmissible variant of the coronavirus first discovered in Britain could become the dominant variant in the United States by March, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned on Friday. The variant, known as B.1.1.7, is believed to be twice as contagious as the current version […]
Covid-19 pandemic ‘leads to slump in heart disease tests’
Procedures to diagnose and treat heart disease fell by almost two-thirds in spring 2020 compared to 2019, a study suggested yesterday, in the latest sign of the coronavirus pandemic’s effect on broader healthcare systems. The survey from the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found there was a 64 per […]
Germany plays catch-up in bid to monitor coronavirus mutations
Germany wants to jump-start gene sequencing efforts to closely track coronavirus mutations and catch up with European nations such as Britain and Denmark which have taken the lead on decoding viral genomes. More contagious coronavirus variants are believed by scientists to have fuelled a surge in global coronavirus cases which […]
Landmark study reveals link between gut microbes, diet, illnesses
Diets rich in healthy and plant-based foods encourages the presence of gut microbes that are linked to a lower risk of common illnesses including heart disease, research has found. A large-scale international study using metagenomics and blood chemical profiling has uncovered a panel of 15 gut microbes associated with lower […]
WHO warns coronavirus herd immunity unlikely this year
Scientists at the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that mass vaccinations would not bring about herd immunity to the coronavirus this year, even as one leading producer boosted its production forecast. Infections numbers are surging around the world, especially in Europe where nations have been forced to ramp up virus […]
Another Chinese city goes into lockdown amid new COVID-19 threat
Authorities in China introduced new COVID-19 curbs in areas surrounding Beijing on Tuesday, putting 4.9 million residents under lockdown as new infections raised worries about a second wave in a nation that has mostly contained the disease. The number of new cases in mainland China reported on Tuesday almost halved […]
COVID-19 Research: Pathophysiology, Epidemiology, Clinical Management and Public Health Response
An outbreak of a respiratory disease first reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and the causative agent was discovered in January 2020 to be a novel betacoronovirus of the same subgenus as SARS-CoV and named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly disseminated […]
Novel RNA factors may help cancer cells thrive
Recent work by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital pinpoints critical changes in an enzyme known as DICER, which create a cascade of effects on this microRNAome. The team identified primary actors circ2082, a circular RNA, and RBM3, an RNA-binding protein, which form a complex with DICER to trap it […]
Incorporating unhealthy food to healthy diet diminishes positive effects: Study
Eating a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, has a positive impact on health, but little is known about the effects of including unhealthy foods in an otherwise healthy diet. Now researchers have reported diminished benefits of a Mediterranean diet among those with a high frequency of eating unhealthy […]
Researchers develop new drug-delivery system to treat brain disorders
A study led by researchers of Brigham and Women’s Hospital claims that technology could potentially offer a variety of treatments for human neurological disorders. In the past few decades, a team of researchers has identified biological pathways leading to neurodegenerative diseases and developed promising molecular agents to target them. However, […]
Study sheds light on critical windows in pregnancy for Covid-19 vaccination
Scientists have found evidence of lower than expected transfer of protective antibodies against the novel coronavirus via the placenta from mothers who are infected in the third trimester, findings that shed light on critical windows in pregnancy that may be most desirable for vaccination. According to the researchers, including those […]
Studies find having Covid-19 may protect against reinfection
Two new studies give encouraging evidence that having Covid-19 may offer some protection against future infections. Researchers found that people who made antibodies to the coronavirus were much less likely to test positive again for up to six months and maybe longer. The results bode well for vaccines, which provoke […]