Researchers have identified the locking mechanism that allows some neurons to form synapses to pass along essential information. Mutations of genes that produce a critical cell-adhesion molecule involved in the work were previously linked to autism.
A procedure that uses heat generated by radio waves to treat Barrett’s esophagus, a condition caused by acid reflux (severe heartburn), can eliminate signs of the potentially cancer-causing disorder and reduce the risk that the disease will progress. The procedure, called radiofrequency ablation, could mean patients have an alternative to surgery for treating Barrett’s esophagus.
Researchers have gained crucial insight into how mechanosensitivity arises. By measuring electrical impulses in the sensory neurons of mice, neurobiologists and pain researchers were able to directly elucidate, for the first time, the emergence of mechanosensitivity.
Supermarket shoppers may be encouraged to buy sugar-filled, calorie-rich drinks by discounts and promotions, according to New Zealand research. A study has found healthy drinks were less likely to be discounted in supermarkets. And the amount of the discount was greater on products higher in fat, sugar and energy.
Focusing HIV drug development on immune cells called macrophages instead of traditionally targeted T cells could bring us closer to eradicating the disease, as per new research from University of Florida and five other institutions. In the largest study of its kind, scientists observed that in diseased cells such as cancer cells that are also infected with HIV, almost all the virus was packed into macrophages, whose job is to “eat” invading disease agents……..
Side effects linked to several commonly-prescribed dementia drugs appears to be putting elderly Canadians at risk, says Queen’s University Geriatrics professor Sudeep Gill. Cholinesterase inhibitors (Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl) are often prescribed for people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias because they increase the level of a chemical in the brain that seems to help memory.
The discovery of faulty genes by researchers in England could help people with Paget’s disease, a painful bone condition. Three genes have been found to be associated with the disease which, if detected early enough in people, could hasten diagnosis and treatment.
GAITHERSBURG, Md. (MedPage Today) — Healthcare workers urged the FDA not to rush into a cumbersome Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) aimed at curbing misuse of opioid painkillers.
LITTLE FALLS, N.J. (MedPage Today) — The pathological features of Alzheimer’s disease — tangles, neuritic plaques, and diffuse plaques — may not be as representative of clinical dementia in the very old as in the younger elderly, researchers found.
A heart muscle protein can replace its missing skeletal muscle counterpart to give mice with myopathy a long and active life.