Author: healthadmin
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine found that patients who continue to smoke before lung cancer surgery have an increased risk of pulmonary complications, but their short-term mortality rate is similar to that of patients who are able to quit before surgery. Published in Journal of the American College of Surgeonsthe findings suggest that physicians are reconsidering traditional models that exclude certain patients who continue to smoke until the time of treatment after lung cancer surgery. Doctors traditionally want patients to quit smoking a month before surgery, but a more personalized plan may offer healthier options for…
In a new study published today, scienceresearchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have developed a spatial atlas of specialized immune structures called tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) across multiple cancer types. This first-ever atlas reveals that TLS maturation status, spatial location within tumors, and composition can provide clinically meaningful information about cancer prognosis and treatment response. This research was led by Linghua Wang, MD, Professor of Genomic Medicine, Executive Director and Director of the Center for Cellular and Linguistic Intelligence, Associate Member of the James P. Allison Institute™, and Co-Director of the Area of Focus with the…
Researchers have found that low intake of protein-rich foods can negatively impact physical function as we age, highlighting the important role protein plays in maintaining mobility and muscle strength in adulthood. In a large aging cohort study published in the journal nutrientsresearchers report that regular dietary habits, especially the intake of protein-rich foods, can influence how well an individual moves and performs daily activities later in life.The study was jointly conducted by an international team of researchers from the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, Roskilde University in Denmark, the University of Helsinki in Finland, Shifa Tamer-e-Millat University…
More than a quarter of women who buy menstrual products also buy painkillers at the same time, but women in low-income areas are significantly less likely to do so, according to a new study published this week in an open-access journal. PLOS Digital Health A study by Dr Victoria Civil from the University of Bristol and colleagues used supermarket loyalty card data to map disparities in menstrual pain across the UK. Menstrual pain is a common problem that affects many people around the world. Existing research highlights negative effects on daily activities such as school attendance and work. In the…
Transposable elements (TEs), also called transposons, are DNA sequences that can move or replicate from one location in the genome to another. Although TEs are the most important part of the human genome (approximately 40-50%), scientists have only recently begun to recognize their impact on human diseases ranging from cancer to neurodegenerative diseases. Normally, our cells keep TEs quiet when they are young, but in a new study from the Boston University Chobanian & Avedian School of Medicine, researchers found that TEs are actively expressed in the human brain as large RNAs that can then be processed into smaller RNAs…
An artificial intelligence framework that suggests swapping just one to three ingredients can make meals meaningfully more nutritious and cheaper, according to a new study published in an open access journal. PLOS Digital Health By Trevor Chan and Elias Tagkopoulos of the University of California, Davis, USA. Although dietary guidelines to reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease are well established, incorporating nutrition into the daily diet remains difficult for most people. Many diet recommendation tools ask people to make too many changes at once, leading to unsustainable practices and confusion about how to implement the…
AstraZeneca fires another salvo in its bladder cancer race with Merck’s Keytruda, with the FDA on Thursday approving its PD-L1 inhibitor Imfinzi as part of the first immunotherapy combination therapy for patients with high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) who have not previously received standard-of-care bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy. In a May 28 release, AZ said Imfinzi’s indications were given the green light alongside BCG induction and maintenance therapy. This is the second recent case of a bladder cancer treatment, with Imfinzi approved for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) in March of last year. In this case, it would be used…
Struggles with spatial navigation in virtual reality environments may predict actual brain shrinkage 1 year later in adults without memory impairment. These navigation tests may offer a new way to spot early signs of Alzheimer’s disease long before memory loss begins. The results of this study were recently published in the journal Alzheimer’s disease research and treatment. Alzheimer’s disease causes years of damage to the brain before a person experiences significant memory loss. Some of the first brain regions to deteriorate are those responsible for spatial navigation. This is the ability to understand where you are within a particular environment…
Helen Branswell covers issues broadly related to infectious diseases, including outbreaks, preparedness, research, and vaccine development. Follow her on Mastodon and Blue Sky. You can contact Helen on Signal at hbranswell.01.Craig Spencer contracted Ebola while working in Guinea during the 2014 West African outbreak, but had already returned to the United States when he first developed symptoms. He credits the treatment he received at Bellevue Hospital in New York with helping him survive. If Spencer, an emergency medicine physician and associate professor at Brown University’s School of Public Health, contracted the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the…
Environmental activists in Florida are suing the state in a new court filing, saying the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center may be spewing hundreds of tons of toxic gas into the air without a permit. A federal lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity asks the Southern District of Florida to declare Florida’s emergency managers in violation of the Clean Air Act and impose fines of at least $120,000 per day for each environmental violation. This is the center’s second lawsuit targeting Everglades Detention Center operations over environmental issues, and comes a month after the first case was sent…