Potential new approach to the treatment of multiple sclerosis
A prospective new method of treating patients with multiple sclerosis has been proposed by researchers of the Mainz University Medical Center working in cooperation with researchers of the University of Montreal. In model trials and experiments employing human endothelial cells, they discovered that the EGFL7 protein hinders the migration of immune cells into the central nervous system by stabilizing the blood-brain barrier.
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New link between gut bacteria and obesity
Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have discovered a new link between gut bacteria and obesity. They found that certain amino acids in our blood can be connected to both obesity and the composition of the gut microbiome. We know less about the significance of our gut bacteria than what many books and magazines on the subject seem to suggest. A lot of the research on the topic is based on animal studies which cannot be directly applied to humans.
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Fertility study finds hormone that could support early pregnancy
Scientists have identified a hormone that could help prepare the womb lining for pregnancy, research shows. The hormone helps prime cells for implantation, a vital stage in early pregnancy when a fertilised egg attaches to the womb lining, the study suggests. The discovery - made by testing tissue from women aged in their forties - could help scientists develop ways to improve fertility.
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Study weighs risks and benefits of phase I trials in pediatric cancer
On average, 1 in 10 children who enroll in pediatric phase I cancer trials are improved after the trial, and 1 in 50 die from drug-related complications, according to a new systematic review and meta-analysis published this week in PLOS Medicine. Pediatric phase I trials are critical for establishing the safety and dosing of anti-cancer drugs in children. National and international regulations, however, establish limits on allowable risk for research involving minors.
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Women who clean at home or work face increased lung function decline
Women who work as cleaners or regularly use cleaning sprays or other cleaning products at home appear to experience a greater decline in lung function over time than women who do not clean, according to new research published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Surgical infections linked to drug-resistant bugs, study suggests
People having surgery in low income countries are more likely to develop an infection than those in wealthier nations, which may be linked to drug-resistant bacteria, research suggests. Patients in low income nations also have higher antibiotic use and are more likely to be infected with bacteria that are resistant to medicines, the study found.
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Blood vessel-on-a-chips show anti-cancer drug effects in human cells
Researchers at the Institute of Industrial Science (IIS), the University of Tokyo, CNRS and INSERM, report a new organ-on-a-chip technology for the study of blood vessel formation and drugs targeting this event. The technology recreates a human blood vessel and shows how new capillaries grow from a single vessel (parent vessel) in response to proper biochemical signaling cues.
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