A new study conducted in sub-Saharan Africa found that bacteria living in the intestine are an underlying cause of childhood malnutrition, leading researchers to suggest that many infant deaths in the developing world could be prevented by simply altering microbial communities in the gut. The study, conducted in Malawi, was led by researchers from the […]
In a new study, regular aspirin use (defined as once or more per week) was shown to be “significantly” associated with a higher risk of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in older people. Importantly, the new findings, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, appear to be independent of a history of […]
On the list of unwelcome medical conditions, a parasitic worm infection ranks fairly high. But according to an international team of scientists, the sugar-based anti-inflammatory molecule that many parasitic worms secrete inside the human body might actually help treat the metabolic disorders associated with obesity. The researchers, from the University of Georgia, the Harvard School […]
Scientists have provided the first neurophysiological evidence for something that medicos have long suspected: ultrasound applied to parts of the body, such as the fingertips, can stimulate different sensory pathways leading to the brain. The researchers, from Virginia Tech, say the discovery has implications for diagnosing and treating neuropathy, which affects an estimated 20 million […]
For the first time scientists have wirelessly streamed Braille patterns directly into a blind patient’s retina, allowing the patient to read words accurately and quickly. The device uses a small camera mounted on a pair of glasses, a portable processor to translate the image from the camera into electrical signals, and a microchip with electrodes […]
Challenging the long-held notion that the main function of sleep is to give rest to the brain, researchers have found that not getting enough sleep has a significant impact on fat cells, reducing by 30 percent their ability to respond to insulin, a hormone that regulates energy. The new findings, detailed in the Annals of […]
Berkeley scientists have found that small fragments of a keratin protein in the eye are exceptionally efficient at killing off pathogens, a discovery the researchers believe could lead to new and inexpensive antimicrobial drugs. Details of cytokeratin 6A’s antimicrobial properties appear in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The researchers, led by Suzanne Fleiszig, came upon […]
It was generally assumed that the iris was a “stable” biometric over a person’s lifetime but new research from the University of Notre Dame shows the iris is susceptible to an aging process that causes recognition performance to degrade slowly over time. Iris recognition is already used in various airports and border crossings and the […]
A new chemical stabilizer – based on silk – keeps the bioactive molecules in vaccines and antibiotics stable for long periods at temperatures of up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The developers, funded by the National Institutes of Health, say their technique could dramatically improve access to medications in the developing world. Without continuous refrigeration, the […]
A novel genetic vaccine that modifies the liver to produce antibodies to clear nicotine from the bloodstream could be administered to children in much the same way that polio and HPV vaccines are, say the developers. The team that created the vaccine, from Weill Cornell Medical College, describe their work in the latest issue of […]
