Scientists have established a connection between two diseases that aren’t commonly linked: allergy and cancer. The new research, published in the The Journal of Leukocyte Biology, shows that antihistamines appear to have “significant” anti-cancer properties. Specifically, antihistamines were found to interfere with the activity of myeloid derived suppressor cells, which are known to reduce the […]
Epidural electrical stimulation, which delivers a continuous electrical current to the lower spinal cord, has allowed four young men who had been paralyzed for years to move their legs. All four participants were classified as suffering from chronic, motor complete spinal cord injuries and were unable to move their lower extremities prior to the implantation […]
As the quality of our sleep worsens as we get older, our overall quality of life suffers too. But age-related poor sleep quality may be reversible, according to new research in the journal Plos Biology. The German and British scientists behind the new findings speculate that new drug treatments could be developed based on their […]
Scientists studying levels of the stress hormone cortisol in financial traders say that appetite for risk may be “physiologically-driven” by the body’s response to cortisol and that stress could be a trigger for market instability. Published in the journalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the new study is the first to show that personal […]
A study in the journal Biological Psychiatryreveals for the first time how the illicit drug ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA)) produces feelings of euphoria in users. The researchers, from Imperial College London, say their findings hint at ways that ecstasy might be used in the treatment of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). MDMA has previously been […]
Ultrasound is widely used in medicine to reveal what’s happening inside the body, but scientists at Virginia Tech have found that ultrasound can also modulate brain activity to heighten sensory perception in humans. Researcher William Tyler (pictured) said his team’s work provides the first proof that low-intensity, transcranial-focused ultrasound can modulate human brain activity to […]
For the first time, scientists have succeeded in transforming human stem cells into functional lung and airway cells, an advance that could lead to the growth of lung tissue for transplantation – with no risk of rejection. The breakthrough, by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center, is reported in the journal Nature Biotechnology. “Researchers have […]
The molecular pathways responsible for the learning and memory problems associated with marijuana use have been mapped by scientists for the first time. Importantly, the new research, published in the journal Cell, suggests that the over-the-counter painkiller ibuprofen (Advil) can prevent, or reduce, these debilitating side-effects. The researchers behind the new work say their discovery […]
A compound derived from cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli has been found to offer protection from lethal doses of gamma ray radiation. The experiments were conducted with rodents, but the Georgetown University researchers who made the discovery say the compound is safe for use in humans. Their study, published in the Proceedings […]
For the first time ever, a synthetic medication produced by the pharmaceutical industry has been discovered in strong concentrations in a natural source. The surprising discovery by a team of European researchers is reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie. Led by Michel De Waard from the Grenoble Institute of Neurosciences, the team found that the […]
