25 Nov, 2014 | by Labroots
Researchers Find Genetic Risks for Many Autoimmune DiseasesAutoimmune diseases that affect millions of peopleâincluding type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthmaâwhich mystifyingly cause the immune system to damage tissues in our bodies, may harbor a complex genetic component, a new study finds. This discovery could prompt better diagnosis and someday, better treatment options. A team of scientists from UC San Francisco,...... Read More
07 Nov, 2014 | by Labroots
The Road from Down Syndrome to Alzheimer’s DiseaseGiven my sisterâs history, I often wished she had Down syndrome. Iâm sure that sounds odd, but when I was a kid, not to me. Jill was found to have Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS), a genetic disorder that bestows odd facial features and a small head, small stature, profuse body hair, heart problems, difficulty with eating, and often, interpersonal challenges and delayed development. Jillâs...... Read More
06 Nov, 2014 | by Labroots
Studies on Potential Pandemic Pathogens Put on PauseA new wrinkle in federal funding for disputed gain-of-function studies (GOF) in which pathogens are modified to make them lethal or easier to transmitâthe White House is putting funding on hold while experts craft a government-wide policy for evaluating the risks. The funding âpause,â says a White House blog (from the Office of Science and Technology Policy), would pertain to new studiesthat...... Read More
05 Nov, 2014 | by Labroots
Cure for Type 1 Diabetes in Reach?Researchers seeking a cure for Type 1 diabetes may be a giant step closer to the prize. For most people with this chronic condition, the immune system goes awry, destroying insulin-producing (islet) cells in the pancreas. When a substantial number of these cells are wiped out, little or no insulin is produced. With no insulin to allow glucose into the cells, sugar accumulates in the bloodstream, jeopardizing...... Read More
17 Oct, 2014 | by Labroots
Emory Students Develop Test for Ebola VirusAccording to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 1.4 million people could contract the Ebola virus by January. In West Africa alone 2,800 lives have been lost to the dreaded disease. For two students at Emory University in Atlanta, the problem was even more real. Ambulances went by their biology classroom to transport three Ebola patients for treatment at the universityâs hospital, and CDC...... Read More
15 Oct, 2014 | by Labroots
A Whale of a ComebackWith all the doom and gloom about climate change and vanishing species, itâs sometimes nice to hear about an environmental success story. Hereâs one. According to recent research from the University of Washington, the California blue whale population is back to near historic levels. Once hunted nearly to extinction, this is the only population of blue whales to have recovered. Today the population...... Read More
13 Oct, 2014 | by Labroots
Train Your Brain to Lose WeightPlease take these carrots away. I canât stop eating them! Do you think you might ever say that? Or will that statement always only apply to chips? A study published recently in Nutrition & Diabetes indicates that you might be able to train your brain to like healthy foods instead of unhealthy ones. Scientists at Tufts University and Massachusetts General Hospital studied 13 overweight adults, eight...... Read More
10 Oct, 2014 | by Labroots
Qualities That Make for Must-Watch TV May Boost Risk of Alzheimer’s in WomenFor those of you who donât subscribe to The Hollywood Reporter, Iâm going to synergize vital news you may have missed with a longitudinal study shared by a professional society of neuroscientists. First, THR. In January, the entertainment trade pub reported the Bravo cable networkâs âReal Housewivesâ franchise hit an all-time high (marking the most-watched night in the networkâs 33-year...... Read More
09 Oct, 2014 | by Labroots
Synthetic Vitamin D the Missing Link in Pancreatic Cancer Treatment?Researchers from the Salk Institute, La Jolla, Calif, have found that a manmade derivative of vitamin D caved-in the seemingly impervious wall of cells barricading pancreatic tumors, cleaving a gap in which to pump cancer-fighting drugs. The findings, from animal studies, have led to human trials. The dismal five-year survival rate for this type of cancerâlowest among all cancersâmay be linked...... Read More
25 Sep, 2014 | by Labroots
Fake Sugar Paving the Road to Diabetes?Artificial sweeteners, put forth as a panacea for weight loss and diabetes prevention, may instead spur our chances of developing glucose intolerance and metabolic disease by altering the workings of gut microbiota â the large group of bacteria in our intestines, according to an interesting and much-discussed study. The findings are published in the journal Nature. Glucose intolerance, often believed...... Read More