Health & Medicine

Jun 13, 2019 10:34 AM EDT

UMBC Research Decodes Plant Defense System, with an Eye on Improving Farming and Medicine

UMBC's Hua Lu, professor of biological sciences, and colleagues have found new genetic links between a plant's circadian rhythm (essentially, an internal clock) and its ability to fend off diseases and pests. The findings were 10 years in the making and published in Nature Communications this week. The results could eventually lead to plants that are more resistant to disease-causing pathogens and better treatment for human diseases.

Jun 12, 2019 09:20 AM EDT

Cause of Hardening of the Arteries -- and Potential Treatment -- Identified

A team of UK scientists have identified the mechanism behind hardening of the arteries and shown in animal studies that a generic medication normally used to treat acne could be an effective treatment for the condition.

Jun 12, 2019 08:50 AM EDT

New Vulnerability Found in Major Human Viruses

Discovery of a new feature of a large class of pathogenic viruses may allow development of new antiviral medications for the common cold, polio, and other illnesses, according to a new study publishing June 11 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Rana Abdelnabi and Johan Neyts of the University of Leuven, Belgium, and James Geraets and Sarah Butcher of the University of Helsinki and their colleagues.

A Novel Carbohydrate-Related Enzyme from Fungi (IMAGE)

Jun 11, 2019 11:02 AM EDT

New Family on the Block: A Novel Group of Glycosidic Enzymes

A group of researchers from Japan has discovered a novel enzyme from a soil fungus. In their study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, they speculate that this enzyme plays important roles in the soil ecosystem, and then describe its structure and action. Once the usefulness of the main product of this enzyme is better understood in the future, this enzyme could also be exploited for industrial purposes.

Jun 10, 2019 04:09 PM EDT

Millions of Cardiovascular Deaths Attributed to Not Eating Enough Fruits and Vegetables

Baltimore (June 8, 2019) - Preliminary findings from a new study reveal that inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption may account for millions of deaths from heart disease and strokes each year. The study estimated that roughly 1 in 7 cardiovascular deaths could be attributed to not eating enough fruit and 1 in 12 cardiovascular deaths could be attributed to not eating enough vegetables.

Intestinal Stem and Progenitor Cells (IMAGE)

Jun 08, 2019 10:26 AM EDT

Tissue Engineering: The Big Picture on Growing Small Intestines

Babies born prematurely often face intense medical challenges, including intestines that are underdeveloped or diseased. While an intestine transplant can benefit some patients, many babies are simply too small to endure this procedure.

Jun 08, 2019 09:48 AM EDT

New Technique Will Help Experts Make Heads or Tails of Male Fertility

A new way of analyzing sperm that tracks the movement of the sperm tail could enable substantial improvements to male fertility testing.

Jun 07, 2019 09:36 AM EDT

Details of First Historically Recorded Plague Pandemic Revealed by Ancient Genomes

An international team of researchers has analyzed human remains from 21 archaeological sites to learn more about the impact and evolution of the plague-causing bacterium Yersinia pestis during the first plague pandemic (541-750 AD). In a study published in PNAS, the researchers reconstructed 8 plague genomes from Britain, Germany, France, and Spain and uncovered a previously unknown level of diversity in Y. pestis strains. Additionally, they found the first direct genetic evidence of the Justinianic Plague in the British Isles.

The HCV p7 Protein in the Cell's Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane (IMAGE)

Jun 07, 2019 09:30 AM EDT

Scientists Dscover How Hepatitis C 'Ghosts' Our Immune System

Scientists from Trinity College Dublin have discovered how the highly infectious and sometimes deadly Hepatitis C virus (HCV) "ghosts" our immune system and remains undiagnosed in many people. They report their findings today [Wednesday, June 5th] in the international FASEB journal.

Jun 07, 2019 09:23 AM EDT

What If You Could Spot Skin Cancer Before It Got Too Serious?

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. If you could visibly see signs of skin cancer on your body, would you be more likely to visit the doctor? A group of professors from BYU and the University of Utah asked that exact question as they looked for the most effective ways to influence people to screen themselves for cancer.

Illustration of a Woman Sleeping (IMAGE)

Jun 06, 2019 09:00 AM EDT

Study Links Irregular Sleep Patterns to Metabolic Disorders

A new study has found that not sticking to a regular bedtime and wake-up schedule--and getting different amounts of sleep each night--can put a person at higher risk for obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension, high blood sugar, and other metabolic disorders.

Jun 06, 2019 08:16 AM EDT

Is There a Limit to Human Endurance? Science Says Yes

DURHAM, N.C. -- From the Ironman triathlon to the Tour de France, some competitions test the limits of even the toughest endurance athletes. Now, a new study of energy expenditure during some of the world's longest, most grueling sporting events suggests that no matter what the activity, everyone hits the same metabolic limit -- a maximum possible level of exertion that humans can sustain in the long term.

Jun 03, 2019 07:54 PM EDT

Newfound Autoimmune Syndrome Causes Muscle Pain, Weakness

A previously unknown autoimmune muscle disease involving sudden onset of debilitating muscle pain and weakness has been identified by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The syndrome easily could be mistaken for other muscle diseases that require different treatment, so the findings are expected to help physicians treat patients appropriately, the researchers said.

Jun 01, 2019 11:28 AM EDT

Occupational Hazards Account for More Than One in Ten People with Range of Lung Diseases

June 1, 2019--More than 1 in 10 people with a range of non-cancerous lung diseases may be sick as a result of inhaling vapors, gas, dust or fumes at work, according to a joint American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society statement published in the ATS's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Jun 01, 2019 10:02 AM EDT

Searching for the Origins of the Depressive Symptoms in Huntington's Disease

About 40% of the affected patients with Huntington's disease -a neurodegenerative pathology- show depression symptoms, even in early stages before the apparition of the typical motor symptoms of the disease.

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Health & Medicine

UMBC Research Decodes Plant Defense System, with an Eye on Improving Farming and Medicine

Cause of Hardening of the Arteries -- and Potential Treatment -- Identified

New Vulnerability Found in Major Human Viruses

New Family on the Block: A Novel Group of Glycosidic Enzymes

Millions of Cardiovascular Deaths Attributed to Not Eating Enough Fruits and Vegetables

Tissue Engineering: The Big Picture on Growing Small Intestines

New Technique Will Help Experts Make Heads or Tails of Male Fertility

Details of First Historically Recorded Plague Pandemic Revealed by Ancient Genomes

Scientists Dscover How Hepatitis C 'Ghosts' Our Immune System

What If You Could Spot Skin Cancer Before It Got Too Serious?

Study Links Irregular Sleep Patterns to Metabolic Disorders

Is There a Limit to Human Endurance? Science Says Yes

Newfound Autoimmune Syndrome Causes Muscle Pain, Weakness

Occupational Hazards Account for More Than One in Ten People with Range of Lung Diseases

Searching for the Origins of the Depressive Symptoms in Huntington's Disease

Let's Connect

EDITOR'S Choices

Guacamole Lovers, Rejoice! The Avocado Genome Has Been Sequenced

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Super-Resolution Microscopy Sheds Light on How Dementia Protein Becomes Dysfunctional

To Learn How Poison Frogs are Adapting to Warmer Temperatures, Scientists Got Crafty

Endometrial Diseases Can Be Imitated in a Lab Dish, New Study Shows

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