Health Problems Archives - Page 139 of 202

Proteins found in semen increase the spread of Ebola virus infection

26.06.2018 Health Problems

Protein fragments, called amyloid fibrils, in human semen significantly increase Ebola virus infection and protect the virus against harsh environmental conditions such as heat and dehydration. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report these findings in a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Although Ebola is […]

A new tactic for starving tumors

26.06.2018 Health Problems

A tumor’s goal is simple: to grow, grow, grow, by making more cancer cells. But that often means growing so fast that the oxygen supply gets scarce, at which point cells within the tumor start to suffocate. Without oxygen, these ever-dividing cells struggle to make enough aspartate, a crucial ingredient in many cellular processes. That’s the scenario worked out by […]

Clostridium difficile infections have decreased 36 percent in Canadian hospitals

25.06.2018 Health Problems

Rates of C. difficile infections have decreased 36% in hospitals across Canada, although the virulent NAP1 strain associated with severe illness and deaths is the most common strain, according to research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) Clostridium difficile is the most common infectious cause of diarrhea in hospitalized patients in developed countries, causing severe illness and occasionally death. […]

South Africa’s battle to resuscitate cancer care

25.06.2018 Health Problems

South African electrician Phiwankosi Mkhize was diagnosed with lung cancer in May last year and told by the hospital to come back for a scan in 15 months. But after just 12 months he died, before having the chance to receive treatment. The 66-year-old’s fate is far from unique in southeastern KwaZulu-Natal province, the country’s second most populous. Hundreds of […]

New cellular pathway helps explain how inflammation leads to artery disease

23.06.2018 Health Problems

Investigators have identified a new cellular pathway that may help explain how arterial inflammation develops into atherosclerosis—deposits of cholesterol, fats and other substances that create plaque, clog arteries and promote heart attacks and stroke. The findings could lead to improved therapies for atherosclerosis, a leading cause of death worldwide. “We have known for decades that atherosclerosis is a disease of […]

‘Antifreeze’ molecules may stop and reverse damage from brain injuries

23.06.2018 Health Problems

The key to better treatments for brain injuries and disease may lie in the molecules charged with preventing the clumping of specific proteins associated with cognitive decline and other neurological problems, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report in a new study published in Neurobiology of Disease. Concentrations of these brain molecules—called N-acetylaspartate (NAA) […]

CPR is key to survival of sudden cardiac arrest

23.06.2018 Health Problems

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation increases the possibility of surviving sudden cardiac arrest. But it’s not just trained professionals who can jump in to perform CPR. There are simple, life-saving steps any bystander can take. “We think it should be a basic life skill,” such as knowing to call 911 when there’s a fire, said Dr. Clifton Callaway, a professor and executive vice […]

Men tolerate stress incontinence years before seeking help

23.06.2018 Health Problems

Men often tolerate stress urinary incontinence for more than two years before seeking medical help—and one-third put up with it for more than five years, making it important for doctors to check for this problem, a new study from UT Southwestern researchers advises. The study, published in the journal Urology, calls on men’s general practitioners and urologists to perform a […]

Researchers report novel method to quickly make therapeutic proteins from human blood

23.06.2018 Health Problems

UMBC researchers report novel method to quickly make therapeutic proteins from human blood Personalized medicine has incredible potential, but current approaches are still too expensive and time-consuming to have a big impact. A new paper in Scientific Reports looks at how to extract cellular protein synthesis machinery from human blood, and, by adding recombinant DNA to the extract, to produce […]

Watching stem cells repair spinal cord in real time

23.06.2018 Health Problems

Monash University researchers have restored movement and regenerated nerves using stem cells in zebra fish where the spinal cord is severely damaged. The research, presented at the International Society for Stem Cell Research conference in Melbourne this week, raises the possibility that these same stem cells could be triggered in human patients who have suffered paralysing damage to their nervous […]

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