Our blogs explain health conditions and clinical research in a way that is easy to follow, so readers can feel more informed
Infant MRIs Show Autism Linked to Increased Cerebrospinal Fluid
Right: MRI of a baby at 6 months who was diagnosed with autism at 2 years. The dark space between the brain folds and skull indicates increased amounts of cerebrospinal fluid. Left: MRI of a baby who was not diagnosed with...
Study Finds Biomarker for Lung Cancer Detection in the Nasal Passages of Smokers
A new nasal test may allow patients suspected of having lung cancer to undergo a simple swab of their nose to determine if they have the disease. Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that a genomic biomarker...
Gene Sequencing Software Could Aid in Early Detection of Cancer
A research team from the United States and Canada has developed and successfully tested new computational software that determines whether a human DNA sample, through DNA analysis, includes an epigenetic add-on linked to cancer and other adverse health conditions. In the...
Gut Bacteria Can Cause, Predict, and Prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis
Gut Bacteria Rheumatoid Arthritis The bacteria in your gut do more than break down your food. They also can predict susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis, suggests Veena Taneja, Ph.D., an immunologist at Mayo Clinic’s Center for Individualized Medicine. Dr. Taneja recently published...
Study Confirms Vitamin D Protects Against Colds and Flu
A new global collaborative study has confirmed that vitamin D supplementation can help protect against acute respiratory infections. The study, a participant data meta-analysis of 25 randomized controlled trials including more than 11,000 participants, has been published online in The BMJ....
Sick and Tired — Not Just a Figure of Speech
Already feeling drained so early in the year? Genes might contribute in a small but significant way to whether people report being tired and low in energy. This is according to UK researchers led by Vincent Deary of Northumbria University, Newcastle,...
How to boost Hispanics’ participation in clinical trials? Relate to them, study shows
Hispanic cancer patients rarely participate in clinical trials, but researchers want to tailor a Spanish DVD to help change this. To create a relevant educational tool, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers investigated why awareness of and participation in trials are so low...
Cannabis-Derived Drug Shows Promise in Brain Cancer Study
Brain Cancer Study British-based GW Pharmaceuticals received more good news regarding its cannabis-based drug development efforts. The drug-maker published positive Phase 2 data from an exploratory placebo-controlled study testing a combination treatment of active cannabis ingredients tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol (THC: CBD)...
Making headway in recruiting Hispanics for clinical trials
Hispanic Recruitment It’s no surprise to Gabriel S. Galindo that many Hispanics and Latinos in the United States are reluctant to sign up for medical research trials. It’s hard enough getting them to go to the doctor, he said. His own...
Brain Tumor Cells Sensitive to FDA-approved Ovarian Cancer Drug, Study Finds
Brain tumor cells Yale scientists identified a novel DNA repair defect in brain tumor cells that is very sensitive to a drug already approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat ovarian cancer. When patients with certain malignant brain tumors...
Researchers Discover 83 Genetic Variations that Control Human Height
A large-scale international study involving more than 300 researchers from five continents and 700,000 participants, published today in Nature, heralds the discovery of 83 genetic variations controlling human height. Guillaume Lettre, a professor at Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Medicine and...
Brain-computer Interface Allows ALS Patients to Communicate
A brain-computer interface that can decipher the thoughts of people who are unable to communicate could revolutionize the lives of those living with completely locked-in syndrome according to a new paper published in PLOS Biology. Counter to expectations, the participants in...