The history of medicine is filled with accounts of strange and often downright dangerous “treatments,” but these have sometimes opened the way for lifesaving discoveries. In this Curiosities of Medical History feature, we look at the unusual practice of exposing the body to cold temperatures for therapeutic purposes: therapeutic hypothermia. The term “hypothermia” appears to […]
Star-shaped brain cells called “astrocytes” are key in regulating the development of other nerve cells. However, malfunctioning astrocytes can play roles in inflammation and the deterioration of nerve cells. A new study in mice has identified a previously undescribed type of astrocyte, which, the researchers say, may actually protect against inflammation. The study has also […]
The study could lead to the development of more personalized interventions that prevent at-risk individuals from developing type 2 diabetes. People with prediabetes have consistently high blood sugar levels but have yet to develop the symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Over many years, the cells of people with this condition become increasingly resistant to the […]
Between March and July 2020, a particular mutation became almost ubiquitous in SARS-CoV-2 infections in Houston, TX. This strongly suggests that it makes the virus more infectious. However, there is no evidence to suggest that it makes the virus any more deadly. Metropolitan Houston reported its first case of COVID-19, which is the illness that […]
New research suggests that catalase, a naturally occurring enzyme in humans, plants, and animals, can suppress the replication of the new coronavirus in rhesus monkeys. The results also indicate that this low cost enzyme could dampen the inflammatory response that occurs in severe COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect in the United […]
New research has found a novel cell that can act as a warning sign of a rheumatoid arthritis flare-up. Scientists have identified a previously unknown cell that is present in significant quantities in a person’s blood before they experience a flare-up of rheumatoid arthritis. The findings appear in the New England Journal of Medicine. They […]
Scientists in Boston, looking into new optical microscope techniques, have unexpectedly been able to break down MRSA’s surrounding membrane, using blue light. Bacteria are impressively adaptive. Through rapid cell division and via horizontal gene transfer— where they transfer genes with their neighbors — bacteria can quickly strengthen their defenses against threats. One such threat is […]
When melanoma spreads, survival rates decrease. But the tumor cells responsible have been notoriously difficult to detect. Now, researchers in Australia think they know why. Although melanoma only makes up around 1% of skin cancers, it is responsible for a significant number of deaths. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimate that more than 100,000 people […]
