Progressive vision loss, and eventually blindness, are the hallmarks of juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL) or CLN3-Batten disease. New research shows how the mutation associated with the disease could potentially lead to degeneration of light sensing photoreceptor cells in the retina, and subsequent vision loss. “The prominence and early onset of retinal degeneration in JNCL […]
Prostate drug associated with lower risk of Parkinson’s disease
Taking a particular type of medication to treat enlarged prostate is associated with a reduced risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to a large observational study led by researchers at the University of Iowa, with colleagues in Denmark and China. The findings, published Feb. 1 in JAMA Neurology, provide compelling evidence that terazosin, and similar […]
Study shows hyaluronan is effective in treating chronic lung disease
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health and their collaborators found that inhaling unfragmented hyaluronan improves lung function in patients suffering from severe exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Hyaluronan, a sugar secreted by living tissue that acts as a scaffold for cells, is also used in cosmetics as a skin moisturizer and as […]
The Role of Lysine Acetylation in Human Disease
Many different factors can contribute to Human health and disease response and regulation. The role of these factors is constantly being researched by scientists to throw light on how they function in a healthy organism. Much has been learned over the years as ever more powerful methods have been developed in laboratories worldwide. One such […]
A stem cell based cell culture model for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a widespread condition in the Western World. Around 30% of the population have lipid droplets stored in their liver which diminish its function in the long term. Main causes for NAFLD are our high-caloric diet in combination with a sedentary lifestyle. Hitherto, researchers have not fully understood the cause […]
Researchers engineer novel disease model to identify potential targets for ulcerative colitis drugs
As reported in Nature Communications, researchers from Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute have developed a novel, patient-derived model of ulcerative colitis, which will help advance studies into new treatments for the chronic inflammatory bowel disease. The team used the model to identify a promising target that could be inhibited to slow disease progression.Ulcerative colitis is […]
Study reveals networks of genes involved in congenital heart disease
Over two million babies, children, and adults in the United States are living with congenital heart disease—a range of birth defects affecting the heart’s structure or function. Now, researchers at Gladstone Institutes and UC San Francisco (UCSF) have made inroads into understanding how a broad network of genes and proteins go awry in a subset […]
New tests identify very early changes in Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms appear
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, together with their colleagues at the Barcelona Beta Research Centre in Spain, the University Medical Centre in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and the University of Paris, have found new forms of tau protein that become abnormal in the very early stages of Alzheimer’s disease before cognitive problems develop. The […]
Novel deep learning method enables clinic-ready automated screening for diabetes-related eye disease
Researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum München together with LMU University Eye Hospital Munich and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) created a novel deep learning method that makes automated screenings for eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy more efficient. Reducing the amount of expensive annotated image data that is required for the training of the algorithm, […]
Flu vaccine rate less than 25% in young adults with heart disease, despite increased risk
Despite clear evidence of the health benefits, the vast majority of young adults with cardiovascular disease are not getting the recommended annual influenza vaccine, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2020. For people with cardiovascular disease, getting the flu vaccine helps prevent the flu and its serious […]