Adjuvants are a key ingredient of many modern vaccines, working to unleash an immune response that helps protect the body from disease. Many scientists believe that adjuvants are they key to developing new kinds of vaccines for hard-to-vaccinate viruses, like HIV. But adjuvants can cause inflammation at the injection site, as well as side effects […]
When should kids get the flu shot this year? New guidelines released
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released guidelines about when children should get the flu vaccine this year, recommending that everyone over the age of 6 months get the vaccine by the end of October. Experts have emphasized the importance of the flu shot this year in the hopes of avoiding a “combined pandemic” […]
COVID-19 information continues to evolve: What’s new and what has changed?
In early August, a handful of national media stories reported on a study from Duke University about face masks and COVID-19. The stories appeared to report something new, but they got it wrong. The stories said people wearing neck gaiters—the thin, stretchy material that looks like an oversized turtleneck—were more likely to spread the coronavirus […]
New AI strategies automate assessments of stored blood, remove human subjectivity
Each year, nearly 120 million units of donated blood flow from donor veins into storage bags at collection centers around the world. The fluid is packed, processed and reserved for later use. But once outside the body, stored red blood cells (RBCs) undergo continuous deterioration. By day 42 in most countries, the products are no […]
New NHS type 2 diabetes diet: How does the regimen work and how healthy is it?
News broke today that the NHS will begin offering a prescribed diet of shakes and soups to those with type 2 diabetes. NHS England announced the plan today, saying that 5,000 diabetic people would be offered the diet in order to help them ‘to help people stay well, maintain a healthy weight and avoid major […]
New contraceptive approved by FDA, offers additional option for women
A first-of-its-kind contraceptive developed at the University of Illinois Chicago has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The new contraceptive, called Phexxi, is a non-hormonal vaginal gel that can be used on-demand to prevent pregnancy. The contraceptive is the fourth drug developed by researchers at UIC to achieve FDA approval. This milestone […]
FDA approves new saliva test for COVID-19 that’s simple, cheap and available now
A new saliva test for COVID-19 that can be completed in just a few hours has been authorized for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The test has several advantages over traditional nasal swab tests: It’s cheap, less invasive and can be performed without the need for certain testing components that have […]
Scientists propose a new approach to assessing platelet activation risk
Researchers from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology together with their colleagues from National Research Center for Hematology have developed a new method for assessing individual risks of intravascular platelet activation. The latter plays a crucial role in the development of various serious clinical situations such as heart attacks and strokes. The range of circumstances […]
A new treatment concept for age-related decline in motor function
In an aging society, one of the most important and urgent tasks of scientific research is to counteract the decline in motor function and muscle weakness that accompanies the aging process. A research group led by Professor Yuji Yamanashi of the Institute of Medical Science, the University of Tokyo, conducted experiments using aged mice to […]
Preventing virus spread within households could be key to controlling new outbreaks of COVID-19
More effective measures to prevent infection spreading within households are a vital part of preventing a second wave of COVID-19, say researchers at the Universities of Birmingham and Warwick. In an article published in the BMJ, experts at the University of Birmingham’s Institute of Applied Health Research and Warwick Medical School argue that robust strategies […]