A new study reveals the use of a potassium ferrate hemostatic patch (PFHP) reduces the time to hemostasis for patients receiving cardiac catherization. The findings indicate a faster approach to removing the compression band used during the procedure, without compromising safety. Positive results of the STAT2 trial follow an initial pilot study and are being …
Cancer-linked mutation accelerates growth of abnormal stroke-causing brain blood vessels
Researchers have discovered an explanation for why cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs)—clusters of dilated blood vessels in the brain—can suddenly grow to cause seizures or stroke. Specifically, they found that a specific, acquired mutation in a cancer-causing gene (PIK3CA) could exacerbate existing CCMs in the brain. Furthermore, repurposing an already existing anticancer drug showed promise in …
Draining brain’s debris enhances Alzheimer’s therapies in mice
Experimental Alzheimer’s drugs have shown little success in slowing declines in memory and thinking, leaving scientists searching for explanations. But new research in mice has shown that some investigational Alzheimer’s therapies are more effective when paired with a treatment geared toward improving drainage of fluid—and debris—from the brain, according to a study led by researchers …
Stress slows the immune response in sick mice
The neurotransmitter noradrenaline, which plays a key role in the fight-or-flight stress response, impairs immune responses by inhibiting the movements of various white blood cells in different tissues, researchers report April 28th in the journal Immunity. The fast and transient effect occurred in mice with infections and cancer, but for now, it’s unclear whether the …
Study examines racial inequity in suicide prediction models
Models that can successfully predict suicides in a general population sample can perform poorly in some racial or ethnic groups, according to a study by Kaiser Permanente researchers published April 28 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Childhood air pollution exposure linked to poor mental health at age 18
A multidecade study of young adults living in the United Kingdom has found higher rates of mental illness symptoms among those exposed to higher levels of traffic-related air pollutants, particularly nitrogen oxides, during childhood and adolescence.
Major advance enables study of genetic mutations in any tissue
For the first time, scientists are able to study changes in the DNA of any human tissue, following the resolution of long-standing technical challenges by scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. The new method, called nanorate sequencing (NanoSeq), makes it possible to study how genetic changes occur in human tissues with unprecedented accuracy.
New model may explain the mystery of asymmetry in Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by slowness of movement and tremors, which often appear asymmetrically in patients. The new model of PD described in this review article published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease may explain these perplexing asymmetrical motor symptoms and other known variations such as different degrees of constipation and sleep disorders.
Christmas Eve coke works fire followed by asthma exacerbations
Asthma exacerbations rose following a catastrophic Christmas Eve fire two years ago that destroyed pollution controls at the Clairton Coke Works—the largest such facility in the nation, a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health analysis concludes.
Sperm development linked to testicular cancer
Testicular cancer is the most common type of cancer to affect men between the ages of 15 and 49, and around 95% of these cases are caused by testicular germ cell tumors. Although testicular germ cell tumors typically manifest after puberty, problems in the embryonic development of germ cells can transform them into cancer cells …