Health

Cancer trial discovers a potentially broader role for an established dual HER2-blocking treatment

Cancer trial discovers a potentially broader role for an established dual HER2-blocking treatment

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain An important discovery from the NCI-MATCH precision medicine initiative is published in Clinical Cancer Research, Trastuzumab-pertuzumab, a drug combination approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer, shrank tumors in patients with several other types of cancer …

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Study: Obesity a risk factor for stillbirth, especially at term

Study: Obesity a risk factor for stillbirth, especially at term

Credit: CC0 Public Domain Obesity is a risk factor for stillbirth, and the risk increases as pregnancy advances to term, according to a large study. published in CMAJ ,Canadian Medical Association Journal, The overall risk of stillbirth in pregnancy is approximately 0.4% in Canada. “Our findings suggest that an earlier delivery date may help reduce …

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Pioneering research reveals empathetic communication can help overcome vaccine hesitancy

Pioneering research reveals empathetic communication can help overcome vaccine hesitancy

Credit: CC0 Public Domain An international study has shown for the first time how empathetic correction of misinformation among vaccine-hesitant patients can significantly improve attitudes toward vaccination—and potentially boost vaccine uptake. The research, led by the University of Bristol, also found this new style of communication could help build and maintain a positive relationship with …

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Sleep apnea symptoms linked to memory and thinking problems

Sleep apnea symptoms linked to memory and thinking problems

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain People who experience sleep apnea may be more likely to also have memory or thinking problems, according to a preliminary study that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 76th Annual Meeting taking place April 13–18, 2024, in person in Denver and online. The study shows a positive association …

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Gut microbiome: Meet Bifidobacterium breve, keeping babies healthy

Gut microbiome: Meet Bifidobacterium breve, keeping babies healthy

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Bifidobacterium breve, or B breve for short, is a bacterial species that’s found in the human intestine. It’s especially relevant. in early lifebeing one of the most abundant bacteria in the newborn gut. B breve is a species of the genus Bifidobacterium and is considered key in the development of a …

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A ‘gentle touch’ molecule confers light tactile sensation in humans—and perhaps in individual cells.

A ‘gentle touch’ molecule confers light tactile sensation in humans—and perhaps in individual cells.

Mouse neurons with the new ion channel ELKIN1 (cyan), which is responsible for touch sensation, nucleus (yellow) and the already known ion channel PIEZO2 (magenta). Credit: Sampurna Chakrabarti / Max Delbrück Center You were probably taught that we have five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. This is not quite right: “touch” is not …

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COVID-19 rapid tests still work against new variants—researchers keep ‘testing the tests,’ and they pass

COVID-19 rapid tests still work against new variants—researchers keep ‘testing the tests,’ and they pass

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain By September 2020, just six months after COVID-19 triggered shutdowns across the US, it was clear that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, had mutated from its original form. The question quickly arose whether existing rapid antigen tests could detect newly emerging variants. Using clinical samples obtained from diagnostic labs throughout …

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Study finds the timing of CSF biomarker divergence for Alzheimer disease, normal cognition varies

Study finds the timing of CSF biomarker divergence for Alzheimer disease, normal cognition varies

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and other biomarkers differ for individuals with Alzheimer disease and cognitively normal controls, with the estimated times of divergence varying from 18 to six years before diagnosis, according to a study published in the Feb. 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Jianping Jia, MD, Ph.D., from Xuanwu Hospital in …

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The cost of Prop.  1: Newsom’s plan to transform California’s mental health system

The cost of Prop. 1: Newsom’s plan to transform California’s mental health system

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain If approved by voters on Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ballot measure to overhaul the state’s mental health services system and sell bonds to finance more than 10,000 treatment beds across California could cost the state up to $14 billion. Opponents of Proposition 1 argue the price is too high. “What California …

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