Medical News Observer

Keep updated with latest medical research news

New target receptor for treating depression GPR158

Researchers from the Scripps Research Institute find a new target receptor called GPR158 for treating depression. Their research shows that individuals with high levels of above receptor may be more susceptible to depression following chronic stress. “The next step in this process is to come up with a drug that can target this receptor,” says Kirill…
Association between inflammatory bowel disease and heart disease found

Researchers analyzed medical-record data from more than 17.5 million patients found that people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk for a heart attack, regardless of whether or not they have risk factors for heart disease. This research is presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 67th Annual Scientific Session. “Younger patients had…
Effects of flu on brain

Group of researchers from Germany and USA studied effects of influenza virus on brain cells. The study published in the Journal of Neuroscience finds that female mice infected with two different strains of the flu shows changes in structure and function of the hippocampus. These changes persist for one month after infection. The long-term effect…
New flu simulation map using health and social media data

Researchers at the University of Chicago have created computer simulations to predict spread of flu across the United States utilizing datasets of demographics, healthcare visits and geographic movements of 150 million people over nine years. The study is published in the journal eLife. Simulation map of flu spread. Credit: Andrey Rzhetsky, UChicago Researchers utilized deidentified patient…
Understanding “social brain” neural networks in autistic children

A team of researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, studies how neural networks develop in brains of toddlers with autism. Their findings are published in the journal eLife. As infants grow, they start reacting and responding to social cues like human gestures, voices, and faces. During this time their social brain develops. “Social…
Understanding "social brain" neural networks in autistic children

A team of researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, studies how neural networks develop in brains of toddlers with autism. Their findings are published in the journal eLife. As infants grow, they start reacting and responding to social cues like human gestures, voices, and faces. During this time their social brain develops. “Social…
Hemanthamine found in Daffodils has anti-cancer properties

Researchers from Université Libre de Bruxelles discover that alkaloid found in Daffodils has anti-cancer properties. This alkaloid called haemanthamine works by triggering activation of anti-tumor surveillance pathway. This study was led by Dennis Lafontaine and is published in journal Structure. Structure of Ribosome. Credit ULB Researchers found that this compound binds to the ribosome and…
New In-flight medical emergency guidelines published

Physicians at St. Michael’s Hospital have developed practical recommendations for in-flight medical emergencies for healthcare professionals, published online today in the journal CMAJ. Air travel especially long haul flights put significant stress and strain on body. Also airline traffic seen significant uptick and is projected to rise. With these we see increasing number of people…
Diets rich in fruits and vegetables associated with lower depression risk

People who eat vegetables, fruit and whole grains may have lower rates of depression over time, according to a preliminary study that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 70th Annual Meeting. Research found that people whose diets adhered more closely to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet were less likely…
Mutations play a significant role in skeletal muscle aging

A new study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden who investigated mutations in muscle’s stem cells (satellite cells) shows how an unexpectedly high number of mutations which resulted in impaired cell regeneration leading to aging of skeletal muscles. The study is published in Nature Communications. “What is most surprising is the high number of…