Medical

A paper is adding weight to the growing hypothesis suggesting the toxic protein clusters that cause Parkinson’s disease first aggregate in the gut before moving to the brain, and deficiency in a certain enzyme may help this mechanism.

Much research into treatments for Parkinson's concentrates on developing therapies that can arrest a slide in dopamine production, and scientists have now uncovered a new path forward in the form of a molecule found to boosts its levels in mice.

New research has found a toxin extracted from the venom of a South American rattlesnake can function as an effective analgesic for neuropathic pain. The Brazilian study reveals the venom’s toxicity can be reduced by encapsulating it in tiny silica particles.

Scientists looking into bilingualism's effects on Alzheimer's have uncovered some new insights, finding that while knowing a second language can delay the onset of the disease, it can also significantly accelerate cognitive deterioration thereafter.

After a heart attack has occurred, some of the beating cardiac tissue ends up being replaced with non-beating scar tissue – this permanently compromises the function of the heart. A new patch, however, is designed to help.

Scientists are investigating how the cell-destroying abilities of viruses can be leveraged to better attack different cancers, with a new study showing how a gene taken from the Ebola virus could be used to take the fight to a deadly brain tumor.

The treatment of chronic wounds often involves the application of different medications, at different stages in the healing process. A new electronic bandage could allow this to happen, but without having to be removed for each application.

When Parkinson’s patients are diagnosed with the condition, there are still many unknowns around how the disease will impact their lives. While it is no crystal ball, a new blood test is offering hope of better patient management.

For some time now, the tracking of eye movements has served as a means of assessing neurological health. A new system is said to do so more precisely than ever, providing highly accurate readings in just 10 seconds.

Scientists have found that a peptide taken from the foot-and-mouth-disease virus naturally zeroes in on pancreatic cancer cells, providing them with a new vehicle for drug delivery capable of completely killing off tumors in early experiments.

A delicate procedure called supermicrosurgery requires a high-level of expertise by surgeons, but they may soon have a new robotic tool at their disposal called Musa, which has performed its first round of procedures with great success.

When a damaged blood vessel has to be replaced, it's important that the replacement be well-tolerated by the body. And while bioprinted blood vessels are one possibility, French scientists are now working on weaving the things out of collagen yarn.