Medical

A new test that can analyze levels of two proteins in the blood of those with mild memory loss has demonstrated the potential to help predict the risk of them going on to develop Alzheimer’s within a timeframe of two to four years.

EPFL scientists have demonstrated a new method to make immunotherapy more effective and directed against cancer. The team designed microparticles containing drugs that are only released when T cells physically squeeze them, on contact with cancer.

With an eye to improving quality of life for the elderly and frail, scientists at the National University of Singapore have discovered a molecule that can promote muscle health when subjected to weak magnetic fields.

A new study out of Japan’s University of Tsukuba is shining yet more light on the relationship between the gut microbiome and sleep, describing how depleted diversity of the bacteria can disrupt sleep/wake cycles in mice.

Oncolytic viruses selectively kill cancer cells, but this can be ineffective if it alerts the immune system. Now scientists have tweaked these viruses to avoid detection by the immune system, allowing them to track down cancer even after it’s spread.

A new gene therapy treatment may be able to save the vision of patients with a blindness-causing genetic disease. DOA currently has no preventative or cure, but in tests in mice and human cells the team was able to slow progression of the disease.

Research has suggested that anxiety is an early indicator for Alzheimer's disease, which often follows mild cognitive decline (MCI). A new study has now found a link between anxiety and an increased rate of progression from MCI to Alzheimer's disease.

Scientists have uncovered a promising new pathway in the development of tuberculosis drugs, describing what they call a newly-discovered “keyhole” that can be targeted to starve tuberculosis-causing bacteria of the sustenance they need to survive.

Researchers have discovered a set of neurons in the mouse brain that appear to control physiological responses to fear, like heart palpitations and pupil dilations. Tests in mice suggest this region could be a new drug target for anxiety treatments.

A UK team has demonstrated a novel technology for imaging the brains of infants and babies. The breakthrough is hoped to allow researchers new ways to investigate baby brain activity in natural environments without the need for expensive MRI machines.

Researchers have developed a drug that can mimic inflammation signals to lure stem cells to damaged tissue, without causing any further inflammation. The technique could be a boon for regenerative medicine to treat neurological disorders.

A new understanding of the way tarantula toxins shut down electrical signals in the spider’s prey has given scientists hope of recreating this effect, but in a positive way through advanced drugs that treat chronic pain.