Blood

A new study has highlighted one way insufficient sleep can harm your immune system, making you more vulnerable to infections and inflammatory disease by damaging your body’s hematopoietic stem cells.

Respiratory ailments may hamper the body's ability to draw oxygen from the lungs, which is why patients' blood oxygen levels often need to be checked. New research now suggests that people could track those levels at home, using their smartphone.

Researchers at the University of New South Wales have demonstrated how a microfluidic device that mimics the embryonic heart can produce blood stem cell precursors, which could let blood stem cells be manufactured on demand.

Looking at nearly 50 studies previously published on the relationship between genes and ischemic stroke, researchers have found blood type may play a role in the likelihood of young adults experiencing this life-threatening event.

A new study into the effects of four artificial sweeteners on the gut microbiome in humans has revealed not only can these sweeteners lead to changes in gut bacteria composition, but they can also alter glucose tolerance and blood sugar levels.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first ever cell-based gene therapy, a one-off treatment for people with a rare genetic blood disease. The treatment will cost US$2.8 million, making it the most expensive medicine in history.

Organ transplants can be life-saving, but matching blood types means many people are left on waiting lists. Cambridge scientists have now demonstrated a technique that could one day make donated organs universal, by converting them to blood type O.

Type 2 diabetes can take years to develop, but caught early is an entirely preventable disease. A new study is suggesting a particular blood biomarker could be used to identify those on the way to diabetes but yet to display symptoms of disease.

A new study has found people with elevated blood levels of a protein called prostasin face a significantly higher risk of developing diabetes or dying from cancer. It’s unclear at this point whether the protein plays a causal role in either disease.

A study has homed in on a newly discovered mechanism that could prevent insulin resistance in type 2 diabetics. The research found disrupting the expression of a certain protein could protect beta cells and prevent patients from becoming insulin resistant.

Scientists have demonstrated a new system that can restore crucial molecular and cellular functions in pigs one hour after death. The experiments could help widen the organ transplantation pool and may even lead to new treatments for heart attacks.

Scientists have developed a new electronic “tattoo” that can monitor a patient’s blood pressure continuously. The e-tattoo is made of graphene and can be worn for long periods without getting in the way, allowing for better health data.