New Atlas

Medical Audio available

Tracking the diets of cells could reveal early signs of cancer

Nick Lavars April 7, 2019

Just like the organisms they inhabit, cells require sustenance to grow and thrive. Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have developed a new diet-tracking tool that could be used to observe changes in their eating habits, which in turn may serve as telltale signs of disease.

Scientists tested out their new chemical probe, which lights up the molecules that cells eat, on ...

Medical Audio available

Smell of Parkinson’s finally identified, early detection test on the way

Rich Haridy March 20, 2019

A team of scientists has solved the mystery of the strange Parkinson's disease smell, revealing a number of skin-secreted volatile biomarkers can be detected in patients suffering from the disease. The next step for the research is to turn this discovery into an early-detection tool.

A woman who noticed her husband developed a distinctive smell has led to skin-secreted volatile biomarkers ...

Medical

Doctor's office "phone booth" offers diagnoses and dispenses medication on the spot

Michael Irving March 12, 2019

Online consultations with real doctors could be useful, but just talking or texting with a patient often isn’t enough for an accurate diagnosis. To give a telepresence doctor more presence, the new OnMed Station is equipped with cameras and various sensors, and can even dispense drugs as prescribed.

The OnMed Station is a new remote doctor's office kitted out with cameras and sensors to ...

Medical Audio available

Tongue bacteria may be an indicator for early-stage pancreatic cancer

Rich Haridy January 29, 2019

Pancreatic cancer is not the most common of cancers, but it is one of the most deadly, often presenting as entirely asymptomatic until it is too late. A new study from a group of Chinese scientists suggests bacteria on the tongue could offer a promising way to detect the disease early.

Alterations in a person's tongue microbiome may be a good indicator of pancreatic cancer

Medical Audio available

Alzheimer’s blood test breakthrough identifies disease a decade before symptoms appear 

Rich Haridy January 21, 2019

A compelling new study from an international team of researchers has described a novel protein that could be a useful blood-based biomarker to monitor the progression of Alzheimer's disease over a decade before any clinical symptoms appear.

In a sample of subjects with familial history of Alzheimer's disease, a new blood test could ...

Medical Audio available

New AI-assisted ECG offers early heart disease detection

Rich Haridy January 8, 2019

Applying AI to ECG results may help doctors quickly identify patients at risk of heart failure. In a new study, an AI system was able to use ECG data to detect the presence of left ventricular dysfunction, a condition currently only detectable using more expensive and time-consuming imaging tests.

An AI system can effectively detect an early, pre-symptomatic stage of heart disease using simple electrocardiogram ...

Medical Audio available

A single molecule could forecast what type of dementia a person will develop

Rich Haridy December 11, 2018

Researchers at UT Southwestern are continuing their discoveries into the neurological origins of dementia, revealing a strategy that could potentially forecast what form of dementia a person may develop long before any symptoms of cognitive decline appear by studying a single molecule in the brain.

A new discovery could make it possible to diagnose dementia before it damages the brain, and ...

Medical Audio available

Cheap, fast universal test promises to revolutionize cancer detection

Rich Haridy December 4, 2018

A new discovery from researchers at the University of Queensland could revolutionize the way doctors diagnose all cancers. The landmark research has created a fast and cheap cancer-detecting test based on the discovery of a unique DNA nanostructure thought to be common across all types of cancer.

A new test using gold nanoparticles changes color if it detects the presence of cancer DNA

Medical Audio available

Non-invasive neck scan shows promise for detecting cognitive decline years in advance

Rich Haridy November 13, 2018

New research from University College London suggests a quick ultrasound scan examining blood vessels in the neck may be able to effectively predict a person's risk of developing cognitive decline more than 10 years before symptoms appear.

A non-invasive ultrasound scan could predict a person's risk of developing cognitive decline years in advance

Science Audio available

The AI solution for diagnosing early cognitive decline leading to Alzheimer’s disease

Rich Haridy October 4, 2018

A big challenge facing Alzheimer’s and dementia researchers today is finding a way to identify patients suffering from the earliest stages of cognitive decline. New research is suggesting that AI could be the key to accurately predicting those patients most at risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

An AI system is being developed to predict whether a person will suffer cognitive decline up ...