Inflammatory

A first-of-its-kind study has identified overactive inflammation and loss of critical protective mechanisms in the brain as potential contributors to suicide risk and may lead to the use of anti-inflammatory medications as a way of reducing this risk.

Good news for the 51 million Americans with chronic pain: Scientists have unraveled the neuronal disturbances that can see acute pain turn into a long-term nightmare, and with some targeted cell therapy, could potentially stop this process altogether.

Researchers have found that when used on monkeys, an experimental drug slowed the process that leads the tau protein to aggregate into neuron-damaging tangles in Alzheimer’s disease. The next step is to develop a drug for use in humans.

Right now, drug developers have high hopes on Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) inhibitors for treating advanced cancers. But a team of scientists has found it also shows huge promise in calming inflammation, and could be used to treat gout and heart failure.

Researchers investigating the genetics underlying the airway inflammation seen in severe asthma have, for the first time, discovered that proteins that bind to RNA are dysregulated, driving changes in gene expression in cells that line the airways.

A study has found that methotrexate, a widely available and affordable drug that’s usually prescribed as a first-line treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, is effective at reducing the pain and stiffness suffered by people with hand osteoarthritis.

New research has for the first time shown how inflammation in early childhood can affect brain development, triggering epigenetic changes in brain regions linked to higher cognitive functions, and play a role in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders.

When diagnosing type 2 diabetes, physicians can look for a range of typical symptoms such as frequent urination and excessive thirst. Now, researchers say the development of other illnesses in the body might need to be added in as a predictive tool.

Researchers have found that millions worldwide carry a gene variant that controls ‘explosive’ cell death and is linked to inflammation. They say it may explain why some people are prone to developing inflammatory diseases.

Researchers have called for a review of the recommendations for the treatment of hand arthritis, after a large study revealed that injections were as ineffective as a placebo for pain relief. Injections are considered the most effective pain reliever.

Researchers have found that an intranasal drug, currently being tested as an MS treatment, reduced brain inflammation and improved cognition in mice with Alzheimer’s disease, independent of the amount of beta-amyloid plaques present.

Around 1.6 million Americans live with inflammatory bowel disease, dealing with persistent and debilitating relapses. Scientists have identified how a specialized subset of T cells falter in flare-ups, and they may hold they key to long-term recovery.