The bacterial gut microbiome is strongly associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD), but no studies had previously investigated he role of fungi in the gut. In this novel study a team of investigators examined whether the fungal constituents of the gut microbiome are associated with PD. «Several studies conducted since 2014 have characterized changes in the…

A public health, police, and military partnership to reduce the mosquito population in Sri Lanka resulted in a more than 50% reduction in dengue, as well as cost savings, finds a new study. Dengue is a viral illness transmitted by mosquitoes and can cause fever, pain, rash, and other flu-like symptoms. Severe cases require hospitalization,…

Periodontitis, a form of severe gum infection, can lead to tooth loss and is linked with other diseases. Management of periodontitis remains difficult, partly due to inadequate understanding of risk factors associated with the condition. In a recent study from Japan, researchers have emphasized the role of oral microbiome, over an individual’s genetic makeup, in…

The largest study to date has confirmed the link between the gut microbiome and the response to cancer immunotherapy therapy for melanoma. The study is published today in Nature Medicine and co-ordinated by King’s College London, CIBIO Department of the University of Trento and European Institute of Oncology in Italy, University of Groningen in the…

New insight on how a type of cell facilitates the spread of HIV-1 has just been published. The findings in mice suggest that subcapsular sinus macrophages, the first layer of cells in the draining lymph node, act as a kind of ‘shuttle’ for HIV-1 virus-like particles. These cells help the particles spread by loading them…

Reports show that cancer is the second leading cause of death globally. Scientists have found DNA mutations in some cancers that link them to a bacterial toxin called colibactin. Their findings improve understanding of how some cancers develop, and could help in their prevention. The researchers examined 872 colorectal lesions from 201 patients with unexplained,…

Researchers have revealed a striking pattern following a functional screen of extracts from plants collected in Muir Woods National Monument, in coastal redwood forest land in California. They found plants with a long history of use by Native Americans as topical analgesics, were often also used as gastrointestinal aids. The study, published today in Frontiers…

A new study reports how an experimental drug agent stops cancer cells from growing. A little over a decade ago, scientists first reported pentagamavumon-1 (PGV-1), an analogue of a molecule found in turmeric and that has been since discovered to have anti-cancer effects. In the new study, tests on cancer cells and animals reveal that…

Aconite root is used in East Asian traditional medicines to treat pain. Since its toxicity, it is used after heat-processing for detoxifying. The present study revealed that processed aconite root could relief neuropathic pain in murine peripheral neuropathy model induced by oxaliplatin, paclitaxel, or partial ligation of the sciatic nerve (Seltzer model), and identified that…

Researchers have shown for the first time the molecular mechanisms at work that cause cannabidiol, or CBD, to block the psychiatric side-effects caused by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive chemical in cannabis. It has been previously shown that strains of cannabis with high levels of THC and low levels of CBD can cause increased psychiatric…