Researchers have developed a prototype ‘breathalyzer’ that can sensitively and accurately diagnose COVID-19, even in asymptomatic individuals, in less than 5 minutes. Currently, the «gold standard» for COVID-19 testing is a technique called reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), which is slow, requires an uncomfortable nasopharyngeal swab for sample collection and must be performed in a…

A study has identified multiple locations in the human genome related to the risk of re-experiencing traumatic memories, the most distinctive symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder. Researchers from the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Yale University School of Medicine, the VA San Diego Healthcare System, and the University of California San Diego collaborated with colleagues on…

A potential new route to the diagnosis and treatment of ARDS comes from studying how neutrophils — the white blood cells responsible for detecting and eliminating harmful particles in the body — differentiate what materials to uptake by the material’s surface structure, and favor uptake of particles that exhibit ‘protein clumping,’ according to new research.…

Scientists have discovered that a neuron’s own electrical signal, or voltage, can indicate whether the neuron is functioning normally. If that voltage is absent, scientists say everything is ‘out of whack.’ «Our bodies have no central control system to tell individual neurons they are functioning normally, and so the neurons rely on their own electrical…

Researchers have discovered a therapy that targets host cells rather than bacterial cells in treating bacterial pneumonia in rodents. The method involves white blood cells of the immune system called macrophages that eat bacteria, and a group of compounds that are naturally produced in mice and humans called epoxyeicosatrienoic acids or EETs. According to the…

Building on a track record of developing adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors as a groundbreaking clinical tool for gene therapy and gene editing, researchers report a more sensitive method for capturing the footprint of AAV vectors — a broad range of sites where the vectors transfer genetic material. By capturing the full range of gene expression…

A multiple sclerosis drug may be used to block HIV infection and reduce the latent reservoir, according to new research. «While antiretroviral drugs have been effective in treating HIV thus far, drug resistance, negative side effects of antiretroviral therapy, and its varying efficacy underscore the need to develop alternative treatment and prevention options,» said Alberto…

People who take angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-i) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) for conditions such as high blood pressure were less likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer after having a normal colonoscopy. This is the first study to show potential benefits on colorectal cancer development from these commonly prescribed hypertension medications, based…

Debilitating cluster headaches commonly begin in childhood, but patients are not typically diagnosed until they are adults, according to new research. A team of researchers led by Mark Burish, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, conducted the Cluster Headache Questionnaire, an international,…

A new article suggests that secondary antibodies known as ‘anti-idiotype antibodies’ could be responsible for some of the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines and the symptoms of long-haul COVID. While the vaccines have been critical in pandemic control, researchers are still learning how and how well they work. This is especially true with the emergence…