Exercise is the most effective and underused treatment for osteoarthritis, protecting joints while improving overall health.
Category: health
New Drug Slashes Dangerous Blood Fats by Nearly 40% in First Human Trial
When we eat, the body turns surplus calories into molecules called “triglycerides”, especially when those calories come from carbs, sugar, fats, and alcohol. Triglycerides are a type of fat or “lipid”, and the body stores them in fat cells to use as fuel between meals.
However, too much of this fat can become harmful. High triglyceride levels can lead to “hypertriglyceridemia” (“excess triglycerides in the blood”), a condition tied to a much higher risk of heart disease, stroke, and pancreatitis. That is why people are widely encouraged to support healthy triglyceride levels through diet and exercise, while more severe cases may require medication.
Scientists Uncover Potential “Two-in-One” Treatment for Diabetes and Heart Disease
Earlier work linked the experimental drug ‘IC7Fc’ to improvements in type 2 diabetes, and new research now points to a possible role in cardiovascular health as well. Scientists report that the compound may lower the risk of heart disease by reducing harmful cholesterol in the bloodstream and calming inflammatory activity that damages blood vessels over time.
The findings come from a preclinical study published in Science Advances, led by researchers at Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands in collaboration with Monash University and other international partners.
In experiments involving mice genetically predisposed to heart disease, treatment with IC7Fc led to clear reductions in blood fat (triglycerides) and cholesterol, markers closely linked to the development of cardiovascular complications.
Burden of Central Nervous System Cancer in the United States
While incidence rates for central nervous system cancer remained stable from 1990 to 2021, both mortality and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) declined. Disparities by geography, age, sex, and sociodemographic status highlight needs for targeted health policy reforms and resource redistribution.
Findings In this cross-sectional study, analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 data on US CNS cancers revealed that although the incidence rate remained relatively stable, both disability-adjusted life-years and mortality rates declined. However, substantial disparities persisted across geographical location, age, sex, and sociodemographic profile.
Meaning The persistent disparity in CNS cancer burden highlights the urgent need to reevaluate public health policies and redistribute health care resources to better support marginalized and underserved populations.
Eco-Friendly Agrochemicals: Embracing Green Nanotechnology
In the pursuit of sustainable agricultural practices, researchers are increasingly turning to innovative approaches that blend technology and environmental consciousness. A recent study led by M.R. Salvadori, published in Discover Agriculture, delves into the promising world of green nanotechnology in agrochemicals. This research investigates how nanoscale materials can enhance the effectiveness of agrochemicals while minimizing their environmental footprint. The findings suggest that this novel approach may revolutionize crop protection and nutrient delivery systems.
Nanotechnology involves manipulating materials at the nanoscale, typically between 1 and 100 nanometers. At this scale, materials exhibit unique properties that differ significantly from their bulk counterparts. These properties can be harnessed to improve the delivery and efficacy of agrochemicals. For instance, nanosized fertilizers can increase the availability of nutrients to plants, enhancing growth and reducing waste. This targeted approach is essential in combating soil nutrient depletion and ensuring food security in an era of burgeoning global population.
Traditional agrochemicals often come with the burden of negative environmental impacts, including soil and water contamination. The introduction of green nanotechnology aims to address these concerns by developing more biodegradable and environmentally friendly agrochemicals. By using nanomaterials derived from natural sources, researchers hope to create a symbiotic relationship between agricultural practices and ecological health. This paradigm shift could pave the way for a new era of environmentally responsible farming.
Scientists May Have Discovered a Way to Rejuvenate The Immune System
As we age, the immune system gradually declines in function, leaving the body more vulnerable to disease. Scientists have discovered a new way to rejuvenate a key component of immune function, potentially boosting health in later years.
A team from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard focused on the thymus, a small organ in front of the heart that’s crucial for the development of T cells. These immune cells act as guards, identifying and fighting threats such as cancer and infections.
From early adulthood, the thymus shrinks and slows, limiting T cell production. In mouse models, the researchers were able to repurpose part of the liver as a thymus substitute, sending the molecular signals that stimulate T-cell production.
Off-grid filtration technology can remove over 99% of nanoplastics smaller than 50 nm
Professor Jeong-Min Baik’s research group of the SKKU School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering has developed a reusable electrokinetic filtration platform capable of filtering more than 99% of ultrafine nanoplastic particles smaller than 50 nm even under commercial-level high-flow conditions.
Plastic pollution, which has surged in recent years through industrialization and the pandemic era, poses a direct threat to human health. In particular, nanoplastics smaller than 100 nm—thousands of times thinner than a human hair—can readily pass through biological membranes in the body and trigger serious diseases such as immune dysregulation and carcinogenicity.
However, conventional water purification systems have struggled to effectively remove nanoplastics of such small sizes, highlighting technological limitations; studies have even reported the presence of hundreds of thousands of particles in a single bottle of bottled water.
Abstract: Secondary bacterial infections are a common complication in influenza A infection, but targets for prevention are lacking
Secondary bacterial infections are a common complication in influenza A infection, but targets for prevention are lacking.
Here, Susanne Herold & team suggest that targeting neutrophil-driven alveolar macrophage death in severe influenza pneumonia strengthens host defense and prevents the transition to secondary bacterial infection:
The figure shows leukocyte infiltration in mouse lung tissue caused by pneumococcal infection a week after influenza A infection.
1Department of Medicine V, Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), member of the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
2Institute of Lung Health (ILH), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
3Excellence Cluster Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Hessen, Germany.
Abstract: Caught in the crossfire: cardiac complications of cancer therapy
In this Review, Emilio Hirsch discuss the mechanisms and therapeutic strategies for cardiotoxicity caused by chemotherapy, targeted agents, and immune modulators.
1Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center “Guido Tarone”, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
2University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
Address correspondence to: Emilio Hirsch or Alessandra Ghigo, Via Nizza 52, 10126, Turin, Italy. Phone: 39.011.670.6425; Email: [email protected] (EH). Phone: 39.011.670.6335; Email: [email protected] (AG). Or to: Hossein Ardehali, 3,838 North Campbell Avenue, Building 2, Tucson, Arizona 85,719, USA. Phone: 520.626.6453; Email: [email protected].
Red light therapy shows promise for protecting football players’ brains
Punch-drunk syndrome, boxer’s madness, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The name has changed over the years, but the cause is clear: repeated impacts can affect long-term brain health, with symptoms ranging from confusion to memory loss and potentially dementia. More than 100 former NFL football players have been posthumously diagnosed with CTE.
What’s less clear is how to fix the problem. Even impacts that don’t directly affect the head may cause microscopic damage or initiate toxic processes that unfold over time, and current therapies for concussion and head impacts tend to address symptoms, like headache and balance issues, that can arise well after the initial injury.
But an unorthodox treatment called red light therapy, which shines powerful near-infrared light at the brain through the skull, may be able to prevent or reduce subtle damage to the brain before symptoms start, by reducing brain inflammation caused by repetitive impacts.