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Category: health – Page 54

Network-based analyses uncover how neuroinflammation-causing microglia in Alzheimer’s disease form

Cleveland Clinic Genome Center researchers have unraveled how immune cells called microglia can transform and drive harmful processes like neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease. The study, published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, also integrates drug databases with real-world patient data to identify FDA-approved drugs that may be repurposed to target disease-associated microglia in Alzheimer’s disease without affecting the healthy type.

The researchers, led by study corresponding author Feixiong Cheng, Ph.D., hope their unique approach of integrating genetic, chemical and human health data to identify and corresponding drugs will inspire other scientists to take similar approaches in their own research.

Microglia are specialized that patrol our brains, seeking and responding to tissue damage and external threats like bacteria and viruses. Different types of microglial cells use different methods to keep the brain safe. Some may cause neuroinflammation—inflammation in the brain—to fight invaders or kickstart the repair process in damaged cells. Others may work to “eat” dangerous substances in the brain, and clean up damage and debris. However, during Alzheimer’s disease, new types of microglia can form that promote .

Protein engineering research reveals the mysteries of life, enabling advances in pharmaceuticals

Proteins are so much more than nutrients in food. Virtually every reaction in the body that makes life possible involves this large group of molecules. And when things go wrong in our health, proteins are usually part of the problem.

In certain types of heart disease, for instance, the proteins in cardiac tissue, seen with , are visibly disordered. Alex Dunn, professor of chemical engineering, describes proteins like the beams of a house: “We can see that in unhealthy heart muscle cells, all of those beams are out of place.”

Proteins are the workhorses of the cell, making the biochemical processes of life possible. These workhorses include enzymes, which bind to other molecules to speed up reactions, and antibodies that attach to viruses and prevent them from infecting cells.

Prevention and screening outpace treatment advances for averting death from five cancer types, study reveals

Improvements in cancer prevention and screening have averted more deaths from five cancer types combined over the past 45 years than treatment advances, according to a modeling study led by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The study, published Dec. 5, 2024, in JAMA Oncology, looked at deaths from breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer that were averted by the combination of prevention, , and advances.

The researchers focused on these five cancers because they are among the most common causes of cancer deaths and strategies exist for their prevention, early detection, and/or treatment. In recent years, these five cancers have made up nearly half of all new cancer diagnoses and deaths.

Building a “Google Maps” for Biology: Human Cell Atlas Revolutionizes Medicine

New research from the Human Cell Atlas offers insights into cell development, disease mechanisms, and genetic influences, enhancing our understanding of human biology and health.

The Human Cell Atlas (HCA) consortium has made significant progress in its mission to better understand the cells of the human body in health and disease, with a recent publication of a Collection of more than 40 peer-reviewed papers in Nature and other Nature Portfolio journals.

The Collection showcases a range of large-scale datasets, artificial intelligence algorithms, and biomedical discoveries from the HCA that are enhancing our understanding of the human body. The studies reveal insights into how the placenta and skeleton form, changes during brain maturation, new gut and vascular cell states, lung responses to COVID-19, and the effects of genetic variation on disease, among others.

AI Just Beat Doctors at Diagnosing Illness (Here’s Why That’s Actually GREAT News)

A groundbreaking study just revealed AI outperforming human doctors at medical diagnosis — but before you panic, this could be the best news yet for healthcare.

This hits personally for me. From my kiddo’s misdiagnosed case of hives to my own health struggles with multiple doctors, I’ve seen firsthand why we need AI to empower (not replace) medical professionals. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

In this video, we’ll explore:

-The shocking study results (90% AI accuracy vs 74% human doctors)
–Why this means more human connection, not less.
–How AI could transform patient care for the better.
–The real reason doctors aren’t fully utilizing AI yet.

The future of healthcare isn’t AI vs doctors — it’s both working together to provide better care than either could alone. Let’s dive into what this means for you and your family’s healthcare.

Dr. Amal Al-Maani, MD — Director General, Diseases Surveillance & Control, Ministry of Health, Oman

Multisectoral approaches for combating antimicrobial resistance — dr. amal al-maani — director general, diseases surveillance & control, ministry of health oman.

Dr. Amal Al-Maani, MD is Director General for Diseases Surveillance and Control at the Ministry of Health of Oman (https://moh.gov.om/en/hospitals-direc…), senior consultant in pediatric infectious diseases in the Sultanate, and is the focal point for the Global Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Surveillance System (GLASS) and is responsible for Oman national surveillance system for AMR (OMASS) and the national Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) program.

Dr. Al-Maani completed her medical degree from Sultan Qaboos University, Oman and passed the London School diploma in tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM\&H) during her internship period. Followed by her postgraduate training at the University of Toronto, she achieved her fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Canada. She has the Certificate In Infection Control from the Certification Board of Infection Control \& Epidemiology, a certificate in global health from Dalla Lana School of Public Health the Centre for International Health in the University of Toronto (UFT), and the Patient Safety \& Quality Improvement certificate from the center for patient safety in UFT.

Dr. Al-Maani has participated in many national and International Conferences and presented many papers. She received Dr Susan King Award at the Canadian AMMI conference 2011 and in 2021 the WHA Sasakawa health development award for her work in AMR and IPC. She published many papers in the field of infectious diseases and infection control with a focus on Antimicrobial resistance and emerging resistant pathogens. She had been a co-author in multiple positional statements for the International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID) group in infection control, including most recently about the Global Antimicrobial Stewardship with a Focus on Low-and Middle-Income Countries and on the Prevention of Clostridioides.

#AntimicrobialResistance #AMR #AmalAlMaani #DiseasesSurveillance #MinistryOfHealth #Oman #SultanQaboosUniversity #WHO #WorldHealthOrganization #OneHealth #Antibiotics #Vaccines #TropicalMedicine #Hygiene #VancomycinResistantEnterococcus #MethicillinResistantStaphylococcus #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #Research

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Scientists discover Novel Metabolic Compound that can Regulate Body Weight

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine and collaborating institutions report in the journal Cell the discovery of BHB-Phe, a novel compound produced by the body that regulates appetite and body weight through interactions with neurons in the brain.

Until now, BHB has been known as a compound produced by the liver to be used as fuel. However, in recent years, scientists have found that BHB increases in the body after fasting or exercise, prompting interest in investigating potential beneficial applications in obesity and diabetes.

In the current study, the team at Stanford University led by co-corresponding author Dr. Jonathan Z. Long, associate professor of pathology, discovered that BHB also participates in another metabolic pathway. In this case, an enzyme called CNDP2 joins BHB to amino acids. Furthermore, the most abundant BHB-amino acid, BHB-Phe, can influence body weight and metabolism in animal models.

Old Battles, New Wars: Rediscovering Encryption’s Power To Prevent Data Breaches

In this respect, I believe regulators have fallen short. In a world facing ongoing cyber threats, the standards for cybersecurity are set surprisingly low that their rules typically only recognize encryption of all stored data as a requirement. This is despite the fact that encryption—not firewalls, monitoring, identity management or multifactor authentication—is the purpose-built technology for protecting data against the strongest and most capable adversaries. Stronger regulations are needed to ensure encryption becomes a mandated standard, not just an optional recommendation.

Fortunately, companies need not wait until regulators realize their folly and can opt to do better today. Some companies already have. They approach data security as an exercise in risk mitigation rather than passing an audit. From this perspective, data encryption quickly becomes an obvious requirement for all their sensitive data as soon as it is ingested into a data store.

Another beneficial development is that encryption has become easier and faster to implement, including the ability to process encrypted data without exposure, a capability known as privacy-enhanced computation. While there will always be some overhead to adopting data encryption, many have found that the return on investment has shifted decisively in favor of encrypting all sensitive data due to its substantial security benefits.

NASA ROSES-24 Amendment 76: E.9 Space Biology: Research Studies Draft Text Released

When it is solicited, the research emphases of E.9 Space Biology: Research Studies will fall under two broad categories: Precision Health and Space Crops.

For Precision Health-focused studies, investigators may propose to use any non-primate animal model system, and any appropriate cell/tissue culture/ microphysiological system/ organoid or microbial models, that are supported by the chosen platform. For Space Crop-focused studies, applicants may propose to use any plant model system, and when appropriate, any microbial or plant and microbial model systems that are supported by the chosen platform.

This opportunity will include five different Project Types: Research Investigations, Early Career Research Investigations, New NASA Investigators, GeneLab Analytical Investigations, and Tissue Sharing Investigations.