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At a Glance: Researchers found that depleting certain stem cells improved the immune systems of aged mice. The findings suggest that a similar treatment might be used to help protect older people against infections. The risk for serious infections rises with age, as people’s immune systems lose the ability to respond to novel infections. Part …
The appendix is a finger-like pouch that branches off from your large intestine. No one is sure what it does or why it evolved. But when something goes wrong, it can be dangerous. “We do know that it causes problems,” says Dr. Nicole Wilson, a pediatric surgeon at the University of Rochester. “And we do …
Gut bacteria and a diet rich in the amino acid tryptophan can play a protective role against pathogenic E. coli, which can cause severe stomach upset, cramps, fever, intestinal bleeding and renal failure, according to a study published March 13 in Nature. The research reveals how dietary tryptophan – an amino acid found mostly in …
Around the globe, as the population continues to age, researchers are looking for ways to help slow the aging process. Now researchers from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have discovered that T cells can be reprogrammed to slow down and possibly even reverse aging. Using mouse models, the researchers found that T cells can be used …
‘Leaky” mitochondria can drive harmful inflammation which is responsible for diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Now recent research published in the journal Nature Cell Biology from the University of Virginia Health System suggests that scientists may be able to develop better treatments for those diseases and improve our ability to fight off viruses and …
One of the most fatal pandemics in human history was known as the Black Death, with between 75-200 million people perishing in a few years. This pandemic called the bubonic plague which was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis found in wild rodents and their fleas. Survivors are thought to have given their descendants a …
Image Credit: NIAID There is a long-held belief that acute viral infections are directly responsible for neurological damage, however, researchers from McMaster University have discovered that it is the immune system’s responses that are behind the damage, and they have published their research in Nature Communications. “We were interested in trying to understand why so …
The out-of-control sexually transmitted diseases/infections (STD/STI) epidemic continues to put lives at risk, new CDC data highlights the urgent need for funds to curb the rapidly increasing public health crisis. The new data shows that chlamydia and syphilis numbers have reached record highs, and that the nation is struggling to gain control of the epidemics …
Sinuses protect the underlying structures, keep the skull light, and manage throat and nose health. When these air cavities in the face and skull develop infection or inflammation, you suffer from breathing and sleeping problems. Various other debilitating symptoms can also accompany them. Generally, sinusitis can be of two types: acute and chronic. Acute conditions …
Individuals with obesity are more likely to have monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), a benign blood condition that often precedes multiple myeloma, according to new research published in Blood Advances. Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer of the plasma cells, a type of white blood cells that produce antibodies to fight infection. MGUS, characterized …