Tag Archives: disease
Human blood brain barriers malfunction in Alzheimer’s disease
While the ancient Greeks and Romans already associated old age with dementia, it was not until 1901 that the German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer diagnosed the first case of Alzheimer’s disease in a fifty year old woman. Today,
Cigarette smoke enhances the release of proteins that modulates pro-thrombotic midiators in vascular cells
About 6 million people die for use or exposure to cigarette smoke; indeed smoking is the most important evitable cause of death in the developed countries, and it is a major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Chronic
Utilizing inkjet printing for low-cost glucose monitoring
Diabetes is a disease affecting more and more people across the world every year. In low-income countries, this growth is most detrimental since they lack the healthcare infrastructure necessary to deal the growing problem. Work is being
Potential for therapeutic intervention in lung diseases
The major function of the lung is to enable ambient oxygen uptake (essential for life) and eliminate carbon dioxide (a waste byproduct of metabolism) from the body. Surfactant protein A (SP-A), is a protein found in the
Posterior cervical fusion may lessen spinal cord compression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis may develop inflammation of the joints in the spine, just as they develop inflammation of joints in their hands, feet, and others. The joint between the first cervical vertebra (C1) and the second
The binding of mGluR4 targeting drugs could help the finding novel treatments for PD
One of the key features of drugs is an ability to find the corresponding target molecule (eg. protein) from the body. The target protein has unique structural sites that could be loaded with specific chemicals (drugs). The
The combustion of food occurs at cytochrome c oxidase
Cytochrome c oxidase represents the enzyme where cell respiration takes place. The oxygen which we inhale is transported via the blood stream to all cells of the body where it is converted into water by a cold
Could cancer be cured by inducing an autoimmune disease against It?
Might there be some way to make a microbial protein that the immune system normally overlooks (a “non-antigen”) into a target for an active immune response (an “antigen”)? Could one co-opt the immune system to produce an
Waltheria indica constituents to tackle Chagas disease
American trypanosomiasis, also known as Chagas disease, is one of the most serious protozoan diseases which occurs throughout Latin America. Its etiological agent is Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellate protozoa, which is transmitted to humans and other mammals
A rare variant in TREM2 increases risk for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease
Late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) is the most common form of dementia and affects over 5 million Americans. This neurodegenerative disease results from a combination of genetic and environmental effects and currently has no effective cures, treatments, or
Oral microorganisms: how do they communicate?
Many oral diseases are related to the interaction between microorganisms in the oral cavity. These microbial interactions are necessarily associated with the development of dental plaque and can lead to oral diseases including dental caries and perhaps
How much does obesity contribute to health inequality? Evidence from 18 European countries
Obesity is an important risk factor for a number of serious diseases such as cancer, diabetes, ischemic heart disease and cardiovascular disease. Secondly, obesity rates differ between groups with different levels of education. Given these two facts
A small structure hidden in the brain that might play a big role in diseases like depression and autism
The choroid plexus is a hidden and often neglected, but important, structure in the brain. The choroid plexus hangs inside the brain ventricles which are filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (Fig. 1). Importantly, the choroid plexus is
New effective treatments for Alzheimer and Parkinson’s disease
Alzheimer and Parkinson’s disease are the most common neurodegenerative disorders. As people are getting older than in previous generations, the number of people who are affected has increased. Unfortunately, there is no cure for these diseases. The
Comparing skin research funding with skin disease burden
Distributing funding dollars to research is an important and daunting task. While many factors influence research-funding decisions, establishing a transparent, priority-setting system is paramount. This is particularly important for the National Institutes of Health, which invests over
Heart compression by the liver; a rare surgical disease
Elevation of the diaphragm “the primary respiratory muscle” can occur due to congenital or acquired causes. Diaphragmatic eventration is a congenital elevation of the diaphragm due to maldevelopment of the muscle fibers which are replaced by fibrous
What happens when quick-response code meets with glucose sensing?
Today, diabetes mellitus and hypoglycemia severely harm human health and daily life. For example, the diabetes increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and of early death. However, conventional glucose sensors containing spectrophotometry, spectrofluorometry, liquid chromatography and flow
Effect of resveratrol on chemotherapy of a fatal childhood cancer
The natural polyphenolic compound resveratrol, found in red wine, dark chocolate, and peanuts, may confer health benefits in humans. It is a powerful antioxidant that has been suggested to alleviate age-related pathologies, such as type II diabetes,
Canine demodicosis – how to solve a problem ASAP?
Demodex mites cause disease in the skin of immune debilitated dogs. Demodex are species-specific, follicular mites that are found as a normal resident on most species of animals and in humans. Demodicosis is rare in the horse,
Highlighting inflammatory markers in anxiety disorders
Anxiety disorders, often originating early in life, are very common and effect 28.3% of the population. With this high prevalence comes an associated cost to the economy, mostly related to the extensive overuse of primary care services
