Scientists Discover Urinary Biomarker That May Help Track ALS
A study in Neurology suggests that analyzing levels of the protein p75ECD in urine samples from people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may help monitor disease progression as well as determine the effectiveness of therapies.
Researchers Connect Brain Blood Vessel Lesions to Intestinal Bacteria
A study in mice and humans suggests that bacteria in the gut can influence the structure of the brain’s blood vessels and may be responsible for producing malformations that can lead to stroke or epilepsy.
Study Finds Tens of Millions Of Americans Drink Alcohol at Dangerously High Levels
Nearly 32 million adults in the United States (13 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older) consumed more than twice the number of drinks considered binge drinking on at least one occasion, according to a 2013 survey that asked about past-year drinking.
Study Estimates Number of U.S. Women Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer
A new study shows that the number of women in the United States living with distant metastatic breast cancer (MBC), the most severe form of the disease, is growing. This is likely due to the aging of the U.S. population and improvements in treatment.
Eye Microbiome Trains Immune Cells to Fend Off Pathogens In Mice
Resident microbes living on the eye are essential for immune responses that protect the eye from infection, new research shows. The study demonstrates the existence of a resident ocular microbiome that trains the developing immune system to fend off pathogens.
HIV Hijacks Surface Molecule to Invade Cell
Researchers at NIH have discovered a key step in the process that HIV uses to inject its genetic material into cells. Working with cultures of cells and tissues, the researchers prevented the invasion process by chemically blocking this step, preventing HIV genetic material from entering cells.
Children’s Visual Engagement Is Heritable, Altered in Autism
How children visually engage with others in social situations is a heritable behavior that is altered in children with autism, according to a study funded by NIH.
Gene Silencing Shows Promise For Treating Two Fatal Neurological Disorders
In two studies of mice, researchers showed that a drug, engineered to combat the gene that causes spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2), might also be used to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Researchers Discover Mitochondrial ‘Circuit Breaker’ That Protects Heart from Damage
A team of scientists from NIH has discovered biological mechanisms that appear to prevent damage to the heart muscle’s “power grid,” the network of mitochondrial circuits that provide energy to cells.