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435 news posts in Health

Health

08 Aug 2024

Microbes conquer the next extreme environment: your microwave

Researchers have measured the diversity of microbes inside microwaves for the first time. They showed that microwaves harbor a specialized community of locally adapted microbial genera, which resembles that reported on kitchen surfaces and in another extreme, highly irradiated habitat: on solar panels. This finding has potential biotechnological applications, in processes that require microbes resistant to thermal shock, radiation, and desiccation.

Health

26 Jul 2024

Conflicting health advice from agencies drives confusion, study finds, but doctors remain most trusted

Researchers from the US analyzed replies to the Health Information National Trends Survey and found that doctors are more trusted than scientists and especially government health agencies. The results revealed that perceived uncertainty in health recommendations, inherent in the scientific process, tends to confuse the public and undermine its trust in experts apart from doctors. This implies that doctors are best placed to communicate changes in recommendations, to ensure better health and restore trust in agencies.

Health

02 Jul 2024

Study shows hairy skin does not become less sensitive with age

Our sense of touch is generally thought to decline with age, just like the other senses. However, a study has now shown for the first time that age-related decline in sensitivity only happens in hairless skin like the tip of the index finger, but not in the hairy cheeks and forearms. The authors speculate that the exceptional sensitivity of the cheeks throughout life is due to our evolutionary history as social primates, for whom touch is an important method of communication.

Health

19 Jun 2024

Ultrasound beam triggers ‘nanodroplets' to deliver drugs at exactly the right spot

Conventional drug delivery is inefficient and imprecise. Through a series of preclinical experiments, researchers from the University of Utah have optimized a novel, targeted method of delivery through nanodroplet carriers, which are triggered to release their drug at exactly the desired spot by a focused beam of ultrasound. Their results showed that nanodroplets with a core of perfluorooctylbromide are stable, efficient in delivery, and well tolerated. Clinical experiments are likely to follow.

Health

25 Apr 2024

Puzzling link between depression and cardiovascular disease explained at last: they partly develop from the same gene module

It’s long been known that depression and cardiovascular disease are somehow related, though exactly how remained a puzzle. Now, researchers have identified a ‘gene module’ consisting of 256 functionally related, co-expressed genes, which is part of the developmental program of both diseases. These genes can now be used as biomarkers for both depression and cardiovascular disease, and could ultimately help to find new drugs to target both.

Health

08 Apr 2024

Pig hearts kept alive outside the body for more than 24 hours offers hope for many humans needing a transplant

A major bottleneck on human heart transplantation are limits to storage of the donor heart outside the body, which is currently only routinely possible for six hours. Scientists have now tested new preservation methods, to keep pig hearts routinely alive outside the body for at least 24 hours. If successfully extended to humans, this would constitute a significant improvement to clinical practice.