New research reveals how trace metals mothers are exposed to during pregnancy can shape their babies’ gut bacteria, metabolic pathways, and even antibiotic resistance, potentially influencing lifelong health. Study: Prenatal exposure to trace elements impacts mother-infant gut microbiome, metabolome and resistome during the first year of life. Image Credit: Anusorn Nakdee / Shutterstock In a recent study … Read more
Scientists have made a key breakthrough for treating respiratory diseases by developing a new drug delivery system that transports genetic therapies directly to the lungs, opening promising possibilities for patients with conditions like lung cancer and cystic fibrosis. The research, led by Gaurav Sahay of Oregon State University’s College of Pharmacy, was conducted in collaboration … Read more
Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have developed a gene therapy for Alzheimer’s disease that could help protect the brain from damage and preserve cognitive function. Unlike existing treatments for Alzheimer’s that target unhealthy protein deposits in the brain, the new approach could help address the root cause of Alzheimer’s disease … Read more
Household environments, including owning a dog, may affect the likelihood of children developing eczema, according to an analysis of almost 300,000 people from across Europe. The prevalence of eczema has rapidly risen in industrialised areas over the past 30 years, now affecting approximately 20% of children and 10% of adults in high-income countries. The new … Read more
Over 500 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes-a disease that contributes to major complications such as stroke, kidney failure, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. At the heart of this condition lies the dysfunction of pancreatic islets, the mini-organs called organoids responsible for regulating blood sugar, in both autoimmune type 1 diabetes and stress-induced type 2 diabetes. … Read more
Having a dog at home could help to prevent eczema in children who are genetically prone to the condition, a study suggests. Children with a change in their DNA that increases their chance of developing eczema were less likely to have the condition if they were exposed to a dog in early life, researchers say. … Read more
Children born to mothers who are very obese with a BMI of 35 or higher are at heightened risk of being admitted to hospital for an infection, finds a long term study published in the open access journal BMJ Medicine. The findings highlight the importance of maintaining a healthy body weight before and after the pregnancy, … Read more
A team of scientists at NYU Abu Dhabi has developed a breakthrough paper-based diagnostic device that can detect COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in under 10 minutes, without the need for sophisticated lab equipment or trained personnel. The Radially Compartmentalized Paper Chip (RCP-Chip), engineered by researchers at the Advanced Microfluidics and Microdevices Laboratory (AMMLab), offers … Read more
When cancer spreads from a primary tumor to new sites throughout the body, it undergoes changes that increase its genetic complexity. A new study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) provides fresh insights about how cancers evolve when they metastasize – insights that could aid in developing strategies … Read more
The “catastrophic” freeze on US funding for malaria has halted prevention programmes across Africa and also threatens to stall advances in genomic research, says Jane Carlton, director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute. The US President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) is one of numerous USAID-supported programmes to see its funding terminated under US President Donald Trump’s sweeping reforms this … Read more