Category Health/Medical

Platelet ‘Decoys’ Outsmart both Clots and Cancer

Platelet decoys (pink), unlike normal platelets, are not activated by collagen fibers (gray), making them an attractive option for antithrombotic and cancer treatment. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University

Deactivated platelets offer a potential drug-free, reversible antiplatelet therapy. What do heart disease, stroke, sepsis, and cancer have in common, aside from being deadly diseases? They’re all linked to activated platelets. New research has created ‘decoy’ platelets that can both prevent blood clots and keep cancer from spreading.

Several antiplatelet drugs have been developed to combat platelet-related conditions, but their effects are not easily reversible, and patients taking these drugs are at risk of uncontrolled bleeding if injured...

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Role of Estrogen in controlling Type 2 Diabetes

Image result for Texas A&M-led study explores the role of estrogen in controlling Type 2 diabetes
Dr. Guo (standing) with Wanbao Yang, a Ph.D. student in Guo’s lab at Texas A&M University. Yang was the second author of the study investigating the role of estrogen in control of glucose homeostasis. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo) Credit: Texas A&M AgriLife Research

The results of a recent study provide insights into the mechanism by which estrogen can decrease insulin resistance and the production of glucose, reducing incidences of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The results of a recent Texas A&M University-led study provide insights into the mechanism by which estrogen can decrease insulin resistance and the production of glucose, reducing incidence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The study, “Estrogen Improves Insulin Sensitivity and Suppresses Gluconeogenesis via the Transcription...

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Selfies to Self-Diagnosis: Algorithm ‘Amps Up’ Smartphones to Diagnose Disease


Images of a diagnostic assay are captured using a smartphone camera. Regions of interest are extracted and are converted to HSV (hue, saturation, value) space. After the conversion process, the standard pixel intensity analysis is applied to the saturation channel and the values are used to determine absorbance and concentration of the sample automatically.
Credit: Florida Atlantic University

Smartphones aren’t just for selfies anymore. A novel cell phone imaging algorithm can now analyze assays typically evaluated via spectroscopy, a powerful device used in scientific research. Researchers analyzed more than 10,000 images and found that their method consistently outperformed existing algorithms under a wide range of operating field conditions...

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How a Fungus can Cripple the Immune System

Petri dish with Aspergillus fumigatus.
Credit: Jan-Peter Kasper/University of Jena

Research team clarifies the mechanism of gliotoxin, a mycotoxin from the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. Scientists have now discovered how the fungus knocks out the immune defenses, enabling a potentially fatal fungal infection to develop. It is everywhere – and it is extremely dangerous for people with a weakened immune system. The fungus Aspergillus fumigatus occurs virtually everywhere on Earth, as a dark grey, wrinkled cushion on damp walls or in microscopically small spores that blow through the air and cling to wallpaper, mattresses and floors. Healthy people usually have no problem if spores find their way into their body, as their immune defence system will put the spores out of action...

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