Category Health/Medical

B and T cell infiltration in lungs of NZBWF1 mice following cSiO2 exposure is prevented by dietary supplementation with DHA

A team of MSU researchers has found that consuming an omega-3 fatty acid called DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, can stop a known trigger of lupus and potentially other autoimmune disorders. DHA can be found in fatty, cold-water fish and is produced by the algae that fish eat and store in their bodies. It can be found in fish oil supplements as well, used by more than 30 million Americans...

The linker histone H1.0 generates epigenetic and functional intratumor heterogeneity.

Scientists have revealed how a genetic switch involved in the packaging of DNA may be key to a cancer cell’s ability to keep growing.The Francis Crick Institute researchers found that production of a protein called H1.0 was frequently switched off in many cancer types and that reactivating this protein halted tumour growth. Studying cancer cells lacking H1.0, they found that DNA becomes uncoiled at key points, activating a series of genes that stall the cell in an ‘immature’ state. This allows the cells to carry on dividing and expanding the tumour.

But as the tumour grows H1.0 can spontaneously become switched back on in some cells...

Enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or a nightcap before bed, but don’t count on their heart benefits.

A new study found that even moderate alcohol consumption may change the structure of the heart in ways that increase the risk of atrial fibrillation. “There’s growing evidence that moderate alcohol intake may be a risk factor for atrial fibrillation, the most common heart rhythm disturbance in the world, but the mechanism by which alcohol may lead to atrial fibrillation is unknown,” said Gregory Marcus, MD, endowed professor of atrial fibrillation research at UCSF.

Marcus and colleagues looked at damage to the left atrium of the heart as a possible pathway between alcohol and atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is a known risk factor for stroke...

Cross-section of a 3-D printed adult human femur.

A Northwestern Engineering research team has developed a 3-D printable ink that produces a synthetic bone implant that rapidly induces bone regeneration and growth. This hyperelastic “bone” material, whose shape can be easily customized, one day could be especially useful for the treatment of bone defects in children. Bone implantation surgery is never an easy process, but it is particularly painful and complicated for children. With both adults and children, often times bone is harvested from elsewhere in the body to replace the missing bone, which can lead to other complications and pain. Metallic implants are sometimes used, but this is not a permanent fix for growing children.

“Adults have more options when it comes to implants,” said ...