Cart is empty Approximately one in four women in Canada are unaware of the benefits of taking folic acid before and during pregnancy to prevent certain birth defects—a percentage that has not improved in more than a decade.
Q&A: How early cancer screening could save Canada nearly half a billion dollars over patients’ lifetimes
Cancer screening is key to saving patients’ lives, since an earlier stage diagnosis improves survival rates, decreases morbidity, and leads to less intensive treatments. Early detection also has the potential to save Canada’s health care system substantial amounts of money. The United States adopted breast cancer screening for women in their forties due to an increase in the incidence of breast cancer in younger women, with recent research from the University of Ottawa confirming this rise.
New evidence links dementia to problems with the brain’s waste clearance system
A study from the Keck School of Medicine of USC has tested a biomarker linked to vascular dementia across four separate groups and proposed an explanation for how cognitive impairment arises. The findings are published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
New family of protein-based antagonists shows promise against leukemia
In a significant advancement for cancer research, a team of scientists from Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, University Hospital Tübingen, and Osnabrück University successfully designed a new family of protein-based antagonists that selectively block the G-CSFR receptor, which is linked to the emergence of several blood cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia.
New coating extends lifespan of neural implants in the body
Neural implants contain integrated circuits (ICs)—commonly called chips—built on silicon. These implants need to be small and flexible to mimic circumstances inside the human body. However, the environment within the body is corrosive, which raises concerns about the durability of implantable silicon ICs.
CRISPR therapy corrects muscular dystrophy mutations and regrows muscles in mice
Researchers at the Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC), a joint institution of the Max Delbrück Center and Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, have developed a promising gene-editing approach intended to restore the function of a protein that is essential to repair and regrow muscle in patients with muscular dystrophy diseases. The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.
Study identifies potential microRNA target to overcome breast cancer resistance
A new University of Cincinnati Cancer Center study has identified a particular strand of microRNA as a promising new target for overcoming breast cancer treatment resistance and improving outcomes. The research was recently published in the journal Cancers.
Stroke survivors regain strength with virtual reality games that boost brain plasticity
Mirror therapy rehabilitation is a technique commonly used with stroke survivors to help them regain function of their limbs that have been weakened because of a stroke.
Significantly shorter treatment regimens for tuberculosis in children and adults now recommended
Tuberculosis remains a public health crisis. The World Health Organization’s Global Tuberculosis Report released in November 2024 painted a sobering picture; approximately 8.2 million people were newly diagnosed with TB in 2023, the highest number since the organization began global TB monitoring in 1995. A major challenge in tuberculosis treatment has been the long duration needed to effectively treat the disease.
Childhood smoking increases a person’s risk of developing COPD
Childhood smoking before age 15 increases a person’s risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a new study published in the November 2024 issue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation.