Patients with breast cancer in conflict zones around the world are being “massively underserved” by governments, UN aid agencies and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Professor Richard Sullivan has told the Advanced Breast Cancer Seventh International Consensus Conference (ABC 7).
Having more diverse gut bacteria can protect against diarrheal disease, study finds
The severity of a diarrheal disease could be down to the bacteria in your gut, according to new research from the University of East Anglia.
Study finds that laser epilation reduces risk of recurrence of pilonidal disease
Laser epilation, commonly known as laser hair removal, reduced the risk of recurrence in patients with pilonidal disease, an inflammatory, painful, and sometimes chronic or recurring condition, according to research conducted by Peter C. Minneci, M.D., Chair of Surgery at Nemours Children’s Health, Delaware Valley, and published in JAMA Surgery.
Q&A: What human diseases can teach us about the immune system
The immune system is a crucial part of our survival, regularly fending off wide-ranging attacks on the body, both internal and external. Unsurprisingly, the elegant defense system that protects us from viruses, bacterial infections, cancer, and other threats is immensely complicated. Each time it mounts a response, it must quickly and carefully orchestrate communication across vast numbers of cells and molecules.
Efforts to attract physicians to underserved areas aren’t working, says study
A federal program created to attract physicians to medically underserved areas of the United States has not achieved this intended effect or reduced mortality rates in these regions, a new Yale study finds. The researchers say new approaches may be needed to address health care disparities across the country.
Vigorous exercise, rigorous science: What scientists learned from firefighters in training
Eleven young firefighters went through a rigorous training exercise, carrying up to 40 pounds of gear over hilly terrain during a 45-minute training exercise in the California sun. Gloves, helmets, flashlights, goggles, and more weighed them down as they sprinted through the countryside wearing fire-resistant clothing to show they were ready to serve as wildland firefighters.
Could a blood test revolutionize multiple sclerosis diagnosis?
A simple blood test into multiple sclerosis (MS) pathology could speed MS diagnostics and ultimately improve patient care, according to Xiaoli Yu, Ph.D., senior author of a new study on plasma immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody aggregates.
Minimum wage increase linked to small decrease in employer health insurance offerings
A new study led by a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that a $1 increase in state and federal minimum wages over the 2002–2020 period was associated with a small decrease in the percentage of employers offering health insurance.
Finding your niche: A synthetic cancer stem cell microenvironment
One of the biggest challenges in biomedical research is finding a way to capture the complexity of the human body in laboratory-based techniques, to enable them to be investigated accurately. Now, researchers from Japan report an approach for precisely imitating a key feature of aggressive cancers in the laboratory.
Using virtual reality to create therapeutic experiences: From treating phobias to rehabilitating abusers
Can an abuser perceive fear in their victim? Lack of connection and empathy are common factors in cases of gender violence, child abuse, and other scenarios. In view of this, it’s also one of the core issues in abuser rehabilitation therapies. In the last few years, virtual reality has become a very significant tool in such therapies, as it makes it possible, for example, for abusers to put themselves in victims’ shoes and feel the threats and violence in a similar way to how they were felt by their victims.