As many as 90% of those who take levothyroxine [Synthroid] may have been unnecessarily prescribed the hypothyroidism medication.
Studying consciousness without affecting it
Studies of consciousness often run into a common conundrum of science—it’s hard to measure a system without the measurement affecting the system. Researchers assessing consciousness, for instance as volunteers receive anesthesia, typically use spoken commands to see if subjects can still respond, but that sound might keep them awake longer or wake them up sooner than normal. A new study not only validates a way to assess consciousness without external stimulation, it also finds that it may be more precise.
Insights into brain connectivity may help clinicians choose between talk therapy and medications for depression
Researchers from Emory University are continuing to gain a deeper understanding of factors that help predict how well three first-line treatments work for adults diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD).
Creating an artificial pathologist
A team from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL) in Erlangen has created a new, fast and precise method for clinicians to analyze cells in tissue samples from cancer patients without the need for a trained pathologist. They use artificial intelligence to evaluate the data their method produces.
Alternative glucose breakdown ensures the survival of cancer cells
A key enzyme in sugar metabolism is inactivated particularly easily and efficiently by oxidative stress. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have now shown that with this oxidation, cells switch to an alternative sugar breakdown pathway and can thus escape oxidative stress. Cancer cells in particular benefit from this mechanism, which can also protect them from therapy-related damage.
Activating adult-born neurons through deep brain stimulation alleviates Alzheimer’s symptoms in rodent models
People with Alzheimer’s disease develop defects in cognitive functions like memory as well as problems with noncognitive functions that can lead to anxiety and depression. In a paper published April 6 in the journal Cell Stem Cell, investigators used mice to study a process through which new neurons are generated in adulthood, called adult hippocampus neurogenesis (AHN). The research showed that deep brain stimulation of new neurons helped restore both cognitive and noncognitive functions in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease.
Study reveals how diet and probiotics boost melanoma immunotherapy response
In mice with melanoma, probiotic bacteria travel from the gut and establish in tumors, where they directly stimulate immune cells to make cancer immunotherapy more effective, according to a new study led by University of Pittsburgh researchers.
Researchers tackle major obstacle to stem-cell heart repair
Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle have engineered stem cells that do not generate dangerous arrhythmias, a complication that has to date thwarted efforts to develop stem-cell therapies for injured hearts.
tRNA biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis enabled by new method
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules are present in all living cells, with different types of RNA having different jobs. For example, messenger RNA is copied from DNA and carries instructions on how to make a protein. Transfer RNA (tRNA) links the mRNA sequence with its corresponding amino acid, ensuring that proteins are stitched together correctly as instructed by DNA.
New technology to select healthier sperm for IVF success
Scientists have developed new technology to help couples undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) due to male fertility problems to increase their chances of success in having a baby.