Routine blood tests could be key to stopping the silent killer of liver disease

New research has shown that results of blood tests routinely performed by GPs everywhere contain a hidden fingerprint that can identify people silently developing potentially fatal liver cirrhosis.

Preventive blood thinning drugs linked to reduced risk of death in COVID-19 patients

Patients given preventive blood thinning drugs (prophylactic anticoagulants) within 24 hours of admission to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to die compared with those who do not receive them, finds a study published by The BMJ today.

New study gives hope of eliminating mother-to-baby transmission of HIV

Anti-retroviral drugs are a vital tool in the prevention and treatment of HIV. A new study of pregnant women in Tanzania shows that life-long antiviral treatment also seems to prevent viral transmission from mother to baby. The results of the study, which was conducted in part by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and published in Lancet HIV, make a promising contribution to the WHO's work with HIV prevention in low and middle-income countries.

AstraZeneca gets WHO and profit boost as virus vaccinations ramp up

AstraZeneca announced Thursday it had doubled its annual profit in 2020 as the World Health Organization approved its coronavirus shot for over-65s, boosting the global immunisation effort against COVID-19.

How are experts tracking variants of the coronavirus?

How are experts tracking variants of the coronavirus?

Sawfish face global extinction unless overfishing is curbed

Sawfish have disappeared from half of the world's coastal waters and the distinctive shark-like rays face complete extinction due to overfishing, according to a new study by Simon Fraser University researchers, published in Science Advances.

Nanoparticle gel unites oil and water in manufacturing-friendly approach

Oil and water may not mix, but adding the right nanoparticles to the recipe can convert these two immiscible fluids into an exotic gel with uses ranging from batteries to water filters to tint-changing smart windows. A new approach to creating this unusual class of soft materials could carry them out of the laboratory and into the marketplace.

Why portraying humans as healthy machines can backfire

Researchers from University of Amsterdam and Stanford University published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines explores how human-as-machine representations affect consumers—specifically their eating behavior and health.

HIV research yields potential drug target

Humans possess a formidable multi-layered defense system that protects us against viral infections. Better understanding of these defenses and the tricks that viruses use to evade them could open novel avenues for treating viral infections and possibly other diseases.

Caution: 1918 influenza provides warning for potential future pandemic reemergence

The 1918 influenza pandemic provides a cautionary tale for what the future may hold for COVID-19, says a Michigan State University researcher.

COVID-infected mothers separated from their babies affects breastfeeding outcomes

It may be safe for COVID-infected mothers to maintain contact with their babies. Keeping them apart can cause maternal distress and have a negative effect on exclusive breastfeeding later in infancy, according to The COVID Mothers Study published in the peer-reviewed journal Breastfeeding Medicine.

Researchers explore how to protect gut integrity to improve outcomes in blood cancers

MUSC Hollings Cancer Center researchers found that a single strain of bacteria may be able to reduce the severity of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), as reported online in February 2021 in JCI Insight.

Lancet report details devastating impact of the Trump administration's health-harming policies, calls for reforms

The first comprehensive assessment of the health effects of Donald Trump's presidency is published today in The Lancet revealing devastating impacts on every aspect of health in the U.S.. The Lancet Commission on Public Policy and Health in the Trump Era also traces the policy failures that preceded and fueled Trump's ascent and left the U.S. lagging behind other high-income nations on life expectancy.

Parents of pediatric cancer patients more likely to endorse COVID-19 misinformation

A new study led by VCU Massey Cancer Center researcher Jeanine Guidry, Ph.D., found that parents of children with cancer were more likely to believe misinformation and unverifiable content associated with COVID-19 than parents of children with no cancer history.

'Left behind' adolescent women must be prioritised within sustainable development agenda

The needs of millions of overlooked, 'left behind' adolescent women must become a more significant priority within international efforts to end poverty by 2030, a UK Government-commissioned report is urging.

Family ties explain mysterious social life of coral gobies

The strange social structure of tiny fish called emerald coral gobies may be explained by family loyalty, new research shows.

Early behavioural problems predict adolescent mental health difficulties

A substantial proportion of adolescent mental health and behavioral difficulties can be predicted years before they arise, a new study indicates.

Researchers release analysis of largest, most diverse genetic data set

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and their colleagues published a new analysis today in the journal Nature from genetic sequencing data of more than 53,000 individuals, primarily from minority populations. The early analysis, part of a large-scale program funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, examines one of the largest and most diverse data sets of high-quality whole genome sequencing, which makes up a person's DNA. It provides new genetic insights into heart, lung, blood and sleep disorders and how these conditions impact people with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, who are often underrepresented in genetic studies.

New turntable-like catalytic reactor promises more sustainable chemical manufacturing

A new catalytic reactor that can create chemical compounds more quickly, cheaply and in a more sustainable way has won funding from Innovate UK.

Tiny population of neurons may have big role in depression

A tiny population of neurons known to be important to appetite appear to also have a significant role in depression that results from unpredictable, chronic stress, scientists say.

COVID-related depression linked to reduced physical activity

The United States spends more than $200 billion every year in efforts to treat and manage mental health. The onset of the coronavirus pandemic has only deepened the chasm for those experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety. This breach has also widened, affecting more people.

How women make choices about surgery to prevent ovarian cancer

A study by researchers at Queen Mary University in London has investigated how women who are at high risk of ovarian cancer make choices about possible preventive surgery.