Lifestyle

In a paper published today in Nature Communications, an international group of collaborators led by researchers at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh have identified a genetic cause of a rare neurological disorder marked by developmental delay and loss of coordination, or ataxia. The disorder, scientists found, is caused by mutations in a protein called GEMIN5—one […]

Close to 40 million Magnetic Resonance Imaging procedures are performed annually. These MRIs enable doctors to peer deep inside the body, helping them to diagnose ailments or diseases in a non-invasive way. But the technology may also be exploited, according to new research by Gary Young, a professor of strategic management and healthcare systems. His […]

Pelvic organ prolapse—POP—is a hidden disease. While the injury happens during childbirth, the patient may not know about the damage until many years later, often during menopause. A potential new stem cell treatment, which is being developed in the laboratory but is not yet ready for human clinical trials, could potentially be given to women […]

Two female Australian comedians recently revealed they’ve been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In an interview before her shows at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Fiona O’Loughlin alluded to lifelong challenges including disorganization and inability to sustain attention. O’Loughlin, 57, described her diagnosis as a “seismic shift” in her life, and said medication […]

Neuroblastoma is a childhood cancer, most commonly affecting children aged between two to three and can be fatal. Since the tumor cells resemble certain cells in the adrenal glands, a joint research group from MedUni Vienna’s Center for Brain Research and the Swedish Karolinska Institute investigated the cellular origin of these cells and sympathetic neurons […]

A QUT researcher’s identification of saliva as an early detection liquid biopsy for oral and throat cancer has been realized by the development and commercialisation of a diagnostic device by US-based biotech company Viome. Viome’s early detection device has been designated a Breakthrough Device by The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US. QUT […]

A protein implicated in neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) prevents the activation of an innate immune response that leads to cell death, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered. The protein, called TDP-43, regulates the accumulation of double-stranded RNA—genetic material found in both pathogens and in our own cells. The findings, published in the journal Cell […]