Clinical Trials & Research

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received three grants totaling more than $6.8 million to advance research on a novel imaging system to monitor uterine contractions. The electromyometrial imaging system, called EMMI, was invented and developed at Washington University. The device allows physicians to measure, in 3D, the electrical activity

Since coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) first emerged, vast strides have been made in detection and testing technology. During the initial phases of the pandemic, while countries were forced to rely on ad-hoc PCR assays to confirm infection with the disease, most governments told anyone showing symptoms to isolate. Study: Nanobody-Functionalized Cellulose for Capturing SARS-CoV-2. Image

A philosophy team from Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) and the University of Antwerp analyzed the role self-deception plays in everyday life and the strategies people use to deceive themselves. In the journal Philosophical Psychology, Dr. Francesco Marchi and Professor Albert Newen describe four strategies used to stabilize and shield the positive self-image. According to their theory,

Millions of people around the globe are affected by cancer each year; more than 39% of men and women are diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. Chemotherapy is the most commonly employed, standard cancer treatment and targeted delivery of these drugs to the tumor site increases their effectiveness. However, excess drugs may still circulate to

How can we shift from a state of inattentiveness to one of highest attention? The locus coeruleus, literally the “blue spot,” is a tiny cluster of cells at the base of the brain. As the main source of the neurotransmitter noradrenaline, it helps us control our attentional focus. Synthesizing evidence from animal and human studies,

Mechanical engineering and materials science professor David Needham has shown that a slight increase in solution pH might be all it takes to turn a metabolic inhibiting drug, traditionally used to treat gut parasites, into a promising prophylactic/preventative nasal spray and early treatment throat spray for COVID-19. The results appear online on December 28 in

A recent randomized clinical trial from the United States (US) shows how daily use of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) probiotic may protect against symptom development in instances when it is used as post-exposure prophylaxis within seven days after exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2). Study: Daily Lactobacillus Probiotic versus Placebo in COVID-19-Exposed

Research led by Queen’s University Belfast has revealed the diverse ways that amphibians care for their young determine how many eggs they lay. Most amphibians abandon their young when they lay their eggs. Among those amphibians that do care, parental care can be strikingly different. This includes attendance of the young; transportation of young from

When coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) first arose, it spread across the world very rapidly, and many countries were forced to enact costly and restrictive measures in order to reduce the transmission rate. These included mandatory face masks, social distancing and even full lockdowns/stay-at-home orders. Most countries were worried that high numbers of cases could overwhelm

Study shows link between weight loss from bariatric surgery and COVID-19 severity. Entering 2022, worldwide COVID cases have topped the 290 million mark, with more than five million deaths (1). While new variants develop with lower mortality rates, the risk of severe COVID infection is still greater for some groups. Common risk factors include people

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused worldwide morbidity, mortality, and social and economic disruptions of the first order. Despite the rollout of vaccines, the emergence of new immune escape variants poses a formidable obstacle to ending the pandemic. The newest such variant is the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529). First reported on November

A new Cornell University study uses queuing theory to examine how often pairs of shoppers might overlap in a supermarket – an approach that could be used to predict the transmission of COVID-19, and guide strategies to reduce its spread. Jamol Pender, associate professor of operations research and information engineering, specializes in queuing theory –

Minnesota has the lowest age-adjusted heart disease mortality in the U.S.; yet, African American adults 35 to 63 have nearly double the rate of death from cardiovascular disease, compared to their white counterparts. Study findings show that basic health beliefs and demographics, such as age, sex, marital status and level of education attained, were associated

Multiple Spike (S) protein mutations in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) Omicron variant contribute to the virus’s escape from neutralizing antibody responses, lowering vaccination protection against infection. It’s unclear to what extent other adaptive response components, such as T cells, may still target Omicron and contribute to protection against catastrophic outcomes. T

A team of investigators have discovered a genomic variant that may help clinicians predict which patients will experience cardiotoxicity from a widely used chemotherapy drug, according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in Circulation. The findings underscore the significance of identifying reliable predictive genomic biomarkers and their potential to improve the course of treatment plans

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have discovered how the sponginess and stickiness of stem cell nuclei controls how they “differentiate” into specialized cells. They found that the nucleus starts solid-like but becomes more fluid-like over time. Less force is transmitted to its inner parts, leaving cells to commit to a certain differentiation pathway. How stem

A team of researchers recently studied the immune response of hosts in vaccine-breakthrough infections and posted their findings to the bioRxiv* preprint server. The massive surge in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infections across the globe due to the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) has resulted in a new health crisis. The

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* pre-print server, a team of researchers evaluated inflammatory cytokine profiles of mothers infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during pregnancy and their infants. While severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection-induced inflammatory cytokine production in adults is well characterized, relatively little is known about the infant

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers evaluated the interactions of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron and wild-type (wt) variants with human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) receptor. Study: Improved binding affinity of the Omicron’s spike protein with hACE2 receptor is the key factor behind its increased virulence.

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers developed the K18-hACE2 transgenic (K18-hACE2) mouse with hACE2 expression directed by the epithelial cell cytokeratin-18 (K18) promoter to study severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS‑CoV) pathogenesis. The mice were infected with the Pango B lineage, Delta, and Omicron variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* pre-print server, researchers investigated the potency of trimeric human nephrocystin SH3, TriSb92, a domain-derived antibody, against a conserved region in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs). Study: Intranasal inhibitor blocks Omicron and other variants of

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* pre-print server, a team of researchers demonstrated the neutralization of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant by select antibodies and used cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures to reveal structural mechanisms for the maintenance of potent neutralization against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC). Study: Structural

A new technique takes bioprinting -; in which an ink of cells is printed, layer by layer, to form a structure -; to a whole new, and icy level. Investigators from the Zhang lab at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed a technology that they term “cryobioprinting,” a method that uses a bioink embedded with

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers determined the neutralizing antibody (nAb) levels against various strains of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus disease 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in sera collected from individuals with varying degrees of immunity against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Study: Three doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine confer neutralising

A Michigan Medicine study found that preadolescent children with severe neuromuscular scoliosis who are treated with growth-friendly surgery prior to spinal fusion have more complications and unplanned subsequent surgeries than those who only have the spinal fusion. Early-onset scoliosis is a potentially deadly curve in the spine that can damage a child’s heart and lung

Selenoproteins have the 21st amino acid, selenocysteine incorporated into their polypeptide chain. This is the primary mechanism by which selenium can help biological functions. There are at least 25 genes encoding for selenoproteins in humans, some of which are essential in development. They are also known to play important roles in disease pathogenesis. GPX 1-4,

Stem cell scientists have revealed the origins of a common ovarian cancer by modeling fallopian tube tissues, allowing them to characterize how a genetic mutation puts women at high risk for this cancer. The created tissues, known as organoids, hold potential for predicting which individuals will develop ovarian cancer years or even decades in advance,