February 14, 2021

Artificial intelligence for dementia prevention

AI-Mind is a 5-year project funded by Horizon 2020, with the goal of facilitating a paradigm shift in clinical practice of mild cognitive impairment. A team of Aalto University and HUS Helsinki University Hospital researchers are involved in the project. AI-Mind will create intelligent digital tools for screening of brain […]
February 13, 2021

Why dogs can teach humans about healthier ageing

Our pet dogs could help extend human lives beyond their documented effects on people’s wellbeing. Increasingly, studies are looking at how the domestic dog, Canis familiaris, is key to understanding cognition and processes involved in ageing – something that could improve both animal and human wellbeing. ‘In recent years, the […]
February 12, 2021

Five things you need to know about: mRNA vaccine safety

In trials these vaccines have shown to be at least 94% effective at preventing people from falling ill with Covid-19. But how safe is this new technology? We spoke to Michel Goldman, a professor of immunology and founder of the I3h Institute for Interdisciplinary Innovation in healthcare at the Université […]
February 12, 2021

Why gut bacteria are becoming key suspects in autoimmune diseases

What causes the immune system to err in this way is not clear, but a growing body of research is looking at the trillions of microbes that share our bodies, known collectively as the microbiome, for an answer. Studies of twins indicate that lifestyle, or environmental, factors can play a […]
February 12, 2021

Study: New Prostate Cancer Test Could Avoid Unnecessary Biopsies

A urine test based on University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center research could have avoided one-third of unnecessary prostate cancer biopsies while failing to detect only a small number of cancers, according to a validation study that included more than 1,500 patients. The findings appear in the issue of the Journal of Urology. […]
February 12, 2021

Stem Cell Study Illuminates the Cause of a Devastating Inherited Heart Disorder

Scientists in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have uncovered the molecular causes of a congenital form of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), an often-fatal heart disorder. This inherited form of DCM — which affects at least several thousand people in the United States at any one time […]
February 12, 2021

Simple urine test can detect womb cancer

A simple non-invasive test can accurately detect womb cancer according to a proof of concept study by University of Manchester and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) scientists. The non-invasive test, which detects cancer by looking at urine or vaginal sample with a microscope, could have a major benefit for patients if […]
February 12, 2021

Gene variants increase risk of Addison’s disease

Variants of nine genes increase the risk of developing Addison’s disease, a rare disease in which the immune system attacks the adrenal glands. That is according to the largest genetic study to date on patients with Addison’s disease. The findings help increase knowledge about what causes the disease. The study […]
February 12, 2021

Aberrant splicing in neuroblastoma generates RNA-fusion transcripts and provides vulnerability to spliceosome inhibitors

Neuroblastoma arises within the sympathetic nervous system and is the most frequent extracranial solid childhood cancer, exhibiting a high degree of clinical heterogeneity ranging from spontaneous regression to fatal progression despite intense clinical intervention. Despite extensive sequencing efforts, the number of identified recurrent mutations remain low in pediatric neuroblastoma. Researchers […]
February 12, 2021

Improving Crohn’s Disease Evaluations in Kids

In people with Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel condition, symptoms or how they feel may not line up with actual inflammation in their gut. This mismatch creates challenges for accurately measuring how well a treatment is truly working, especially for children. Currently, many gastroenterologists use symptoms and blood tests […]