Predicting the course of a COVID-19 patient’s disease after hospital admission is essential to improving treatment. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s hospital (BWH) analyzed 100 COVID-19 patients’ levels of inflammation, known to be associated with severity of illness, by looking at C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Their results published in Cell Reports Medicine, showed that an increase
The current flu vaccine is redesigned every year to compensate for various mutations the virus develops, and the vaccine is still not fully protective for all individuals. Researchers at MIT, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University have collaborated on a potential universal flu vaccine to protect against any flu strain. Their study, which appears in
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen and Rigshospitalet have been working hard to uncover secrets about epilepsy, a neurological brain disorder caused by a malfunction in brain cells. They were able to discover the exact neurons affected by this disease and published their findings in Nature. The recently discovered neurons may contribute to epileptogenesis, which
A research team led by Peter Scheiffele at the University of Basel revealed a new association between a genetic mutation and autism, a disorder that affects approximately 1 in 54 children in the United States. The team’s research, recently published in Nature, discovered a link between the neuroligin-3 (Nlgn3) gene and the oxytocin signaling pathway
The Biomedical Science Careers Program will livestream their virtual Evening of Hope Event on Monday October 5, 2020 at 7:00 EST. The mission of the BSCP is “to provide students of every race, ethnic background, gender and financial status with encouragement, support and guidance needed for the successful pursuit of biomedical science and other science-related
Sleep is a mystery that everyone encounters daily. Many generations have tried to understand its purpose and relation to behavioral health. Dreams drew the attention first, prompting interpretation of their symbolic contents based on a spectrum of theories from esoterism to psychoanalysis. In 1953, Nathaniel Kleitman and Eugene Aserinsky described periods of rapid eye movement
Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies globally. Approximately 2 billion (~30%) individuals are anemic worldwide (10). The most common etiology of anemia is iron deficiency (ID). Interestingly, concerns surrounding iron status for astronauts in space exist on the other end of the spectrum. Evidence suggests that ferritin (storage form of iron)
A research team led by Dr. David Fajgenbaum at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has been working hard to discover new uses for existing drugs. The global pandemic COVID-19 led the team to direct their efforts toward this pandemic. The aim of their work is to provide a comprehensive database for
Like in the title of Shakespeare’s play, vitamin D is “nothing” compared to modern complex drugs; it is cheap, widely available, and even produced by ourselves. And again, like the heroes of the play, we get lost in rumors and misunderstandings of the influence of vitamin D in carcinogenesis. The role of vitamin D in
Close to six million Americans age 65 and over are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease. That number is projected to more than double by the year 2050. A debilitating affliction that leads to cognitive degradation over time, Alzheimer’s currently has no cure. An exciting new development has emerged regarding the diagnosis of individuals with the