A team of researchers with members affiliated with multiple institutions in Australia and China has found evidence that genetic studies of alcohol drinking could be tainted by people under study who misreport their behavior. In their paper published in the journal Nature Communications, the group describes using statistical analysis on […]
AstraZeneca: Shot will be effective against COVID-19 variant
The head of drugmaker AstraZeneca, which is developing a coronavirus vaccine widely expected to be approved by U.K. authorities this week, said Sunday that researchers believe the shot will be effective against a new variant of the virus driving a rapid surge in infections in Britain. AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal […]
In the liver, a stressed cell can be bad news for its neighbors
A key protein in the communication channels between cells can allow a stress response in one liver cell to spread to neighboring liver cells in mice, causing otherwise healthy cells to become dysfunctional, according to new research co-led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Sheba Medical Center […]
Could existing drugs be used against COVID-19?
Several drugs already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could potentially be used to alleviate the symptoms of COVID-19, biomedical researchers at Université de Montréal have found. The team—led by doctoral student Nehme El-Hachem, working under the supervision of UdeM pharmcology associate professor Moutih Rafei in collaboration […]
Water may be an effective treatment for metabolic syndrome
Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have discovered that fructose stimulates the release of vasopressin, a hormone linked to obesity and diabetes. They also found that water can suppress the hormone and alleviate these conditions in mice. “The clinical significance of this work is that it may […]
Why coronavirus rules should be about more than just stopping transmission
The success or failure of coronavirus regulations is often assessed on whether they affect the rate of transmission in the community, and whether or not people comply with them. But what about the ethics behind the measures? With inevitable and complex value judgments at play, responses to COVID-19 have shown […]
Depression pill from the 1950s could be used to treat prostate cancer
A depression pill from 70 years ago could be used to treat prostate cancer, research suggests An antidepressant from the Fifties could treat prostate cancer and reduce side-effects of other treatments. Results of a small trial suggest that the drug phenelzine, which treats depression (by altering levels of brain chemicals […]
Curtailed Christmas could be ‘safest bet’: WHO
The WHO said Monday that avoiding family gatherings would be “the safest bet” over Christmas, insisting there is no zero-risk option for traditional holiday merry-making during the coronavirus pandemic. World Health Organization officials said it was down to governments to weigh up the economic and social benefits of loosening pandemic […]
US curbs ramped up as emergency vaccine request to be filed
Americans were on Friday facing a growing raft of coronavirus restrictions, even as pharma giant Pfizer and partner BioNTech prepared to file an emergency request to roll out their vaccine. California announced a night-time curfew and authorities urged people everywhere not to travel for Thanksgiving as the country was hit […]