Health News related to Drugs to Brain with Nanoparticles, Protecting Immune System from Aging, Possible Endemic Diseases following COVID-19, Killing Coronavirus on Surfaces, Detecting Alzheimer’s Disease, Disinfecting Cloth Face Masks, Way to Ward Off Asthma Triggers, Beta Cell Regeneration, Preterm Children and Depression, Reverse Alcohol Intoxication, Rats Transmitting Hantavirus, Common SARS-CoV-2 Mutation and Vaccine
Note: I do not write/own any of the health news bits (and cover picture) given here. The links on each of the news bits will redirect to the news source. The content given under each headline is a basic gist and not the full story.
1. Bringing Drugs to The Brain with Nanoparticles to Treat Neurodegenerative Diseases
Source: Institut national de la recherche scientifique – INRS
9 Nov 2020
The blood-brain barrier is the main obstacle in treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. According to a recent study, nanoparticles with specific properties could cross this barrier and be captured by neuronal cells. Researchers are confident that these results will open important prospects for releasing drugs directly to the brain.
Original written by: Audrey-Maude Vezina
2. Genetic Disposition Protects Immune System from Aging
Source: University of Bonn
9 Nov 2020
A genetic disposition that plays a role in the development of the heart in the embryo also appears to play a key role in the human immune system. This is shown by a recent study. The study reveals a previously unknown function of a human gene.
3. Large, Delayed Outbreaks of Endemic Diseases Possible Following COVID-19 Controls
Source: Princeton University
9 Nov 2020
Measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 through non-pharmaceutical interventions such as mask-wearing and social distancing are a key tool in combatting the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. These actions also have greatly reduced the incidence of many other diseases, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus. Current reductions in these common respiratory infections, however, may merely postpone the incidence of future outbreaks, according to a study.
4. Plasma Treatments Quickly Kill Coronavirus on Surfaces
Source: American Institute of Physics
10 Nov 2020
Researchers believe using plasma could promise a significant breakthrough in the fight against the spread of COVID-19. In a new study, modeling conducted showed strains of the novel coronavirus on surfaces like metal, leather, and plastic were killed in as little as 30 seconds of treatment with argon-fed, cold atmospheric plasma.
5. Detecting Alzheimer’s Disease Before Symptoms Arise
Source: University of Missouri-Columbia
11 Nov 2020
A researcher has recently finished a study that has resulted in procedures for defining the preclinical stages of Alzheimer’s disease. This finding can help drug developers identify who could potentially benefit from a future Alzheimer’s treatment before symptoms of cognitive decline start to arise.
6. Cloth Face Masks That Can Be Disinfected by The Sun
Source: American Chemical Society
11 Nov 2020
Researchers have developed a special type of cotton face mask that kills up to 99.9999% of bacteria and viruses within 60 minutes of daylight exposure. They wanted to develop a new cotton fabric that would release reactive oxygen species (ROS) when exposed to daylight, killing microbes attached to the fabric’s surfaces while being washable, reusable and safe for the wearer.
7. New Study Points to A Better Way to Ward Off Asthma Triggers
Source: La Jolla Institute for Immunology
11 Nov 2020
While quick-acting inhalers and medications can reduce inflammation during an asthma attack, people with asthma have few tools to prevent the next attack from coming. Now researchers have discovered that blocking two immune molecules at the same time is key to preventing asthma attacks in a mouse model.
Original written by: Madeline McCurry-Schmidt
8. Internal Clocks Drive Beta Cell Regeneration
Source: Université de Genève
11 Nov 2020
Certain parts of our body can repair themselves after damage. By studying diabetic mice, scientists observed that this regeneration mechanism was under the influence of circadian rhythms – the molecular clocks regulating metabolic functions according to a 24-hour cycle of alternating day-night.
9. Children Born Extremely Preterm Are More Likely to Be Diagnosed with Depression
Source: University of Turku
12 Nov 2020
A study using extensive nationwide registry data showed that girls born extremely preterm, earlier than 28 weeks gestational age, were three times more likely to be diagnosed with depression than peers born close to the expected date of delivery. Increased risk of depression also applied to girls and boys with poor fetal growth born full-term and post-term.
10. A Potential Game-Changer to Reverse Alcohol Intoxication
Source: University Health Network
12 Nov 2020
When a certain level of blood alcohol concentration is reached, the intoxication can damage organs and lead to death. A team of researchers presents a proof of concept of a simple method that could become a game-changer in rescue therapy for severe alcohol intoxication, as well as just “sobering up.”
11. Rats Also Capable of Transmitting Hantavirus
Source: Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
12 Nov 2020
Researchers have confirmed Germany’s first-ever case of animal-to-human transmission involving a specific species of virus known as the ‘Seoul virus’. The researchers were able to confirm the presence of the virus in a young female patient and her pet rat.
12. Common SARS-CoV-2 Mutation May Make Coronavirus More Susceptible to A Vaccine
Source: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
12 Nov 2020
The new strain of coronavirus, called D614G, emerged in Europe and has become the most common in the world. A new study confirms that SARS-CoV-2 has mutated in a way that’s enabled it to spread quickly around the world, but the spike mutation may also make the virus more susceptible to a vaccine.
