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Researchers at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons have found that genes cause about 1 in 10 cases of chronic kidney disease in adults. They say that identifying the responsible gene has a direct impact on treatment for most of these patients. “Our study shows that genetic testing can be used to personalize the diagnosis and management of kidney disease, and that nephrologists should consider incorporating it…

Researchers at the Queen Mary University of London have developed a new cervical cancer test that proved to be 100% effective at detecting the cancer in a trial of 15,744 participants. Komsan Loonproom | Shutterstock The study demonstrated that the epigenetics-based test outperformed both the Pap smear and the human papilloma virus (HPV) test, as well as being more cost effective. As reported in the International Journal of Cancer, lead…

A new study has revealed that cannabis or marijuana can alter the DNA or genetic make-up of the sperms and this can have long term consequences in the baby born of that sperm. The study results were published in the latest issue of the journal Epigenetics. Marijuana. Image Credit: ShutterstockProfessional / Shutterstock Researchers at the Duke University used laboratory rats. They divided the rats into two groups. One of the…

No drugs are currently available to treat Ebola, Dengue, or Zika viruses, which infect millions of people every year and result in severe illness, birth defects, and even death. New research from the Gladstone Institutes and UC San Francisco may finally change that. Scientists identified key ways the three viruses hijack the body’s cells, and they found at least one potential drug that can disrupt this process in human cells….

When a building is damaged, a general contractor often oversees various subcontractors  framers, electricians, plumbers and drywall hangers — to ensure repairs are done in the correct order and on time. Similarly, when DNA is damaged, a molecular general contractor oversees a network of genetic subcontractors to ensure that the diverse cellular tasks needed to protect and repair the genome are carried out correctly and on time. Scientists have known…

In January 2009, the life of engineer Michel Meunier, a professor at Polytechnique Montréal, changed dramatically. Like others, he had observed that the extremely short pulse of a femtosecond laser (0.000000000000001 second) could make nanometer-sized holes appear in silicon when it was covered by gold nanoparticles. But this researcher, recognized internationally for his skills in laser and nanotechnology, decided to go a step further with what was then just a…

A study led by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School has used a small interfering RNA (siRNA) to reduce preeclampsia symptoms in an animal model. This approach could provide a new way of treating preeclampsia in humans. Hakat | Shutterstock At around 20 weeks of pregnancy, women with preeclampsia develop high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine (proteinuria). If the condition is severe, blood platelet counts…

Illustration: NovioSense / FDC Medical The Noviosense tear-glucose sensor slips in right behind the lower eyelid. Update: On 16 November 2018, Alphabet’s Verily said in a blog post that the company would suspend its work with Alcon to develop a glucose-monitoring contact lens due in part to “the challenges of obtaining reliable tear glucose readings in the complex on-eye environment.” For decades, researchers have clamored to build a wearable, noninvasive glucose monitor….

Photos: BrainGate Collaboration Two participants in the BrainGate clinical trial directly control a tablet computer through a brain-computer interface to chat with each other online. One user played Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” on an Android tablet piano app and later bought some groceries online. Another sent a few texts and then checked the weather forecast. A third browsed through some videos before firing up Stevie Nicks on Pandora. They didn’t use…

The new chip developed by Barcelona researchers. Credit: Jose Yuste (CSIC-IMB-CNM) For some years, scientists have been researching in order to find ways of reducing animal testing and accelerating clinical trials. In vitro assays with living cells is an alternative, but it has limitations as the interconnection and interaction between cells cannot be easily reproduced. To overcome the latest, scientists are developing systems that mimic tissues and organ functions in…