Metformin has emerged as a versatile medication, showcasing remarkable potential in combating various ailments. Recent studies have shed light on its unexpected prowess in tackling severe COVID-19 cases and mitigating viral loads, suggesting a multifaceted approach to management.
Disease
Infectious disease experts predict another coronavirus pandemic in the future, so we need to be prepared. That will require both basic research to devise improved vaccines, including "universal" ones that will provide immunity against new variants, and cooperation from vaccine manufacturers.
Parkinson's disease, with its well-known symptoms of motor dysfunction and cognitive changes, may hold a deeper narrative. Recent research delves into the connection between Parkinson's and pesticide exposure, shedding light on how genetic predispositions of lysosomes may interact with environmental toxins to pave a path toward disease.
A recent CDC report documented a case of HIV infection in three women who received cosmetic injections in 2018. Although disturbing, this news is not catastrophic, like it would have been three decades ago. AIDS is now largely a forgotten disease in the United States. How did we get here?
The progressive spread of a highly infectious strain of avian flu virus infections to more mammal species is a concern to scientists, public health officials, and farmers. However, the publicly released genomic data do not include critical information on the outbreak’s origins and evolution.
In a recent conversation with John Batchelor (CBS "Eye on the World"), we explored the resurgence of measles amidst a wave of vaccine hesitancy sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Between COVID, HIV, Dengue, Ebola, and emerging flu variants, the last thing the world needs is another type of pathogen, let alone with no treatment or cure. But, although rare, prion diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are both infectious and fatal. Although they may sound mysterious, much of the pathology of prions can be explained with simple organic chemistry. (Which may or may not be worse than the disease itself.) Enjoy.
Multiple sclerosis, or MS, casts a shadow over the lives of millions worldwide, its complexities challenging both patients and researchers. Stemming from autoimmune assaults on the nervous system, recent strides in research have illuminated a potential diagnostic signature years before a clinical presentation.
Ever felt like you're just waiting for the other shoe to drop, especially regarding medical test results? Francis Collins, the former NIH director, found himself in that situation, dancing the delicate tango of active surveillance for prostate cancer. Imagine a urine test that could cut down on those nerve-wracking biopsies, while boasting a 99% accuracy rate for spotting the serious stuff.
The concept of a “leaky” brain is an enigma, the fortress of our brain, seemingly protected by the blood-brain barrier now disrupted. However, to understand whether a breach has altered our cognitive function we need to better understand our protector.
Glaucoma stands as a preventable purveyor of blindness, particularly among Black and Hispanic communities. Genetic predispositions, socioeconomic disparities, and systemic barriers make glaucoma's impact disproportionately skewed. Here's a look why.
Are we overlooking a critical factor in surgical site infections (SSIs)? In the quest for sterile operating rooms and antibiotic prophylaxis, a groundbreaking study suggests we've missed a vital piece of the puzzle: the patient's microbiome, a finding that challenges the wisdom of Semmelweis and may revolutionize infection prevention strategies.