3-D printed pill samples gut microbiome to aid diagnosis and treatment

A research team led by Tufts University engineers has developed a 3-D printed pill that samples bacteria found in the gut—known as the microbiome—as it passes through the gastrointestinal tract (GI). The ability to profile bacterial species inhabiting the gut could have important implications for the diagnosis and treatment of conditions that are affected by the microbiome, according to the researchers.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/3-d-printed-pill-samples-gut-microbiome-to-aid-diagnosis-and-treatment

Mouse, not just tick: New genome heralds change in Lyme disease fight

As Lyme disease increases, researchers have taken a significant step toward finding new ways to prevent its transmission. The experts, who include a pioneer in Lyme disease discovery, have sequenced the genome of the animal carrying the bacteria that causes the illness. The advance by researchers at the University of California, Irvine and colleagues provides a launching pad for fresh approaches to stopping Lyme disease from infecting people.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/mouse-not-just-tick-new-genome-heralds-change-in-lyme-disease-fight

America's packaged food supply is ultra-processed

Americans are overexposed to products that are high in energy, saturated fat, sugar and salt, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study that reports the United States packaged food and beverage supply in 2018 was ultra-processed and generally unhealthy.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/americas-packaged-food-supply-is-ultra-processed

Coping skills program helps social service workers reduce stress, trauma after disasters

An intervention called Caregivers Journey of Hope can help social service workers—especially those with the least experience in the field—to mitigate the stress and trauma they may experience when they're helping community members recover from disasters, a new study found.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/coping-skills-program-helps-social-service-workers-reduce-stress-trauma-after-disasters

MERS-CoV vaccine is safe and induces strong immunity in Army-led first-in-human trial

A Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS CoV) vaccine candidate was shown to be safe, well-tolerated, and induced a robust immune response in a Phase 1 first-in-human clinical trial. Initial findings from the trial were published today in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/mers-cov-vaccine-is-safe-and-induces-strong-immunity-in-army-led-first-in-human-trial

Study shows extra weight in 60s may be linked to brain thinning years later

Having a bigger waistline and a high body mass index (BMI) in your 60s may be linked with greater signs of brain aging years later, according to a study published by a leading University of Miami neurologist researcher in the July 24, 2019, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study suggests that these factors may accelerate brain aging by at least a decade.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/study-shows-extra-weight-in-60s-may-be-linked-to-brain-thinning-years-later

Frog in your throat? Stress might be to blame for vocal issues

Glossophobia, or the fear of public speaking, often comes up in lists of greatest fears. Such anxiety can often impact voice control leading to stammering or feeling like there is a "frog in your throat." A researcher from the University of Missouri has found that there is more to vocal issues than just feeling nervous and that stress-induced brain activations might be to blame.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/frog-in-your-throat-stress-might-be-to-blame-for-vocal-issues

Opioid prescribing rates higher in US compared with other countries

Physicians in the United States may prescribe opioids more frequently to patients during hospitalization and at discharge when compared to their physician peers in other countries, according to a recently published study led by researchers from the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/opioid-prescribing-rates-higher-in-us-compared-with-other-countries

Immune therapy takes a 'BiTE' out of brain cancer

Building on their research showing that an exciting new form of immunotherapy for cancer has activity in patients with glioblastoma, the most common and most deadly form of brain cancer, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators have created a new method that could make immune therapy more effective again brain tumors and expand its use against other types of solid tumors. Their study is published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/immune-therapy-takes-a-bite-out-of-brain-cancer

Tobacco-21 laws can lower smoking prevalence in the 18-20 age group

A new study published today by the scientific journal Addiction found that raising the legal age of sale of cigarettes from 18 to 21 in the U.S. was associated with a 39% reduction in the odds of regular smoking in 18- to 20-year-olds who had experimented with cigarettes. The reduction was even greater (50%) in those who had close friends who smoked when they were 16.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/tobacco-21-laws-can-lower-smoking-prevalence-in-the-18-20-age-group

Targeted therapy erdafitinib effective for patients with advanced bladder cancer and specific gene mutations

Treatment with the FGFR inhibitor erdafitinib in patients with metastatic bladder cancers marked by mutations in the FGFR3 gene resulted in a 40% overall response rate (ORR) and was well-tolerated, according to an international Phase II trial led by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/targeted-therapy-erdafitinib-effective-for-patients-with-advanced-bladder-cancer-and-specific-gene-mutations

Folic acid reduces risk of neural tube defects linked to HIV drug dolutegravir

Dolutegravir is a preferred medication for treating HIV infection, but it recently has been linked to a 6- to 9-fold increase in the risk for neural tube defects among babies born to mothers receiving the drug during early gestation. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine suspected that folic acid (vitamin B9), which is known to prevent the vast majority of neural tube defect cases, could be a part of the puzzle of dolutegravir's negative side effects.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/folic-acid-reduces-risk-of-neural-tube-defects-linked-to-hiv-drug-dolutegravir

Study: Fat cells play key role in dangerous transformation of melanoma

Researchers at Tel Aviv University, led by Prof. Carmit Levy and Dr. Tamar Golan of the Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry at TAU's Sackler School of Medicine, have discovered that fat cells are involved in the transformation that melanoma cells undergo from cancer cells of limited growth in the epidermis to lethal metastatic cells attacking patients' vital organs.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/study-fat-cells-play-key-role-in-dangerous-transformation-of-melanoma

Putting the brakes on lateral root development

There's no organ system in the body that does as much for humans as roots do for plants. Part anchor and part mouth, a plant's root system architecture is critical to its success. But the process of growing new roots is costly to a plant, and there can be diminishing returns.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/putting-the-brakes-on-lateral-root-development

Hit your head, lose your sense of smell

It's long been known that people who suffer a major concussion can lose their sense of smell temporarily and also develop affective problems, such as anxiety and depression. Now scientists have found that's true even for people who get a minor concussion.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/hit-your-head-lose-your-sense-of-smell

Researchers unlock access to pain relief potential of cannabis

University of Guelph researchers are the first to uncover how the cannabis plant creates important pain-relieving molecules that are 30 times more powerful at reducing inflammation than Aspirin.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/researchers-unlock-access-to-pain-relief-potential-of-cannabis

Zhang group identifies gene that may make TNBC cells vulnerable to existing

Certain therapies that have proven effective in treating some types of breast cancers are ineffective for women diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In fact, there is limited targeted drug therapy for this type of breast cancer—the most aggressive type, diagnosed in about 20 percent of breast cancer patients.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/zhang-group-identifies-gene-that-may-make-tnbc-cells-vulnerable-to-existing

Buying local? Higher price means higher quality in consumers' minds

Why are we willing to pay much more for a six pack of craft beer, a locally produced bottle of wine or a regional brand item, often choosing them over national brands?

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/buying-local-higher-price-means-higher-quality-in-consumers-minds

Algae living inside fungi: How land plants first evolved

Scientists think that green algae are plants water-living ancestors, but we are not sure how the transition to land plants happened.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/algae-living-inside-fungi-how-land-plants-first-evolved

What motivates people to join—and stick with—citizen science projects?

From searching for extraterrestrial life to tracking rainfall, non-experts are increasingly helping to gather information to answer scientific questions. One of the most established hands-on, outdoor citizen science projects is the University of Washington-based Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team, COASST, which trains beachgoers along the West Coast, from California to Alaska, to monitor their local beach for dead birds.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/what-motivates-people-to-join-and-stick-with-citizen-science-projects

Harnessing the power of microbes for mining in space

For centuries, people have done the hard work of mining useful minerals and metals from solid rock. Then, scientists learned how to harness the power of tiny microbes to do some of this labor. This process, called biomining, has become common on Earth.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/harnessing-the-power-of-microbes-for-mining-in-space

How to restore a coral reef

New guidelines drafted by a consortium of concerned experts could enable corals to adapt to changing environments and help restore declining coral populations in the Caribbean. The guidelines provide a definitive plan for collecting, raising, and replanting corals that maximizes their potential for adaptation.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/how-to-restore-a-coral-reef

Active pharmaceutical ingredients can persist in the environment

Homeowners who rely on private wells as their drinking water source can be vulnerable to bacteria, nitrates, and other contaminants that have known human health risks. Because they are not connected to a public drinking water supply, the homeowners are responsible for ensuring that their own drinking water is safe.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/active-pharmaceutical-ingredients-can-persist-in-the-environment

PrEP use high but wanes after three months among young African women

In a study of open-label Truvada as daily pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV among 427 young African women and adolescent girls, 95% initiated the HIV prevention strategy, and most used PrEP for the first three months. However, PrEP use fell among participants in this critical population during a year of follow-up clinic visits, although HIV incidence at 12 months was low. The preliminary results suggest that tailored, evidence-based adherence support strategies may be needed to durably engage young African women in consistent PrEP use. The study, known as HPTN 082, was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), both parts of the National Institutes of Health. The data were presented at the 10th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/prep-use-high-but-wanes-after-three-months-among-young-african-women

E. coli superbug strains can persist in healthy women's guts

A recent study of over 1,000 healthy women with no symptoms of urinary tract infections showed nearly 9 percent carried multi-drug resistant Escherichia coli strains in their guts.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/e-coli-superbug-strains-can-persist-in-healthy-womens-guts

Study identifies cells required for the development of a healthy uterus

Knowledge of the biological processes involved in the development of the uterus is important for understanding uterine health and fertility. A research team led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has uncovered important insights on a type of cell that is critical for the formation of a functioning uterus.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/study-identifies-cells-required-for-the-development-of-a-healthy-uterus

Researchers map protein-gene interactions involved in Alzheimer's disease

Among the confounding challenges of diagnosing and treating Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the fact that patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic versions of the degenerative condition may share similar neuropathological burdens but experience significantly different rates of cognitive decline.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/researchers-map-protein-gene-interactions-involved-in-alzheimers-disease

Most women use vaginal ring for HIV prevention in open-label study

In an open-label study of women in southern and eastern Africa, a vaginal ring that is inserted once a month and slowly releases an antiviral drug was estimated to reduce the risk of HIV by 39%, according to statistical modeling. In addition, the study found that participants appeared to use the ring more in the open-label study than in a previous clinical trial. These and other results of the HIV Open Label Extension (HOPE) study were presented today at the 10th IAS Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2019) in Mexico City.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/most-women-use-vaginal-ring-for-hiv-prevention-in-open-label-study

Psychological support 'not available' to one in three cancer patients who need it

People with cancer have trouble accessing appropriate psychological support, a new global report published today by the All.Can international cancer initiative reveals.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/psychological-support-not-available-to-one-in-three-cancer-patients-who-need-it

'Browning' white fat cells opens new avenue to obesity prevention

Scientists are getting closer to understanding how to turn the body's energy-storing white fat cells into energy-burning beige fat cells, opening up hopes that fat deposits could one day be deliberately manipulated to prevent obesity and related health conditions.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/browning-white-fat-cells-opens-new-avenue-to-obesity-prevention