Medicine

A Mediterranean diet supplemented with two fatty fish meals per week might be a potential strategy for reducing airway inflammation in childhood asthma. Eating fish such as salmon, trout and sardines as part of a healthy diet can reduce asthma symptoms in children. Image credit: Dana Tentis. Childhood asthma is …

A newly-identified natural compound called nitrophenyl psoralen could be used as a treatment to reduce paralysis induced by botulism, a rare illness caused by toxins that attack the nervous system. Mechanism of action of botulinum toxin: the light chain of (BT-A) cleaves SNAP-25 (synaptosome-associated protein of 25 KDa) and consequently …

Bacteria thrive in showerheads and throughout household water distribution systems. While most of these bacteria are innocuous, some are potential pathogens, including members of the genus Mycobacterium that can cause nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung infections. In a new study published in the journal mBio, a researcher team led by University …

A team of researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed a novel approach for eradicating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa from wounds, using a combination of antibiotics and alginate-encapsulated probiotics. The team’s work appears in the journal Advanced Materials. Li et al devised a way to encapsulate …

Microbial communities associated with indoor dust abound in the built environment. The transmission of sunlight through windows is a key building design consideration, but the effects of light exposure on dust communities remain unclear. In a new study published in the journal Microbiome, scientists found that in dark rooms 12% …

Researchers from the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) have developed a novel therapeutic that can deliver oxygen specifically to under-oxygenated tissues, thereby restoring the contractile function of cardiac cells, which is heavily affected under hypoxic conditions. The study is published in the journal PLoS Biology. A new oxygen-delivery …

A study carried out by Kagoshima University researchers shows that linalool, a constituent of lavender, peppermint and many other essential oils, must be smelt — not absorbed in the lungs — to exert its calming effects, which could be used to relieve preoperative stress and anxiety disorders. Harada et al …

Consuming caffeine from coffee but not from other foods is associated with a lower risk of rosacea, a common chronic inflammatory skin disease, according to a new study published in the journal JAMA Dermatology. Increased caffeine intake from coffee was inversely associated with the risk of incident rosacea. Image credit: …

A team of scientists at the Scripps Research Institute has synthesized a new nicotine-degrading enzyme and successfully tested it in nicotine-dependent rats. Named NicA2-J1, the engineered enzyme decreased blood nicotine levels and had remarkable efficacy in reducing addiction-like behaviors in the rodents. The results appear in the journal Science Advances. …

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the major polyphenol in the leaves of green tea (Camellia sinensis). This compound is the subject of increasing research interest because it has demonstrated beneficial effects in studies of diabetes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, stroke, and obesity. Now, a team of scientists in China has found …