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People in the earliest stage of Alzheimer’s disease—after brain changes have begun but before cognitive symptoms become apparent—harbor an assortment of bacteria in their intestines that differs from the gut bacteria of healthy people, according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

The findings, published June 14 in Science Translational Medicine, open up the possibility of analyzing the gut bacterial community to identify people at higher risk of developing dementia, and of designing microbiome-altering preventive treatments to stave off cognitive decline.

“We don’t yet know whether the gut is influencing the brain or the brain is influencing the gut, but this association is valuable to know in either case,” said co-corresponding author Gautam Dantas, Ph.D., the Conan Professor of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine. “It could be that the changes in the gut microbiome are just a readout of pathological changes in the brain. The other alternative is that the gut microbiome is contributing to Alzheimer’s disease, in which case altering the gut microbiome with probiotics or fecal transfers might help change the course of the disease.”

Scientists have developed a pill-shaped, swallowable camera that can be controlled by physicians once ingested to help doctors diagnose digestive issues.

Ingestible pill-shaped endoscopes are not a new idea. Last year, PetaPixel reported on the Pillcam which is just such a device, but it had limitations just like all other swallowable pill cameras: doctors can’t control it once it is ingested.

Continue reading “Remote-Controlled Pill Camera Can Help Diagnose Digestive Issues” »

While the advent of immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, its use in the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM) has been less successful. Most studies using immunotherapy in GBM have been negative and the reasons for this are still being studied. In clinical practice, interpreting response to immunotherapy has been challenging, particularly when trying to differentiate between treatment-related changes (i.e., pseudoprogression) or true tumor progression. T cell tagging is one promising technique to noninvasively monitor treatment efficacy by assessing the migration, expansion, and engagement of T cells and their ability to target tumor cells at the tumor site.

The team, led by Professor Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, developed the embryo model without eggs or sperm, and instead used stem cells – the body’s master cells, which can develop into almost any cell type in the body.

The researchers mimicked natural processes in the lab by guiding the three types of stem cells found in early mammalian development to the point where they start interacting. By inducing the expression of a particular set of genes and establishing a unique environment for their interactions, the researchers were able to get the stem cells to ‘talk’ to each other.

Researchers have created model embryos from mouse stem cells that form a brain, a beating heart, and the foundations of all the other organs of the body.

TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — Multiple packages of frozen fruit, specifically strawberries, are being recalled due to possible Hepatitis A contamination.

The Food and Drug Administration said Willamette Valley Fruit Co. of Salem, Oregon, is voluntarily recalling select packages of frozen strawberries and a frozen fruit blend containing strawberries. The impacted strawberries were grown in Mexico and are potentially carrying Hepatitis A.

Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease caused by the Hepatitis A virus, which can be spread through close contact with someone who is infected, or by eating foods or consuming beverages that have been contaminated, according to the CDC.

Type 2 diabetes is a significant global health concern, affecting millions of individuals worldwide. The disease is associated with numerous complications, as well as an increased risk of premature mortality. Recent research conducted by the University of Sydney has shed light on the potential of physical activity in preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes, even in individuals with a high genetic risk for the disease [1]. This study underscores the importance of exercise as a key strategy for chronic disease prevention and offers promising news for individuals seeking to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Longevity. Technology: The worldwide burden of type 2 diabetes is substantial, and the disease carries significant implications for public health. Type 2 diabetes is associated with various complications, including cardiovascular diseases, kidney problems and nerve damage. Moreover, individuals with type 2 diabetes often experience a shortened lifespan and reduced healthspan due to the increased risk of developing other chronic conditions. The study’s findings add to the clarion call for effective prevention strategies that alleviate this burden on individuals, families and healthcare systems worldwide.

The research, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, involved 59,325 adults enrolled in the UK Biobank project. Participants wore accelerometers on their wrists to measure their physical activity levels and the researchers also considered genetic markers associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. The study followed the participants for up to seven years to assess their health outcomes.

Summary: Researchers developed one of the most comprehensive 3D models of the synapse, the neuron juncture crucial for intercellular communication. This breakthrough allows an unprecedented view of the complex interactions between individual cells at the synapse, offering fresh insights into neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington’s disease and schizophrenia.

The team used this novel approach to compare healthy mice brains to those with the Huntington’s mutant gene, revealing structural flaws potentially disrupting cellular communication. The researchers believe this technique could significantly advance our understanding of various neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases.

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As people get older, they tend to have lower levels of anxiety. But why? A new brain imaging study has found that older individuals are faster at recognizing and responding to negative emotions. The findings, published NeuroImage, go against the idea that older adults are less engaged with negative emotions due to cognitive decline or that they are better at regulating negative emotions. Instead, the results suggest that older adults may develop a more automatic way of processing negative emotions.

The study aimed to investigate the relationship between aging, trait anxiety, and changes in cognitive and affective functions. The researchers were motivated by previous findings that older adults tend to have lower susceptibility to anxiety disorders compared to younger and middle-aged adults. However, it was not clear how age-related changes in anxiety symptoms, such as worry and somatic symptoms, were related to changes in cognitive and affective processes.

“We are interested in emotion dysfunction in early dementia, including those people with subjective complaints of memory problem and mild cognitive impairment,” said study author Chiang-shan Ray Li, a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Yale University School of Medicine.