Scientists have long believed that the tendency of experiencing stress-related disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and obesity is inherited or is the result of traumatic events. But scientists from the Health Science Center who study depression in teens are looking into another factor—the role that changing genes play. Subtle changes in a gene […]
Public Education Day explores regenerative medicine What are stem cells and how might they be used to treat diseases? How safe are current stem cell treatments? How can the public enroll in a clinical trial? What are the ethical issues? How is the U.S. military using regenerative medicine? The Health Science Center hosted a Stem […]
Cardiovascular disease is the greatest killer of humans the world over, presenting huge financial and quality-of-life issues. It is well known that the heart becomes less efficient with age in all mammals studied to date, even in the absence of overt cardiac disease. But scientists still don’t have a good understanding of how to prevent […]
Exploring agents to help us live longer and healthier has become a multimillion-dollar project for the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies. Over the next five years, scientists will receive $7.5 million from the National Institute on Aging to test for compounds that enhance healthy aging in mice. The Barshop Institute is part of […]
Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars who sustained mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) were 28 percent more likely to have epilepsy than those with without TBIs, Health Science Center researchers found. They studied the medical records of veterans from both wars who sustained traumatic brain injuries. Similar to prior studies, this research also showed […]
An anti-pain agent has been found to also dramatically shrink human oral cancer tumors in mouse models. The agent, capsazepine, caused no damage to surrounding tissues, researchers from the School of Dentistry and School of Medicine found. “That’s the beauty,” said Cara B. Gonzales, D.D.S., Ph.D., assistant professor of comprehensive dentistry and an investigator with […]
More than 90 percent of hepatitis C patients were cured in three months using a combination of pills already approved by the FDA. When taken together, the drugs sofosbuvir and simeprevir resulted in nine out of 10 patients being cured. They were also well tolerated by patients, according to a study published in The Lancet. […]
What if you could flip a switch and start burning your excess fat? That could lead to more energy, and a lower risk of obesity and diseases such as type 2 diabetes. It sounds like a miracle switch, but researchers from the Long School of Medicine believe they have found it in the protein Grb10. […]
Ashley Byrd, B.S.N., RN, became interested in mental health nursing while earning her bachelor’s degree. “I noticed that there was a shortage of nurses in this field and I wanted to help make a difference,” she said. “There is still such a stigma attached to mental health issues, but these are our mothers, fathers, brothers […]
A high-fat diet may cause changes in people’s gut bacteria, leading to an increase in bacterial byproducts called endotoxins in the bloodstream. In older people and those with type 2 diabetes, the level of endotoxin is higher. Nicolas Musi, M.D., director of the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies at the Health Science Center, […]