Viruses, Infections & Disease, features and articles | Educational Science

Sep 5, 2023

CRISPR used to 'reprogram' cancer cells into healthy muscle in the lab

Scientists have transformed cancer cells into healthy muscle tissue in the lab using CRISPR gene-editing technology — and they hope new cancer treatments can be built on the back of this experiment. In a study published Aug. 28 in the journal PNAS, researchers found that disabling a particular protein complex...

May 30, 2013

Criteria For Diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease Need To Change, Scientists Say

When doctors diagnose a person with Alzheimer's disease, they are using criteria adopted in 1984. A lot has changed since then. Now many scientists say after two and a half decades of research into the debilitating disease, the criteria are in need of an extreme makeover. Much of the impetus...

May 30, 2013

Evidence Mounts for Link Between Alzheimer's, Smoking

A group of chemicals found in cigarette smoke and car exhaust may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or accelerate its onset, according to a group of researchers. The researchers have shown these chemicals, known as type-2 alkenes, are toxic to cells growing in lab dishes, and damage nerve...

May 30, 2013

Why Women Are More Likely to Have Alzheimer's Disease

Changes in the brain that happen after menopause may make women vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease, recent research suggests. The hypothesis may explain why women are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's disease after age 65 compared with men, the researchers say. (About 17 percent of women in the U.S. over...

May 30, 2013

Alzheimer's Gene Causes Brain Blood Vessels to Leak

A gene linked to Alzheimer’s disease causes a cascade of events that ends with leaky blood vessels in the brain, pouring large amounts of toxic substances into brain tissue, a new study finds. The gene, called ApoE4, makes people more prone to developing Alzheimer’s. People who carry two copies of...

May 30, 2013

Drugs That Fight Herpes May Thwart Alzheimer's Disease

Antiviral drugs used to combat herpes virus infections could slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, a new study suggests. The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1), which causes most cold sores , has previously been tied to the development of Alzheimer's disease. In the study, cells infected with HSV1 showed...

Jun 5, 2013

Unsteady Heartbeat Could Spell Early Dementia

An irregular heartbeat may be a sign you're on the fast track to dementia, according to a new study. While thinking and memory problems are common in the elderly, the study of more than 5,000 people over age 65 showed that those with the heart condition atrial fibrillation tend to...

Jun 17, 2013

High-Fat Diet May Increase Alzheimer's Risk

Diets high in saturated fat and sugar may increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease, and a new study may explain why. In the study, participants who ate a diet high in saturated fat (including lots of beef and bacon) and high glycemic index foods (such as white rice and white...

Jun 19, 2013

Common Virus Linked to Alzheimer's Disease, Study Suggests

Contracting a common virus called cytomegalovirus (CMV) may contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease, a new study of the brains of older adults suggests. The study found an association between patients' immune responses to CMV and signs of Alzheimer's disease. However, more studies are still needed to understand how...

Jul 10, 2013

Alzheimer's Disease & Cancer: Each May Lower Risk of the Other

Alzheimer's disease and cancer are both diseases of aging, but interestingly, having one of these conditions lowers the risk of developing the other, a new study from Italy suggests. In the study, people with Alzheimer's disease were 43 percent less likely to develop cancer, and people with cancer were 35...

Sep 30, 2013

Divorce & Other Life Stressors Linked with Dementia

Common life stressors — such as divorce, widowhood or losing a job — may increase the risk of dementia later in life, a new study of women in Sweden suggests. In the study, experiencing such psychosocial stressors in midlife was linked with a 21 percent increased risk of developing Alzheimer's...

Oct 9, 2013

Can Peanut Butter Sniff Out Early Signs of Alzheimer's?

Diagnosing Alzheimer's disease in its early stages has always been challenging — there is no single test that can accurately determine whether a person has Alzheimer's or some other form of dementia. But researchers at the University of Florida's McKnight Brain Institute Center for Smell and Taste believe they may...

Nov 6, 2013

Worried About Dementia? Learn a Second Language

How do you say protect me against dementia in Hindi? It might be worth learning. A new study shows how bilingualism can ward off cognitive decline and dementia. Scientists in India and the United Kingdom found that the bilingual patients enrolled in a study of people with dementia developed their...

Nov 25, 2013

Clues to Alzheimer's Risk Seen in Babies' Brains

People who are genetically predisposed to Alzheimer's disease may have differences in their brains that can be detected as early as infancy, a new study suggests. Researchers scanned the brains of 162 healthy babies, including 60 who had inherited a gene called APOE-e4, which increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's...

Jan 13, 2014

Quick Pen-and-Paper Test Can Spot Signs of Dementia

Results of a pen-and-paper test can alert older adults to a need to be evaluated for dementia, according to a new study. The self-administered test, which requires about 10 to 15 minutes to complete, is designed to be a quick screening tool for dementia that can be taken in virtually...