Genetics

— Disease Burden Could Worsen, Impacting Quality of Life, Experts Warn According to a recent retrospective cohort study, patients diagnosed with alopecia areata (AA) exhibited a greater prevalence of both autoimmune and psychiatric comorbidities at diagnosis. They were also found to be at an increased risk of developing new comorbidities after diagnosis. At diagnosis, 30.9% of patients with alopecia areata had psychiatric comorbidities compared to 26.8% of control subjects without alopecia

— Replacing weekly servings of bacon or hot dogs with nuts and legumes linked to reduced dementia risk PHILADELPHIA – A long-term observational study involving 130,000 healthcare professionals found that eating processed red meat twice a week over several decades was associated with a higher likelihood of developing dementia. Participants from the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study who consumed at least one-quarter of a daily serving of processed red meat —

In recent years, the field of genetic engineering has made tremendous strides, bringing us closer to a future where we can alter genes within living organisms. This could pave the way for gene therapies that may revolutionize the medical landscape. Currently, one of the most promising avenues for such therapies involves using the molecular systems found in viruses as delivery mechanisms. Among these, adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors have recently stood out due to their potential for

— Numerous veterans report severe health issues, many tied to radiation exposure Renowned comedian and activist Jon Stewart is urging the Biden administration to address an oversight in the expansive PACT Act, a veterans assistance bill, which neglected to cover American soldiers who were among the first responders post-9/11, and later fell ill after being stationed at a base heavily contaminated with radiation. In the months following the September 11 attacks, U.S. special operations forces

CORVALLIS, Oregon – In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers from Oregon State University have confirmed the presence of two distinct shark species in Puget Sound for the first time, with one being critically endangered. The documented species—broadnose sevengill shark and the endangered soupfin shark—have been found in this vital section of the Salish Sea, a body of water recognized for its economic, cultural, and ecological significance, according to biologists from OSU’s Big Fish Lab. The

Gene therapy applied to both ears in children with DFNB9 shows enhanced outcomes, including improved sound localization and hearing in noisy settings KEY POINTS BOSTON (June 5, 2024) — A breakthrough gene therapy targeting a genetic form of deafness has demonstrated restored hearing function in five children treated in both ears. These children exhibited significant improvements in speech recognition and could now discern the location of sounds. This bilateral gene therapy—administered to the