Late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD), the one that appears after age 65, is the most common form of this neurodegenerative disease and accounts for more than 90% of cases. The first brain changes associated with the disease may appear years before the first symptoms, but the lack of clear risk markers complicates the application of the appropriate prevention strategies for those that are more vulnerable.
Read More

Hookworms infect nearly around 700 million people in the world, mostly in countries where sanitation is poor, and people often walk barefoot.
Read More

In the largest study of skin cancer rates among gay, lesbian or bisexual individuals, investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital report important differences in skin cancer prevalence among sexual minorities. Rates of skin cancer were higher among gay and bisexual men compared to heterosexual men but lower among bisexual women than heterosexual women. These findings, which were possible because of the sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) module built into a national system of surveys, have implications for patient education and community outreach initiatives focused on reducing skin cancer risk. They also have implications for the design of future nationwide surveys. Results are published in JAMA Dermatology.
Read More

One of the central questions in neuroscience is clarifying where in the brain consciousness, which is the ability to experience internal and external sensations, arises. On February 12 in the journal Neuron, researchers report that a specific area in the brain, the central lateral thalamus, appears to play a key role. In monkeys under anesthesia, stimulating this area was enough to wake the animals and elicit normal waking behaviors.
Read More

In Biology 101 you were taught that inside each cell, tiny strands of a molecule called RNA “transcribe” the genetic code in your DNA, the first step in the process of building the proteins that make up your body.
Read More

HIV and AIDS are still global health problems and sub-Saharan Africa remains the most affected region. Globally, around 770,000 people died from AIDS-related conditions in 2018, 160,000 of them in West and Central Africa.
Read More

A large proportion of highly active men watch more television than their low-active peers do. In contrast, highly active women watch less television than low-active women do.
Read More

The burden of noncommunicable diseases in sub-Saharan African is growing because of factors such as demographic changes and increases in life expectancy. These diseases include heart attacks, stroke, cancer, respiratory diseases and diabetes.
Read More

A fungus that attacks almond and peach trees may be key to identifying new drug targets for cancer therapy.
Read More

It is estimated that the number of cancer cases worldwide will double by 2040. This makes the search for genes that cause cancer even more important. A team of researchers from the University of Bern and Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, has now developed algorithms that massively simplify the hunt for “cancer genes” in a poorly understood part of our genome.
Read More