Infections in humans caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) represent a major public health problem. Despite the availability of effective protective vaccines, more than 250 million individuals worldwide are chronically infected according to WHO estimates. HBV infection is associated with cirrhosis, liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma, responsible for approximately a million deaths every year.…
WASHINGTON (August 13, 2020)– An online COVID-19 symptom tracking tool developed by researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center ensures a person’s confidentiality while being able to actively monitor their symptoms. The tool is not proprietary and can be used by entities that are not able to develop their own tracking systems. Identifying and monitoring…
Researchers with the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) have discovered which gut bacteria help our immune system battle cancerous tumours and how they do it. The discovery may provide a new understanding of why immunotherapy, a treatment for cancer that helps amplify the body’s immune response, works in…
A major Houston health care system saw a significant increase in younger and Hispanic COVID-19 patients from the first surge to the second surge after Texas phased in reopening. Houston Methodist is the first to share such demographics in a peer-reviewed journal, publishing this analysis in a Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Letter…
Antibiotic resistance is an increasing health problem, but new research suggests it is not only caused by the overuse of antibiotics. It’s also caused by pollution. Using a process known as genomic analysis, University of Georgia scientists found a strong correlation between antibiotic resistance and heavy metal contamination in an environment. Jesse C. Thomas IV,…
This article is part of a series on resilience in troubled times — what we can learn about it from history and personal experiences. About 13 years ago I made a mistake in a column written for this newspaper. In the hierarchy of errors, it wasn’t a major one, but it was embarrassing. I said…
In the Before Times, mothers who were struggling to breastfeed didn’t have to look very far to get hands-on support. There were baby cafes and new-mom groups; visits from friends and family; and lactation consultants who made house calls. But during the pandemic, those resources and services have mostly shifted online. “Some of the mothers…
Gum disease may increase your risk of colorectal cancer. A new study, published in Cancer Prevention Research, included 42,486 men and women participating in two large continuing health surveys. Over the past several decades, the participants had periodically reported information on health and diet, including reports of gingivitis and tooth loss. The researchers reviewed pathology…
The period of my life when I assumed pregnancy could be planned ended only two years ago — but it feels like a distant memory. It’s almost laughable, considering the years I spent worrying about accidental pregnancies. Once I was ready, I thought I would be in control of when and how it would happen.…
People who are evening types go to bed later and wake up later than morning types. They also tend to move around far less throughout the day, according to an interesting new study of how our innate body clocks may be linked to our physical activity habits. The study, one of the first to objectively…