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Topics: Health, Health Care, Pharmaceuticals

  • Location of strong sense of discomfort in brain found

    Researchers have identified a new neural circuit in the brain which produces a strong sense of discomfort when activated. The discovery also allows them to show for the first time that the subthalamic nucleus, a structure in the brain that controls voluntary movements, may also play a role in the development of depression. The results could lead to better treatments for Parkinson's disease.

  • “They yell and I yell back”

    Young children are able to talk in detail about their feelings and how things are at home. They are also good at reading their parents and their emotions by describing their behaviours, facial expressions and tone of voice. This has been shown in a new study by Uppsala University, published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies.

  • Genetics influence the risk of blood clots in oral contraceptive users

    Women with a high genetic predisposition for blood clots are six times more likely to develop a blood clot during the first two years of using contraceptive pills according to a new study from Uppsala University. The results have been published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

  • Contraceptive pills protect against rheumatoid arthritis

    Contraceptive pills can reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, while hormone treatment in connection with menopause can increase the risk later in life. In a new study of more than 200,000 women in the UK, researchers at Uppsala University have discovered connections between the use of sex hormones and the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

  • Men with metastatic prostate cancer live longer thanks to new drugs

    Survival rates for men with metastatic prostate cancer have increased by an average of six months, something which coincides with the gradual introduction of ‘dual treatment’ since 2016. This is according to a register study of all Swedish men diagnosed between 2008 and 2020. The results are published in the medical journal JAMA Network open.

  • New mechanism behind cancer cell growth revealed

    Researchers from Uppsala University have revealed one of the mechanisms behind the growth of cancer cells in the blood cancer multiple myeloma. The study shows that the protein EZH2 interacts with a specific RNA molecule to block genes that are important for tumour growth. The findings might contribute to the development of new treatments for multiple myeloma patients.

  • More mast cell progenitors during pollen season

    The frequency of mast cell progenitors in the blood circulation is higher in asthma patients during the birch pollen season than outside of it. This has been demonstrated in a new study by Uppsala University, published in the scholarly journal Allergy.

  • Difficult decisions led to unequal vaccination rates

    There was a significant difference in the speed with which different groups were vaccinated against COVID-19. One explanation could be that people absorb information and make decisions in different ways. A new study shows that among people with the highest cognitive ability, 80% had been vaccinated within 50 days. Among those with the lowest cognitive ability, it took 180 days to achieve the same

  • New spatial omics method created

    Researchers at Uppsala University, Stockholm University and KTH have managed to create a new spatial omics method. By combining two complex techniques that are usually used separately – mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) and spatially resolved transcriptomics (SRT) – they have taken an important step in research on biological tissues. The study is published in the Nature Biotechnology.

  • New method to identify mutations in childhood brain tumors

    Researchers at Uppsala university have developed a new method to find mutations in brain tumors in children. They could also show that the mutations identified by them changes how cancer cells respond to a cancer drug. These findings could lead to better diagnostics and more individualized treatment of children with brain tumors. The study is published in the journal PNAS.

  • Gut bacteria linked to fatty deposits in heart arteries

    In a major Swedish study, researchers have discovered a link between the levels of certain bacteria living in the gut and coronary atherosclerotic plaques. Such atherosclerotic plaques constitute a major cause of heart attacks. The study was led by researchers at Uppsala University and Lund University and the findings have now been published in the scientific journal Circulation.

  • High BMI elevates risk of several rheumatic diseases – but not equally for everyone

    A new study by Uppsala University shows that a higher body mass index (BMI) increases the risk of five different rheumatic diseases: rheumatism, osteoarthritis, gout, psoriatic arthritis and inflammatory spondylitis. The researchers also noted that BMI was a stronger risk factor for women compared to men in terms of gout and psoriatic arthritis. The study will be presented in the journal Arthritis

  • New study links contraceptive pills and depression

    Women who used combined contraceptive pills were at greater risk of developing depression than women who did not, according to a new study. The pills increased women’s risk by 73 per cent during the first two years of use. “Since we only investigated combined contraceptive pills in this study, we cannot draw conclusions about other contraceptive options", says leading researcher Uppsala University

  • A pro-viral human protein is critical for embryo development

    A new study has discovered that the pro-viral host protein ZC3H11A has a critical role to maintain embryo viability during early development. The study has uncovered a previously unknown function of ZC3H11A in the intricate process of embryonic growth and highlights its impact on development. The study is led by Uppsala University and INRAE/Université Paris-Saclay, now published in journal PNAS.

  • Junk food may impair our deep sleep

    In a new study, researchers at Uppsala University have investigated how junk food affects sleep. Healthy participants consumed an unhealthier as well as a healthier diet in a randomised order. After the unhealthier diet, the quality of the participants’ deep sleep had deteriorated, compared with those who had followed the healthier diet. The results have been published in the journal Obesity.

  • New therapy helps immune system eradicate brain tumours

    Researchers from Uppsala University have developed a method that helps immune cells exit from blood vessels into the tumour and kill cancer cells. The aim is to improve treatment of aggressive brain tumours. The study has been published in the journal Cancer Cell.

  • Hijacking strategy mapped for hundreds of viruses

    One strategy that viruses use to take over a host cell is to mimic small parts of the cell's proteins called motifs. In a new study coordinated from Uppsala University, researchers have used a new method and doubled the available information on how viruses mimic human binding motifs. The results suggest new targets for the development of antiviral inhibitors.

  • Genomes from 240 mammal species explain human disease risks

    A major international research project, jointly led by Prof Kerstin Lindblad-Toh at Uppsala University and Broad Institute has surveyed and analysed the genomes of 240 different mammals. The results, now published in 11 articles in the journal Science, show how the genomes of humans and other mammals have developed over the course of evolution.

  • Increased risk of testicular cancer in people with neurodevelopmental disorders

    A new study by researchers at Uppsala University and Uppsala University Hospital shows that men who have a neurodevelopmental disorder, such as autism and ADHD, also have a slightly increased risk of testicular cancer, or seminoma. This is the first study to show such a link, with the results to be published in the British Journal of Cancer.

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