New research published in the prestigious Science journal has challenged previous notions about how the body fights against malaria infection. Scientists have discovered that platelets, normally known for their role in preventing bleeding, can actually target and kill the parasite that causes malaria as it grows inside red blood cells. The key to these latest… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Health Sciences
Brain imaging identifies bipolar risk
Researchers from the Black Dog Institute and University of NSW have used brain imaging technology to show that young people with a known genetic risk of bipolar but no clinical signs of the condition have clear and quantifiable differences in brain activity when compared to controls. “We found that the young people who had a… Continue Reading
Excessive alcohol when you’re young could have lasting impacts on your brain
Alcohol misuse in young people causes significant changes in their brain function and structure. This and other findings were recently reviewed by Dr Daniel Hermens from the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Research Institute in the journal Cortex. “Young people are particularly vulnerable to the damaging effects of alcohol misuse,” said Dr Hermens. Most… Continue Reading
Low back pain world’s highest contributor to disability
Low back pain is the highest contributor to disability in the world, according to a pivotal international study released today. A study published by The Lancet in the latest Global Burden of Disease Study, found lower back pain and osteoarthritis are now ranked second only to cancer as a leading cause of disease burden in Australasia. Professor… Continue Reading
Diesel fumes increase risk of childhood brain tumours
A link between brain tumours in children and their parents’ exposure to diesel exhaust fumes before birth has been found by researchers at The University of Western Australia-affiliated Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR) and the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research (TICHR). The study, Parental Occupational Exposure to Engine Exhausts and Childhood Brain Tumours,… Continue Reading
Further genetic evidence link to birth weight, adult health
Researchers from The University of Western Australia, in collaboration with international colleagues, have identified four new genetic regions that influence birth weight providing further evidence that genes as well as maternal nutrition are important for growth in the womb. The latest study, published today in Nature Genetics online, analysed almost 70,000 people of European descent… Continue Reading
Silver lining to coral reef climate cloud
Researchers have found parts of our coral reefs are more resistant to ocean acidification than first thought, casting a ray of hope on the future of our reefs. The study, published in Nature Climate Change today, details their analyses of the mineral structure of coralline algae, which form a hard ridge around the reef, protecting… Continue Reading
Higher emergency admissions for depressed older men
Depressed older men are twice as likely as those not suffering depression to be admitted to hospital, according to a study published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Winthrop Professor Osvaldo Almeida, Director of The University of Western Australia’s Centre for Health and Ageing, said older men suffering from depression were at higher risk… Continue Reading
Population-based study provides new alcohol and pregnancy data
From the findings of the first-ever population-based study of its kind in Australia, a Curtin University researcher has released a report highlighting the impact of maternal alcohol consumption on the health and development of children. In her research, Dr Colleen O’Leary, Research Associate at Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI), used linked data sets providing… Continue Reading
Stay social to improve your health
Researchers at The University of Queensland have shown that drinking water as part of a social group rather than alone helped reduce the risk of dehydration and falls among the elderly in care homes. The study explored the health benefits in care homes of ‘water clubs’ – where residents gathered together regularly to drink water.… Continue Reading
Breakthrough research discovery to help heal chronic wounds
The University of Queensland researchers have successfully restored wound healing in a model of diabetes paving the way for new treatments for chronic wounds. Dr Mathieu Rodero from the UQ Centre for Clinical Research recently studied the behaviour of a group of white blood cells, called macrophages, during normal and defective wound healing. Dr Rodero… Continue Reading
Researchers discover how the body uses vitamin B to recognise bacterial infection
An Australian research team has discovered how specialised immune cells recognise products of vitamin B synthesis that are unique to bacteria and yeast, triggering the body to fight infection. The finding opens up potential targets to improve treatments or to develop a vaccine for tuberculosis. The study, jointly led by the University of Melbourne and… Continue Reading
