news 2023

Veterinary scientists at UdeM think they've unlocked a key reason behind infertility in women: they have too little of an important protein called SF-1. Epidemiological studies have shown that infertility affects 12 to 15 per cent of couples of reproductive age in developed countries, and at least 25 per cent in underdeveloped ones - overall, 186 million people worldwide.

Researchers have developed a novel synthetic protein to treat macular degeneration and other incurable eye diseases that lead to blindness in millions of people. It is the first drug of its kind and is currently in human trials. Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects more than 200 million people worldwide.

Science, Health & Technology Kevin Hollett Medications for alcohol use disorder are underutilized in British Columbia, despite their safety and effectiveness, according to a new study published today in the journal Addiction . The study found that between 2015 and 2019 fewer than five per cent of British Columbians who met the criteria for moderate to severe alcohol use disorder (AUD) received medications for the minimum recommended time of three months.

Chronic pain is a complex condition that affects millions of individuals worldwide and understanding its causes and predicting its trajectory remains difficult. However, findings from a recent McGill-led study published in Nature Medicine could improve the understanding and management of chronic pain.

Western researchers discover molecule with promise to enhance vaccine efficacy Findings have significant implications for strengthening the global response to current and future viral threats Taking a significant leap in the field of vaccine development, Western researchers have discovered a potential 'super molecule' that can bolster the effectiveness of several vaccines against viral diseases, including influenza, COVID-19 and smallpox.

Findings from the Children's Health Policy Centre's (CHPC) scientific evaluation of the program Nurse-Family Partnership have shown that it improved maternal-reported child language and mental health at age two years. Results from the long-term randomized-controlled trial-known as the BC Healthy Connections Project (BCHCP )-were published today in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

Two projects will analyze characteristics of lipid nanoparticles as well as naturally occurring particles known as Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) McGill University today announced it has signed agreements with ModernaTX, Inc., a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, to support two innovative research projects in the area of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs).

A team of Université de Montréal scientists tries to better understand the resilience of the brain during the asymptomatic period of Parkinson's disease - and makes a surprising finding. Have you or someone close to you just been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease? Well, chances the disease has been progressing quietly but insidiously for more than 10 years, new research shows.

Part of what makes depression so hard to overcome is that people with depression tend to behave in ways that lead to more stress in their lives-and stress in turn fuels mental illness. This feedback loop was initially thought to be unique to depression, but UBC psychology researchers recently revealed in Psychological Bulletin that it is a more widespread problem.

If you believe a medical treatment was developed specifically for you, it may be more effective, especially if you want to be seen as unique, according to new research from McGill University. In two studies, researchers in the Department of Psychology found that participants who thought a medical device that was really a placebo was personalized to their genetic makeup and physiology reported feeling less pain when using it, compared to those who believed it was a standard treatment.

Chemotherapy is a life-saving treatment for many cancer patients. Unfortunately, many cancer drugs also cause cancer cells to mutate, which over time leads them to become more aggressive and harder to treat. SFU Molecular Biology and Biochemistry researcher Mani Larijani is exploring an unconventional approach to address this issue and improve treatment outcomes for cancer patients.

Professor Sophie Breton and her team have discovered a hidden gene in the human mitochondrial genome. Mitochondrial DNA, with its relatively small number of base pairs (around 16,000 compared with 3 billion in nuclear DNA), was sequenced almost 45 years ago. "Once mitochondrial DNA was sequenced, it didn't take long to go through it," said Sophie Breton, a professor in Université de Montréal's Department of Biological Sciences.

Researchers found association between prevalence of COVID and search queries, posts Internet search engine queries and social media data can be early warning signals, creating a real-time surveillance system for disease forecasting, says a recent University of Waterloo study. Using the example of COVID-19, researchers found there was an association between the disease's prevalence and search engine queries and social media posts.

Western researchers find unique blood plasma protein patterns in patients with prolonged fatigue, brain fog Using advanced research techniques, including a form of artificial intelligence, a team of researchers has discovered unique patterns of blood plasma proteins in patients with suspected long COVID that could improve patient outcomes.

Nearly 70% of ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages such as cocktails and sodas are sold in containers bearing nutritional information that falsely gives these products a healthy image, reveals a study conducted by a research team from Université Laval and Public Health Ontario. In light of this finding, the study's authors believe that regulations surrounding the marketing of these products should be tightened.

New study: can probiotics can improve outcomes in knee replacement surgeries? Researchers are exploring how they can better support knee replacement patients' overall health Researchers at Western and Lawson Health Research Institute are examining whether the use of a daily probiotic can improve outcomes in patients who undergo total knee replacement surgery.

AI promises to transform drug development and dispensing, but many challenges first need to be overcome. An overview. Detecting drug interactions, discovering new drugs, predicting treatment response, optimizing doses-the list of the potential benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) for pharmacotherapy is long and promising.

Science, Health & Technology Alex Walls A gel that combines both stiffness and toughness is a step forward in the bid to create biodegradable implants for joint injuries, according to new UBC research. Mimicking articular cartilage, found in our knee and hip joints, is challenging. This cartilage is key to smooth joint movement, and damage to it can cause pain, reduce function, and lead to arthritis.

Survival rates of babies after bone-marrow transplants jumped significantly after screening for SCID - severe combined immunodeficiency disease - began in North America in 2008, a major study finds. Screening newborns for severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID) significantly increases the survival of children after bone marrow transplantation, a new North American study finds.

Researchers in Montreal and Brussels have identified a molecule that allows HIV to evade the immune system and that may prove to be a good therapeutic target. Throughout the course of antiretroviral therapy, HIV hides quietly in reservoirs inside CD4+ T lymphocytes, white blood cells that play a role in activating the immune system against infection.