Lori A Carr

Smart mask monitors health via breath biomarkers: Researchers have developed a smart mask that continuously monitors health by analyzing biomarkers in a user’s breath, by transforming exhaled breath into a condensate that is easier to analyze, according to a study in Science. The smart mask successfully identified nitrites in patients with conditions like asthma that cause inflamed airways, and it could be used to measure ketones in the breath of diabetic patients to help monitor glucose levels.

PET scan shows proteins linked to Alzheimer’s pathology: A study in Nature Neuroscience that used PET imaging and proteomic analysis identified 127 proteins differentially abundant across Alzheimer’s Disease stages, showing distinct pathways involved in amyloid and tau pathology. “These findings highlight some of the protein signatures of the different pathologies of Alzheimer’s Disease and provide potential targets for novel therapeutic strategies,” researchers said.

The president-elect’s prosed 60% tariffs could cause a less favorable environment with increased costs, supply chain disruptions, and possible retaliatory tariffs from affected countries.

Venture capital interest in maternity care grows: Investments in the early maternal health care sector last year totaled $306.5 million, compared with $38.1 million in 2018, according to research by Pitchbook. “There have been some great exits in clinical care recently,” said Alice Zheng, a Partner at venture capital firm RH Capital, which invested in the Millie Clinic.

Foundation’s focus on pregnancy loss is personal for founders: A culture of silence and shame around miscarriage in the United States is due in part to a lack of research into the causes and effects, both emotional and financial. Megan Hanson, who experienced six (6) consecutive miscarriages, is setting out to change the paradigm and, with her husband, founded the Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Association to fund research with the goal of preventing recurrent pregnancy loss.

Scientist develops biologic architect bots: Synthetic biologist Gizem Gumuskaya is also an architecture aficionado who sees the parallels between designed environments and biology, and she has combined her interests to create living robots derived from adult human tracheal cells. Gumuskaya found that her anthrobots formed structures akin to ant bridges between damaged human neurons and collectively aided in healing. “Anthrobots are just one example of what we can accomplish by thinking about nature as a design medium,” Gumuskaya said.

Son’s rare disease inspires Midwife to pursue neuroscience: When her youngest child was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome, Terry Jo Bichell, a Nurse-Midwife, set out to find a cure, got involved with clinical studies and started teaching pre-literacy skills to children with the condition. At 49, Bichell enrolled in a neuroscience PhD program. She started working in a lab studying Huntington’s disease, convinced an expert in circadian rhythms to help with her research, set up “mini-labs” of undergraduate students, and published research demonstrating and association between circadian rhythms and Angelman syndrome.

Wild birds in cities might spread drug-resistant bacteria: Wild ducks, crows and other birds living in proximity to people can carry antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, posing threats to human and animal health, according to a study in Current Biology. Researchers found genetic markers of antimicrobial-resistant Campylobactor jejuni in all 30 bird species studied in multiple countries, and birds living near humans carried more bacterial strains and had much higher levels of AMR genes than birds in sparsely populated places.

Studies of fruit bats may shed light on human diabetes: Fruit- and nectar-eating bats’ blood glucose levels rise when they consume sweet fruits and flower nectars; however, blood sugar levels quickly return to normal, and bats do not develop diabetes. Scientists have discovered that fruit bats have more insulin-producing pancreatic cells than their insect-eating cousins, and have genetic differences that appear to influence how quickly their bodies process sugar. The findings may lead to new treatments for diabetes.

Preliminary research offers hope for IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) patients: Recent studies have revealed important insights into inflammatory bowel disease, including the identification of a gene involved in immune system regulation that may worsen IBD, the discovery of autoantibodies that inhibit anti-inflammatory proteins, and the detection of bacteria in stool samples of IBD patients that could predict disease severity. Immunologist Gabriel Nunez cautions that these studies are preliminary and may only benefit a few IBD patients, but even that would be significant progress.