Some microbes in the guts of humans and mice may help control the buildup of plaque in arteries, the leading cause of cardiovascular disease, by gobbling up a group of inflammatory chemicals before they can circulate in the body.
health
Creating stem cells from minipigs offers promise for improved treatments
A new study from Wan-Ju Li’s lab in the UW–Madison Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center advances research into reparative osteoarthritis therapies using stem cells derived from the ears of miniature pigs.
New understanding of ‘superantigens’ could lead to improved staph infection treatments
Researchers at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine explain that the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus not only causes illness, but undermines the body’s ability to heal — a finding that could point toward new approaches to fighting infection.
Experimental COVID-19 vaccine provides mutation-resistant T cell protection in mice
A second line of defense — the immune system’s T cells — may offer protection from COVID-19 even when vaccine-induced antibodies no longer can, according to new research out of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine.
Perception study may explain promising depression therapy
Ketamine has been shown to relieve depression-like symptoms in animal studies. With human volunteers, researchers Sounak Mohanta and Yuri Saalmann concluded that the drug blocks “negative predictions” that are prominent in depressed patients.
Microbes help hibernating animals recycle nutrients, maintain muscle through winter
The discovery could help people with muscle-wasting disorders and even astronauts on extended space voyages by putting space travelers into a hibernation-like state.
Current anti-COVID pills work well against omicron, but antibody drugs are less effective
Public health officials expect antiviral pills to become an increasingly common treatment for COVID-19 that will reduce the severity of the disease in at-risk patients and decrease the burden of the pandemic.
UW–Madison researchers lead effort to create a universal coronavirus vaccine
If the world already had a pan-coronavirus vaccine in March 2020, it could have served as a mitigation tool until vaccines specific to SARS-CoV-2 could be developed.
Seizures and memory problems in epilepsy may have a common cause
A new study could lead to earlier diagnosis of epilepsy and possibly new ways to treat epilepsy and other disorders that share symptoms, like Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injury and autism spectrum disorder.
Promising treatment for Alexander disease moves from rat model to human clinical trials
The rare neurological disorder has no cure and is typically fatal, but a study led by UW–Madison researchers is a significant step in efforts to help people with the disease.