March 30, 2021
Since the genome sequence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, was first reported in January 2020, thousands of variants have been reported. In the vast majority of cases, these variants, which arise from random genomic changes as SARS-CoV-2 makes copies of itself in an infected person, haven’t raised any alarm among public health officials. But that’s now changed with the emergence of at least three variants carrying mutations that potentially make them even more dangerous.
Infections with ‘U.K Variant’ B.1.1.7 Have Greater Risk of Mortality
March 30, 2021
NIH research suggests protective effects of vaccination remain intact.
March 30, 2021
A fungus called Debaryomyces hansenii impaired gut wound healing in mice, and was also found in damaged gut tissue in people with Crohn’s disease. Blocking the microbe might help encourage tissue repair in this type of inflammatory bowel disease.
March 30, 2021
Turning off a particular gene prevented or alleviated chronic pain in mice. The results could lead to an alternative to opioids for treating chronic pain.
March 30, 2021
One year later it’s clear: The pandemic’s biggest job-market victims were Black and Hispanic women, and those without college degrees.
March 30, 2021
Some hospitalized patients with COVID-19 experience 'nonconvulsive' seizures detected through electrode tests. Among hospitalized patients with COVID-19, those who had seizures were more likely to need lengthy hospital stays and faced a higher risk of dying.
COVID-19-associated seizures may be common, linked to higher risk of death
March 30, 2021
Many previous studies have linked increased maternal body weight and unhealthy diets to poorer metabolic outcomes in offspring, often many years later. Understanding the mechanisms of how maternal exercise can reverse these effects might lead to interventions that prevent these diseases transmitting across generations.
Kids' metabolic health can be improved with exercise during pregnancy: here's why
March 30, 2021
Emerging technologies can screen for cervical cancer better than Pap smears and, if widely used, could save lives in areas where access to health care may be limited. In Biophysics Reviews, scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital write advances in nanotechnology and computer learning are among the technologies helping develop HPV screening that take the guesswork out of the precancer tests. That could mean better screening in places that lack highly trained doctors and advanced laboratories.
Cervical cancer testing tech could replace pap smears, save lives
March 29, 2021
The Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), along with Institutes and Centers (ICs) of NIH participating in this Notice, announce the availability of administrative supplements to IDeA awards to expand research and research capacity in the IDeA states to address important issues of women’s health across the lifespan. The proposed research must address at least one of the strategic goals of the 2019-2023 Trans-NIH Strategic Plan for Women's Health Research "Advancing Science for the Health of Women." Research on maternal and infant morbidity and mortality is of particular interest.
Funding Opportunity: Administrative Supplements for Research on Women’s Health in the IDeA States
March 29, 2021
A new study shows that in the time after first trying cannabis or first misusing prescription drugs, the percentages of young people who develop the corresponding substance use disorder are higher among adolescents (ages 12-17) than young adults (ages 18-25). In addition, 30% of young adults develop a heroin use disorder and 25% develop a methamphetamine use disorder a year after first using heroin or methamphetamine. These findings, published in JAMA Pediatrics, emphasize the vulnerability of young people to developing substance use disorders.
