Genetic markers linked to the start of symptoms of Parkinson's disease

Researchers have identified a group of genetic variants related to the starting point of Parkinson's disease. These results, published in the journal Movement Disorders, will enable delimiting the research on new therapeutic targets, and could have implications in the diagnosis of the disease.

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'Relaxed' enzymes may be at the root of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

Treatments have been hard to pinpoint for a rare neurological disease called Charcot-Marie-Tooth, in part because so many variations of the condition exist. So far, mutations on more than 90 genes have been positively linked to the disorder; a patient needs just one of those mutations for the disease to emerge. Scientists just moved a step closer to finding a possible root cause.

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Coastal living linked with better mental health

Researchers used survey data from nearly 26,000 respondents in their analysis, which marks one of the most detailed investigations ever into the well-being effects of being beside the sea. After taking other related factors into account, the study revealed that living in large towns and cities near to England's coastline is linked with better mental health for those in the lowest earning households.

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African child deaths could be prevented by improving environmental quality and reducing population

Children under 5 years of age in Africa are much more likely to die as a direct result of poor health linked to air pollution, unsafe water, lack of sanitation, increased family size, and environmental degradation, according to the first continent-wide investigation of its kind. An international team of researchers have analysed data to break down the correlation between increased child mortality, environmental degradation,and population density of all countries across the African continent.

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Immune therapy eliminates tumor cells in early triple negative breast cancer

Immune therapy added to chemotherapy improves pathological complete response in patients with early triple negative breast cancer, according to new results from the KEYNOTE-522 trial. Interim results from the study, which is the first phase III trial of immunotherapy in early breast cancer, also indicated an improvement in event-free survival.

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Climate change could pit species against one another as they shift ranges

Species have few good options when it comes to surviving climate change — they can genetically adapt to new conditions, shift their ranges, or both. But new research indicates that conflicts between species as they adapt and shift ranges could lead experts to underestimate extinctions, and underscores the importance of landscape connectivity.

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Three-in-one inhaler therapy can improve lung function and reduce asthma attacks

Patients with severe asthma which is not controlled with standard treatment — leaving them at risk of severe asthma attacks — could benefit from using a single inhaler combining three, instead of 2 therapies, according to two phase 3 randomized controlled trials with over 2,500 patients across 17 countries.

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Babies have fewer respiratory infections if they have well-connected bacterial networks

Microscopic bacteria, which are present in all humans, cluster together and form communities in different parts of the body, such as the gut, lungs, nose and mouth. Now, for the first time, researchers have shown the extent to which these microbial communities are linked to each other across the body, and how these networks are associated with susceptibility to respiratory infections in babies.

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