Published April 15, 2018

Researchers noticed that immune functions seem to vary predictably throughout the day. They started focusing on a particular “biological clock protein” called Rev-erbα, which affects adipose tissue, the liver, skeletal muscle, and brain cells. It also plays a key role in regulating the circadian rhythm. In research on mice and human immune system cells, the researchers found that injecting the mice with a molecule that revved up the action of Rev-erbα could reduce the inflammatory response that was causing hepatocyte death. When the mice received this treatment, their symptoms were less severe, and more mice survived the disease. Similar results were observed with the human immune cells.

Read More

Published April 8, 2018

Researchers believe they’ve found a way to make the MS drug benzotropine more effective. A molecule called taurine seems to “feed” MS drugs like benzotropine and miconazole. This study shows that it can make the remyelination process driven by benzotropine or miconazole significantly more effective.

Read More

Published April 1, 2018

Researchers at Örebro University and University of Nottingham in Sweden have found that inflammation can cause you to lose muscle mass. The researchers exposed isolated muscle cells to C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation and infection in the body. Previous studies have found a correlation between high CRP levels and low muscle mass, but it wasn’t clear if CRP was actually the cause of the muscle loss. Sure enough, the researchers found that CRP reduce muscle cell turnover and functionality.

Read More