AlloMap, a blood test made by XDx Inc 1), works as well as a heart biopsy when it comes to checking for signs of rejection in patients with heart transplants, according to researchers at Stanford University. The AlloMap test is also cheaper than a heart biopsy by almost 1000$.
The AlloMap test works by checking the blood to see if specific genes associated with rejection are turned on or expressed. Compared to a heart biopsy in which  a surgical cut is made to the neck or arm and a tube is …

People who never smoked put on less weight than active smokers or those who stop smoking, according to a four year analysis by researchers at the University of Navarra.
The researchers evaluated the link between the two cardiovascular risk factors: the ‘nicotine habit’ and the increase in weight when smokers stop the habit and when they continue smoking. After 50 months of analysis on 7565 people, based on age, sex, initial body mass index and lifestyles, they observed that people who continued smoking gained more weight and people who stopped smoking …

A certain form of ubiquitin, a protein that locks onto molecules inside cells and marks them for destruction, triggers  the body’s immune system  by binding to and activating another protein called RIG-I, according to researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Dr. Chen and his colleagues reconstituted key elements of the human innate immune system in laboratory test tubes and found ubiquitin forms a unique chain-like structure that associates with RIG-I before RIG-I can get to work fighting viruses. The innate immune system is the body’s first generic response against invading pathogens.
“Activation …

People who consume large amounts of added sugar, a prominent source of low-nutrient calories, are more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases, according to a study by Emory University.
The study analyzed nutritional data and blood lipid levels in 8495 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1996 and 2006. Researchers concluded that higher consumption of added sugars is associated with several important measures of dyslipidemia, an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease among US adults.
“Just like eating a high-fat diet can increase your levels of triglycerides …

Artificial human skin created from agarose-fibrin biomaterial was grafted onto mice with optimal results regarding functionality, development and maturation by a team of scientist from the University of Granada.  The finding could be useful in developing new treatment approaches for dermatological pathologies.
The skin created in the laboratory showed adequate biocompatibility rates with the recipient and no rejection, dehiscence or infection was registered. Additionally, the skin of all animals used in the study started to show granulation after six days from implantation. Within the following twenty days, cicatrization was complete.
The agarose-fibrin …