Asymptomatic Patients With COVID-19 Shed Virus For About Eight Days, Compared With 19 Days For Those Who Have Symptoms,

reports, “New estimates of the number of asymptomatic people with the coronavirus suggest that ‘silent’ COVID-19 is much more prevalent than once thought – but these individuals may not spread the virus for as long as symptomatic patients do, a study from China suggests.” The report published in JAMA Network Open found “the asymptomatic patients were more likely to be women, and more likely to be younger, in their 20s, 30s and early 40s.” Furthermore, “the researchers found the asymptomatic individuals shed the virus for about eight days, compared with 19 days among those who did have symptoms.” The Hill (5/27, Hellmann) reports the researchers at China’s Wuhan University wrote, “Although patients who were asymptomatic experienced less harm to themselves, they may have been unaware of their disease and therefore not isolated themselves or sought treatment, or they may have been overlooked by health care workers and thus unknowingly transmitted the virus to others.” The authors also “wrote that identifying and isolating asymptomatic coronavirus patients as early as possible is ‘critical to control the transmission of COVID-19. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/asymptomatic-covid-19-cases-may-be-more-common-suspected-n1215481

Company Tests Diabetes Drug As Potential Treatment For COVID-19

reports AstraZeneca Plc is testing its diabetes drug Farxiga (dapagliflozin) as a treatment for COVID-19. However, physicians are advising patients with diabetes who become infected with coronavirus “to stop taking the medicine and others like it because of the” risk of diabetic ketoacidosis. https://www.reuters.com/article/legal-us-health-coronavirus-astrazeneca/astrazeneca-tests-diabetes-drug-for-covid-19-despite-risk-seen-by-doctors-idUSKBN234057

Rat Study Suggests "Good Bacteria" Could Relieve Autism-like Symptoms in Pregnancy

Giving beneficial bacteria to stressed mothers during the equivalent of the third trimester of pregnancy prevents an autism-like disorder in their offspring, according to a new animal study by University of Colorado Boulder researchers. The study, published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, marks the latest in a series of studies in animals and humans suggesting that exposure to certain immune-modulating microbes can dampen inflammation, positively impacting the brain and central nervous system. It's among the first studies to suggest that such exposures during pregnancy influence neurodevelopment of a fetus and, while far more research is necessary, could open the door to new prenatal interventions. "It suggests that you could develop microbial interventions that lower the risk of neurodevelopmental syndromes like autism," said co-author Christopher Lowry, an associate professor in the Department of Integrative Physiology. In humans, research has long shown that maternal stress during pregnancy prompts systemic inflammation in both the mother and fetus and is a risk factor for autism, said senior author Daniel Barth, a professor of psychology and neuroscience. https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/rat-study-suggests-good-bacteria-could-relieve-autism-like-symptoms-in-pregnancy-335345?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=88562792&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_hOX-n1jNKdRR9sxb__NEjSV34ay8Sdj5Ll09eElsUQDzX7tPSEP7laRVBsXfkB_wxeSigXvMcjLRyOZZzxwN_7dntPg&utm_content=88562792&utm_source=hs_email

Remdesivir Will Be Made Available to COVID-19 Patients Meeting Certain Clinical Criteria Selected NHS coronavirus patients will soon be able to access a treatment to speed up their recovery. Thanks to the joined-up efforts of the UK government, the devolved administrations, pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, the NHS, and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the anti-viral drug remdesivir will be made available to patients meeting certain clinical criteria to support their recovery in hospital. The drug is currently undergoing clinical trials around the world, including in the UK, with early data showing it can shorten the time to recovery by about 4 days. https://www.technologynetworks.com/drug-discovery/news/remdesivir-will-be-made-available-to-covid-19-patients-meeting-certain-clinical-criteria-335267?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=88545897&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8n7foiA02D9eckSkjKtzapxvR0_TkMu0nxT50jrbf61fdsT7fqJdzUtU494ghLSdTLuyxREQv9hoQiqx6-MrdIj6Ma9Q&utm_content=88545897&utm_source=hs_email

Cannabis Cravings Differ Between the Sexes

Women who regularly consume cannabis experience more intense cravings for the drug than their male counterparts, a study has found. Published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, the study suggests this difference may be linked to estrogen levels, but this can’t be confirmed until further research is carried out. A close crave To reach this conclusion, the researchers from the Center for Brain-Health, University of Texas at Dallas, first recruited 112 participants (54 female, 58 male) who had consumed cannabis at least 5000 times. In the study, these “heavy cannabis users” were given a piece of cannabis equipment to hold and asked to rate their urge to use marijuana on a scale of 1 (no urge) to 10 (high urge). On average, the female participants ranked their cravings at 5.5, while the male participants’ average was 4.6. https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/cannabis-cravings-differ-between-the-sexes-335080?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=88221145&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--9DzKBC-JvDacHAXVxkWPVkteXzHaiDTWaC7vbckgFuO8F69AxykEy7As_lOtDbs69UVI1yAMhSlcOkMqG571hK0kDjA&_hsmi=88221145

Consuming Sucralose-Sweetened Beverages With Carbohydrates May Impair Insulin Sensitivity, Research Indicates

“Consuming sucralose-sweetened beverages with carbohydrates may impair insulin sensitivity,” investigators concluded in a study that “enrolled 45 participants aged 20 – 45 who don’t typically consume” low-calorie sweeteners, then having them “consume seven 355 mL novel-flavored beverages over two weeks.” Participants consumed “the sweeteners...as fruit-flavored beverages with added sucralose, with table sugar, or with maltodextrin added to their sucralose drinks.” The study revealed that “sucralose consumption alters the metabolism of simultaneously consumed glucose to rapidly produce deleterious effects on metabolic health.” The findings were published online in the journal Cell Metabolism. https://endocrinenews.endocrine.org/consuming-sucralose-with-carbohydrates-may-impair-insulin-sensitivity-study-finds/

Fatty Acid Composition Of Oocytes From Women With Overweight Or Obesity May Differ From That Of Eggs From Women With Normal Weight

composition of oocytes from” women with overweight or obesity “is different than that of oocytes from women with normal weight, which may have an effect on the outcomes of in vitro fertilization,” investigators concluded in a study that “included 205 women (mean age, 36.24 years) with a total of 922 oocytes available for analysis.” The research team found that “oocytes from women with obesity had lower levels of saturated FAs and higher levels of monosaturated FAs,” as well as “lower levels of n-3 PUFAs.” The findings were published in the journal Fertility and Sterility. https://www.endocrinologyadvisor.com/home/topics/obesity/fatty-acid-composition-of-oocytes-differs-by-bmi-may-affect-ivf-outcomes/

Moderna Announces Encouraging Results For Coronavirus Vaccine

reports that drugmaker Moderna announced today that “an experimental vaccine against the coronavirus showed encouraging results in very early testing, triggering hoped-for immune responses in eight healthy, middle-aged volunteers.” According to the AP, “Study volunteers given either a low or medium dose of the vaccine...had antibodies similar to those seen in people who have recovered from COVID-19.” The AP says that “in the next phase of the study, led by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, researchers will try to determine which dose is best for a definitive experiment that they aim to start in July.” The New York Times (5/18) reports that “if those trials go well, a vaccine could become available for widespread use by the end of this year or early 2021, Dr. Tal Zaks, Moderna’s chief medical officer, said in an interview. The number of doses that could be ready is unclear, but Dr. Zaks said, ‘We’re doing our best to make it as many millions as possible.’” https://apnews.com/fc2a2346bad9e0a17917a4aa1c73607c

Research Suggests Eating Dairy Every Day May Be Linked To Lower Risk Of Developing High Blood Pressure, Diabetes

reports that research suggests that “eating dairy every day” may be “linked to a lower risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes and lower rates of metabolic syndrome.” The findings were published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care. https://www.newsweek.com/eating-dairy-lower-risk-disease-1504386

Our Ability To Focus May Be Impacted After Eating a High-fat Meal

Read Time: 4 min Fatty food may feel like a friend during these troubled times, but new research suggests that eating just one meal high in saturated fat can hinder our ability to concentrate – not great news for people whose diets have gone south while they’re working at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study compared how 51 women performed on a test of their attention after they ate either a meal high in saturated fat or the same meal made with sunflower oil, which is high in unsaturated fat. Their performance on the test was worse after eating the high-saturated-fat meal than after they ate the meal containing a healthier fat, signaling a link between that fatty food and the brain. Researchers were also looking at whether a condition called leaky gut, which allows intestinal bacteria to enter the bloodstream, had any effect on concentration. Participants with leakier guts performed worse on the attention assessment no matter which meal they had eaten. The loss of focus after a single meal was eye-opening for hhttps://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/our-ability-to-focus-may-be-impacted-after-eating-a-high-fat-meal-334939?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=88078354&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_KjO5Pmn9ahnOSsSN72aKzR-frjttuAPpbCxyO2kXo672r_FkIHoEs1Ehi7YlU5K4H9DTuFGOnIXgsHs4eM1nBpIaKOA&_hsmi=88078354e researchers.

Researchers Investigating Whether Long-Term Exposure To Air Pollution May Account For Disproportionate Impact Of Coronavirus Pandemic On Minorities

reports across the US, “low-income communities of color...are exposed to significantly higher levels of pollution, studies have found, and also see higher levels of lung disease and other ailments,” so now researchers are investigating whether “long-term exposure to air pollution plays a role in the coronavirus crisis, particularly since minorities are disproportionately dying.” The New York Times adds, “People with two conditions tied to air pollution, inflammatory lung disease and coronary heart disease, face a higher risk for severe Covid-19, preliminary research has shown. Last month, work by Harvard specialists found that coronavirus patients in areas with historically heavy air pollution are more likely to die than patients elsewhere.” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/17/climate/pollution-poverty-coronavirus.html

Brain-like Tissue Model Links Alzheimer's to Herpes Virus

Engineers and scientists led by Tufts University used a three-dimensional (3D) human tissue culture model mimicking the components and conditions in the brain to demonstrate a possible causal relationship between sporadic Alzheimer’s disease and herpes simplex virus I infection (HSV-1). Reported in Science Advances, the model will allow for further studies into the causes and possible treatments of this devastating neurodegenerative condition. After infecting neurons in the bioengineered brain model with HSV-1, the researchers observed formation of amyloid plaques, neuronal loss, neuroinflammation and diminished neural network functionality, all typical features of Alzheimer’s disease. Treatment of the brain tissue models with the antiviral drug valacyclovir resulted in reduced plaque formation and other markers of the disease. Studies by other researchers have implicated pathogens as environmental agents possibly causing the development of Alzheimer’s disease, with a number of studies pointing to HSV-1. “Our brain tissue model allowed us to take a closer look at the potential causal relationship between herpes and Alzheimer’s disease, and the results were intriguing,” said David Kaplan, Stern Family Professor of Engineering and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Tufts’ School of Engineering. “After just 3 days of herpes infection, we saw large and dense plaque formations of beta amyloid protein, as well as increased expression of some of the enzymes responsible for generating the plaques. We observed neuron loss, neuroinflammation and depressed signaling between neurons – everything we observe in patients. Never before have so many facets of the disease been replicated in vitro.” https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/brain-like-tissue-model-links-alzheimers-to-herpes-virus-334518?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=87564397&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-95VWtXx2fdZF9lQCu03eJd3CAHEq9cSonVIDkfzS4q94au3uIQCkx-LN48ONAENAPnQ6uqpD_qPGBeb9dmGYVT4f2MdQ&_hsmi=87564397