UCSF News - SciTechDaily

New Study Unravels the Mystery of COVID’s Worst Pediatric Complication

University of California San Francisco — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 22:58:46 +0000

A study identified how children’s immune systems trigger MIS-C by mistaking a COVID-19 protein for a similar human protein, leading to severe autoimmune responses. This finding provides new perspectives on treating autoimmune diseases linked to viral infections. Research uncovers a mechanism behind multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). During the early stages of the COVID-19 [...]

According to a New Study, Following This Type of Diet Could Slow Biological Aging

University of California - San Francisco — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 03:54:08 +0000

Researchers found that diets high in essential nutrients and low in added sugars can reduce cellular aging, as shown by “epigenetic clock” measurements. High sugar consumption, however, accelerates biological aging, underscoring the importance of a nutrient-rich diet for longevity. Researchers at UC San Francisco have discovered a connection between adhering to a nutrient-rich diet, particularly [...]

Young Adult Health Habits Linked to Midlife Cognitive Decline

University of California - San Francisco — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 10:08:34 +0000

A UCSF study reveals that higher inflammation levels in young adults are associated with poorer cognitive performance in midlife, underscoring the importance of lifestyle choices in reducing inflammation and preventing cognitive decline. Higher levels of inflammation in young adults, associated with factors like obesity, physical inactivity, chronic illness, stress, and smoking, are linked to decreased [...]

Newly-Discovered Technique Turns Ordinary White Fat Cells Into Calorie-Burning Beige Fat

University of California - San Francisco — Sat, 27 Jul 2024 02:53:48 +0000

A new study reveals that inhibiting a protein can transform energy-storing white fat into calorie-burning beige fat, potentially paving the way for effective weight-loss drugs and explaining past clinical trial failures. Researchers at UC San Francisco (UCSF) have discovered a method to change ordinary white fat cells, which typically store calories, into beige fat cells [...]

Long-Standing Puzzle Solved: Scientists Discover a New Hormone That Can Double Bone Mass

University of California - San Francisco — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 14:44:00 +0000

UCSF and UC Davis researchers identified a new hormone, CCN3, that strengthens bones in breastfeeding women and could treat osteoporosis and enhance fracture healing. Researchers from UCSF and UC Davis have resolved a longstanding mystery about how breastfeeding women maintain strong bones despite losing calcium to milk production. A newly discovered hormone that keeps the [...]

Feeling Sick After Your COVID Vaccine? According to Scientists, It’s Actually a Good Sign

University of California - San Francisco — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 16:51:35 +0000

A UCSF study suggests that side effects like headaches and chills from COVID-19 vaccines indicate a robust immune response; however, uptake of the vaccine remains low in the U.S. despite ongoing fatalities. According to a UCSF-led study, symptoms such as headaches, chills, and fatigue could indicate an enhanced immune response. Despite the fact that fewer [...]

How a Single Gram of Salt Can Aggravate Your Eczema

University of California - San Francisco — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 15:00:36 +0000

A UCSF study shows that increased daily sodium intake significantly heightens the risk of eczema. A high sodium diet may increase the risk of eczema, according to researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), who found that eating just one extra gram of sodium per day – the amount in a Big Mac [...]

Unlocking Parental Powers in the Digital Battle With Tweens

University of California - San Francisco — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 14:00:05 +0000

Effective parenting strategies such as restricting bedroom and mealtime screen use, along with positive modeling, can curb children’s problematic screen habits, according to a UCSF study. For many parents, it can feel like curbing kids’ screen use is a losing battle. But new research from UC San Francisco (UCSF) has found the parenting practices that [...]

Startling Statistic: 1 in 8 Older Americans Face Traumatic Brain Injury

University of California - San Francisco — Sun, 02 Jun 2024 17:23:22 +0000

Research indicates that among Medicare enrollees, those who are healthier, wealthier, white, and female could be at a higher risk. According to a study conducted by UC San Francisco and the San Francisco VA Health Care System, approximately 13% of older adults have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI), typically resulting from falls at [...]

Eat Plants, Beat Cancer: New Study Links Vegetables To Lower Prostate Cancer Risks

University of California - San Francisco — Sun, 02 Jun 2024 09:01:07 +0000

Increasing daily consumption of fruits, nuts, and vegetables, while reducing intake of animal products, is linked to a nearly 50% decrease in the risk of prostate cancer progression. According to new research from UC San Francisco, men with prostate cancer may significantly lower the risk of their disease progressing by increasing their intake of fruits, [...]

Fentanyl’s Fatal Fumes: The Lethal Risks of Residue in Smoking Devices

University of California - San Francisco — Wed, 22 May 2024 18:00:31 +0000

As smoking fentanyl becomes more common than injection, users face mounting dangers from the residue in smoking equipment. Now that smoking has overtaken injecting as the most common method for consuming fentanyl, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have uncovered an increased risk of fatal overdose from the residue that accumulates in [...]

The Lifelong Cost of Surviving COVID: Scientists Uncover Long-Term Effects

University of California - San Francisco — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 05:25:48 +0000

Many of the individuals released to long-term acute care facilities suffered from conditions that lasted for over a year. Researchers at UC San Francisco studied COVID-19 patients in the United States who survived some of the longest and most harrowing battles with the virus. They discovered that approximately two-thirds of these survivors continued to experience [...]

Think Smoking Cannabis Won’t Damage Your Heart? Think Again

University of California - San Francisco — Sun, 17 Mar 2024 04:47:47 +0000

Researchers find smoking marijuana poses similar cardiac risks to tobacco, with increased legalization leading to potential heart health issues. Daily users face higher risks of heart attack and stroke. The cardiac risks of smoking marijuana are comparable to those of smoking tobacco, according to researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, who warn that [...]

Startling Discovery: COVID-19 Virus Can Stay in the Body More Than a Year After Infection

University of California - San Francisco — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 02:17:43 +0000

The COVID-19 virus can persist in the blood and tissue of patients for more than a year after the acute phase of the illness has ended, according to new research from UC San Francisco that offers potential clues to why some people develop long COVID. The scientists found pieces of SARS-CoV-2, referred to as COVID [...]

Scientists Identify Simple Test That Could Diagnose Autism

University of California - San Francisco — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 20:22:58 +0000

Scientists link the disruption of a sensitive eye reflex with severe autism, paving the way for quicker diagnosis and novel treatment options. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, may have found a novel method to diagnose autism by tracking the eye movements of children as they rotate their heads. They found that kids [...]

Revolutionary AI Predicts Alzheimer’s up to Seven Years Before Symptoms Appear

University of California - San Francisco — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 04:25:15 +0000

Scientists at UC San Francisco have developed a method using machine learning to predict the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease up to seven years prior to the emergence of symptoms, through the examination of patient records. The conditions that most influenced the prediction of Alzheimer’s were high cholesterol and, for women, the bone-weakening disease osteoporosis. The [...]

World’s First Tissue Bank Could Solve Mystery of Long COVID Misery

University of California - San Francisco — Sat, 02 Mar 2024 06:42:09 +0000

UC San Francisco is set to launch the world’s first tissue bank with samples donated by patients with long COVID. The move follows research indicating that the virus can continue to linger throughout the body and may hold the key to understanding the cause of the debilitating disorder, leading to effective treatments. By October 2023, [...]

Breaking the Rules: How Long COVID’s Rogue Immune Cells Defy Expectations

Gladstone Institutes — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 19:29:00 +0000

Researchers at Gladstone Institutes and the University of California, San Francisco, conducted analyses on immune cells from individuals with and without long COVID, uncovering critical insights that will contribute to understanding the causes of the condition and developing treatment strategies. A new study conducted by researchers at Gladstone Institutes and the University of California, San [...]

Unhappy Family or Trauma in Childhood Leads to Poor Health in Old Age

Elizabeth Fernandez, University of California - San Francisco — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 16:01:10 +0000

Adverse childhood experiences have impacts deep into old age, especially for those who experienced violence, and include both physical and cognitive impairments. It’s known that a difficult childhood can lead to a host of health issues as a young or midlife adult, but now, for the first time, researchers at UC San Franciso have linked [...]

Unlocking Cancer’s Secret Weapon to Supercharge T-Cell Therapy

University of California - San Francisco — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 09:08:33 +0000

By leveraging mutations from cancerous cells, researchers have engineered T cells that are over 100 times more potent against cancer, promising a new era in immunotherapy for solid tumors. Immunotherapies using engineered T cells have ushered in a new era in cancer treatment, but they have their limits. They may cause side effects or stop [...]

Effectiveness Questioned: Study Finds That Paxlovid Fails To Reduce Long COVID Risk

University of California San Francisco Medical Center — Sat, 17 Feb 2024 01:48:56 +0000

Researchers at UCSF have discovered an unexpectedly high rate of COVID rebound following treatment with Paxlovid. A group of scientists from the University of California, San Francisco, discovered that Paxlovid (Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir) was ineffective in lowering the chances of vaccinated, non-hospitalized patients contracting long COVID during their initial infection with the virus. Additionally, they observed a [...]

Scientists Discover New Telltale Sign of Alzheimer’s

University of California - San Francisco — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 09:30:41 +0000

An international team led by the University of California, San Francisco, has carried out the first large-scale study on posterior cortical atrophy. This condition is characterized by a perplexing set of symptoms related to visual and spatial abilities, which are among the initial indicators of Alzheimer’s disease, manifesting in as many as 10% of Alzheimer’s [...]

Surprising Link Discovered Between Body Temperature and Depression

Jess Berthold, University of California - San Francisco — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 13:48:56 +0000

New study may support heat-based treatment to stimulate self-cooling as new treatment. People with depression have higher body temperatures, suggesting there could be a mental health benefit to lowering the temperatures of those with the disorder, a new UC San Francisco-led study found. The study, published on February 5 in Scientific Reports, doesn’t indicate whether [...]

New Research Shows Lifestyle Changes Can Prevent Dementia

University of California - San Francisco — Sun, 14 Jan 2024 23:55:17 +0000

Research indicates enhanced mental function in individuals who maintain an active lifestyle and engage in social interactions, alongside managing blood pressure and diabetes effectively. As federal approval for more Alzheimer’s disease medications progresses, a recent study conducted by UC San Francisco and Kaiser Permanente Washington reveals that tailored health and lifestyle modifications can postpone or [...]