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Common Medications Are Affecting Our Immune Response to Infections Like COVID-19

Some common drugs can help and others hinder immune responses. The largest clinical review of immune responses to paracetamol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and opioid analgesics, with a focus on infectious diseases, has provided insights into unintended impacts of these commonly used medicines. The findings highlight the potential for some of these medicines to join the fight against old and new infectious diseases. Although research into these drugs has focused on their effects on pain and fever management, until now, their impact on the treatment of infectious diseases specifically was unclear. The findings highlight the need for more studies in…

Scientists Discover New Way Viruses Trigger Autoimmune Diseases

In mice, roseolovirus disrupts immune cells’ process of learning self-recognition. Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Type 1 diabetes are thought to arise when people with a genetic susceptibility to autoimmunity encounter something in the environment that triggers their immune systems to attack their own bodies. Scientists have made progress in identifying genetic factors that put people at risk, but the environmental triggers have proven more elusive. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered that a viral infection can set a destructive process in motion, culminating in autoimmunity long after the infection has resolved.…

Inspiring the Next Generation: Meet Three Women Space Station Engineers

Women of the International Space Station Program’s workforce are trailblazers and contribute to the success of the orbiting laboratory in remarkable ways. From program management to research or mission integration, the numerous space station teams are rich with women engineers who work hard on the ground to ensure the seamless operation of the orbiting laboratory 250 miles above. Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day was February 24, 2022, a day when NASA recognizes the contributions of women and seeks to inspire the Artemis Generation of girls and young women to pursue engineering careers and become the great innovators and problem-solvers…

How A.I. Could Revolutionize the Future of Heart Health

February may be the shortest and coldest month of the year. But for many, it is a time to give special recognition to often overlooked aspects of world history (Black History Month) and recognize what may be the single greatest threat to health in the world. For many, February is also known as Heart Health Month, and 2022 will be the 58th consecutive year it is recognized. Cardiovascular disease is a global problem that claims the lives of more people a year than cancer, strokes, or other prevalent diseases. Luckily, advanced research is leading to effective solutions for improving cardiovascular…

NASA Ingenuity Mars Helicopter: After Dusty Flight 19, Team Prepares for Flight 20

Lead Image: Mars Helicopter Sol 345 – Navigation Camera: Navigation camera image captured just as Ingenuity took off for Flight 19, showing accumulated sand flying off of one of Ingenuity’s feet. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech The Ingenuity team is beginning preparations for Flight 20! Flight 19 was successfully completed on February 7, 2022, at 20:21 PST (Sol 345 of the Perseverance mission, 12:00 LMST Local Mean Solar Time), and placed Ingenuity safely within the designated landing ellipse just above the eastern ridge of the “South Séítah” basin. Flight 19 was a reminder of the challenges and unpredictability of the Martian environment. As…