Vitamin B6, which is absorbed from a broad range of foods, helps bolster immune system function and neurotransmitters in the brain. But some patients with chronic conditions like diabetes might experience low concentrations of vitamin B6, leading to reduced mental and physical health function, with possible symptoms including irritability, depression, anemia, numbness or muscle twitching. Expensive blood draws are currently the only way to monitor B6 levels, but a team led by Huanyu “Larry” Cheng, the James L. Henderson, Jr. Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State, has developed a new, non-invasive approach that could allow for continuous monitoring, even at home.  

An interdisciplinary team of University of Central Florida (UCF) researchers is creating a single low-cost test to detect HIV and Hepatitis B and C simultaneously, that may be used in resource-limited settings. The university recently was awarded a $537,619 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). With quicker and more accessible results, the test has potential to save lives. 

Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have shown how mammalian brains create networks of tubes that transport toxins in and out of brain cells, similar to how pneumatic tubes swoosh items back and forth in factories and stores.

A McGill University-led clinical trial is the first in humans to show online brain training exercises can improve brain networks affecting learning and memory.

The study found 10 weeks’ use of the game-like app BrainHQ by older adults enhanced cholinergic function, a chemical system in the brain that typically declines with age and influences attention, memory and decision-making.