All news from Health & Hospital Administration

Healthcare Access: Low-Income HIV Patients Suffer

Quebecers are not created equal when it comes to accessing anti-retroviral treatment (ART) for HIV and AIDS, a long-term study undertaken by a team from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) in Montreal has revealed.

Researchers observed that HIV-infected persons who count on social assistance and other income security programs in Quebec do not have early access to ART due to their presumed lower socio-economic status.

Surge of Malaria Deaths in Conflict Zones

Ten years of progress globally in the fight against malaria have masked the rapid rise of infections and deaths in African countries experiencing conflict and famine, though new strategies implemented in places like the Central African Republic, South Sudan, and northern Nigeria could provide a way forward, according to research.

Protein Aggregates Protect Rather Than Harm Neurons

Researchers examine by an understanding of the complex and fatal neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Autopsy studies of ALS patients often reveal the accumulation of large, fibrous aggregates of a protein called SOD1 in disease-affected motor neurons. Researchers have hypothesized that these fibrils are what kill neurons and cause ALS in some people. They found evidence that these large SOD1 fibrils protect rather than harm neurons. The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Protein Structure Is Revealed By Using High-Resolution Cryo-Electron Microscopy

Researchers team have determined for the first time the high-resolution structure of a complex (R2TP) involved in key processes for cell survival and diseases such as cancer. This achievement has been made possible by using high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy, a technique brought to the CNIO thanks to Óscar Llorca, director of the Structural Biology Programme. The study was published in Nature Communications.

Geographical Factors Associated With Prescribing Of Gluten-Free Foods In England

Researcher aims to describe time trends, variation, and factors associated with prescribing gluten-free foods in England. Prescribing practice for gluten-free foods in England varies hugely and does not seem to be driven by obvious medical factors. And those living in the most deprived areas of the country are the least likely to be prescribed these products, which may be due to a lower rate of diagnosis of coeliac disease in disadvantaged groups. The study was published in the online journal BMJ Open.