Back to past leeches: repeated phlebotomies and cardiovascular risk

Manco and Fernandez-Real comment on a BMC Medicine study showing that phlebotomy reduces cardiovascular risk in patients with metabolic syndrome, and discuss how the findings could benefit obese people, as well as lead to increased blood donations.

MAVS ubiquitination by the E3 ligase TRIM25 and degradation by the proteasome is involved in type I Interferon production after activation of the antiviral RIG-I-Like receptors

A number of proteins are now known to sense viral infection in cells and signal antiviral responses. Studies by Damien Arnoult and colleagues suggest that the interferon response involves the sequential assembly and proteasomal dissolution of a signalling complex at the mitochondrial surface.

Q&A: 'Toxic' effects of sugar: should we be afraid of fructose?

Before the colonial era of sugar plantations we consumed, on average, about 15-fold less fructose than we do today. Luc Tappy explains, in question and answer format, the special features of fructose metabolism and discusses the evidence that high fructose intake has contributed to the current epidemic of obesity and metabolic disease.

Lifestyle interventions for overweight and obese pregnant women to improve pregnancy outcome: systematic review and meta-analysis

Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that lifestyle intervention during pregnancy can reduce the risk of gestational diabetes and weight gain in obese women, highlighting the importance of intervention at this crucial time.

Strategies for enrichment and selection of stem cell-derived tissue precursors

Bernstein and Hyun review strategies used to direct tissue-specific differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs), and methods for the identification and selection of tissue-specific precursors for scientific study and clinical use.

Vitamin D deficiency and psychotic features in mentally ill adolescents: A cross-sectional study

Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in adolescents with severe mental illness, and adolescents with lower vitamin D levels are more likely to display psychotic features.

The regulation of mobile health applications

Medical applications on mobile phones are increasingly being used, and some are associated with safety concerns; Amy Barton comments on the regulation of mobile heath applications by the FDA, and discusses implications for the future.

Crystal structure of a new benzoic acid inhibitor of influenza neuraminidase bound with a new tilt induced by overpacking sub-site C6

The crystal structure of a novel benzoic acid inhibitor of influenza neuraminidase reveals an increased number of contacts compared to previous inhibitors, due to a tilt in the position of the benzene ring that maximizes these interactions.

Canalization of the evolutionary trajectory of the human influenza virus

The influenza virus evolves rapidly, but this doesn't usually lead to a genetically diverse population as one might expect. A new model suggests how short-term selection to avoid human immune responses could cause this long-term lack of diversity.

Point-of-care detection of lipoarabinomannan (LAM) in urine for diagnosis of HIV-associated tuberculosis: a state of the art review

Stephen Lawn reviews recent advances in lipoarabinomannan (LAM) detection in urine for rapid point-of-care diagnosis of HIV-associated tuberculosis (TB), which would enable immediate initiation of TB treatment in patients with the highest mortality risk.