Findings from a new study conducted by a team of researchers at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine and published in the journal mBio reflect the important role that the gut microbiome (communities of bacteria) plays in ...
Mar 13, 2024
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Knowing exactly what's inside a tumor can maximize our ability to fight cancer. But that knowledge doesn't come easy. Tumors are clusters of constantly changing cancer cells. Some become common cancer variants. Others morph ...
Feb 28, 2024
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When an autopsy revealed that actor Matthew Perry died of "acute effects of ketamine," it put fresh attention on an ongoing debate in the field of psychiatry: What's the right balance between expanding access to a drug that ...
Feb 27, 2024
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New research from UBC Okanagan could make monitoring gut health easier and less painful by tapping into a common—yet often overlooked—source of information: the mucus in our digestive system that eventually becomes part ...
Feb 13, 2024
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In a study published in the journal Burns & Trauma, researchers employed a combination of techniques to analyze the effects of burn injury on the gut microbiota and mucus barrier in mice.
Feb 5, 2024
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It's the season for respiratory viruses and the cough, congestion and sore throats they bring. There are many options for over-the-counter (OTC) remedies and relief, but if you have high blood pressure, you may want to take ...
Dec 19, 2023
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Tezepelumab is associated with a reduction in occlusive mucus plugs versus placebo in adults with uncontrolled asthma, according to a study published in the October issue of NEJM Evidence.
Sep 29, 2023
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Autumn is the season of change, with green leaves turning color and temperatures cooling. It's also the season of hay fever, or allergic rhinitis.
Sep 29, 2023
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Primary ciliary dyskenisia (PCD) is a rare genetic disease that causes the tiny hair-like filtration structures in the respiratory tract to stop working. As a result, the lungs accumulate thick mucus and become more susceptible ...
Sep 12, 2023
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Our respiratory systems are lined with a thin fluid layer called mucus on the inside. The mucus protects us from inhaling harmful and unwanted airborne agents from germs to pollutants; it achieves this feat due to its unique ...
Jul 25, 2023
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In vertebrates, mucus (adjectival form: "mucous") is a slippery secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. Mucous fluid is typically produced from mucous cells found in mucous glands. Mucous cells secrete products that are rich in glycoproteins and water. Mucous fluid may also originate from mixed glands, which contain both serous and mucous cells. It is a viscous colloid containing antiseptic enzymes (such as lysozyme), immunoglobulins, inorganic salts, proteins such as lactoferrin, and glycoproteins known as mucins that are produced by goblet cells in the mucous membranes and submucosal glands. This mucus serves to protect epithelial cells in the respiratory, gastrointestinal, urogenital, visual, and auditory systems in mammals; the epidermis in amphibians; and the gills in fish. A major function of this mucus is to protect against infectious agents such as fungi, bacteria and viruses. The average human body produces about a litre of mucus per day.
Bony fish, hagfish, snails, slugs, and some other invertebrates also produce external mucus. In addition to serving a protective function against infectious agents, such mucus provides protection against toxins produced by predators, can facilitate movement and may play a role in communication.
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