A series of digital tests, carried out via a smartphone app, could enhance the detection of disease progression in Huntington's disease and improve the efficiency of clinical trials, finds research led by scientists at University College London (UCL) and Roche.

The research, published in Brain, highlights how digitising tests designed to measure the progression of motor symptoms in people with Huntington's disease can provide a sensitive and reliable way to track changes in the function of patients.

We have all heard of antibodies - proteins produced by our bodies to bind to viruses or bacteria, marking them for elimination by the immune system. But not all of us are familiar with aptamers: short segments of DNA or RNA that are designed to bind, like antibodies, to specific targets. Synthetic and inexpensive to produce, aptamers are attractive alternatives to antibodies for biomedical diagnostics and therapeutics.

Food scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign identified the optimal fermentation conditions for pulses - the dried edible seeds of legumes - that increased their antioxidant and antidiabetic properties and their soluble protein content.

Using the bacteria Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v as the microorganism, the team fermented pulses obtained from varying concentrations of black bean, black-eyed pea, green split pea, red lentil and pinto bean flours.

In the quest to design vaccines that better help the body's immune system fight disease, scientists are always looking for more tools for their arsenal. The strong antibody responses generated by vaccines provide an important first round of defense, but "you always want to have a backup plan," says Biomedical Graduate Studies Ph.D. student Emily A. Aunins, considering viruses mutate to evade antibody responses that become widespread in a population.

Results from a new clinical trial suggest that a high-fiber plant-based diet could benefit patients at risk for developing multiple myeloma, the second most common type of blood cancer. The study showed that the diet was not only feasible and well-received but also improved several factors that could potentially delay the progression of precancerous conditions that can lead to multiple myeloma.

University of Otago - Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka researchers have been part of two groundbreaking studies in the battle against drug resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the cause of tuberculosis.

Co-author on both studies, Dr Matthew McNeil, of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, describes tuberculosis as a "massive public health problem" that is challenging to solve.

New research has found that those who consume a diverse range of foods rich in flavonoids, such as tea, berries, dark chocolate, and apples, could lower their risk of developing serious health conditions and have the potential to live longer.

The study was led by a team of researchers from Queen's University Belfast, Edith Cowan University Perth (ECU), and the Medical University of Vienna.