A comprehensive review shows there are both benefits and harms from screening. Source
Immune cell implicated in development of lung disease following viral infection
Scientists have implicated a type of immune cell in the development of chronic lung disease that sometimes is triggered following a respiratory viral infection. The evidence suggests that activation of this immune cell serves as an early switch that, when activated, drives progressive lung diseases, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Source
Pediatric emergency visits, hospitalizations down sharply during pandemic, study finds
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, children’s hospitals across the United States have seen signification reductions in the number of children being treated for common pediatric illnesses like asthma and pneumonia, according to a new multicenter study. Source
New brain sensor offers Alzheimer’s answers
Researchers have found an explanation for why Alzheimer’s drugs have limited effectiveness and why patients get much worse after going off of them. Source
Research identifies impact of teenage screen use
Two thirds of children use more than one screen at the same time after school, in the evenings and at weekends as part of increasingly sedentary lifestyles, according to new research. Source
Disruption of lung biological clock in premature babies may raise later flu risk
Disruptions in the circadian rhythms in lung cells may explain why adults who survived premature birth are often more at risk of severe influenza infections, suggests a new study. Source
Paper addresses research needed to understand smoking and COVID-19
A new paper discusses how smoking may affect risk for COVID-19 and the types of research that are needed to better understand the link between smoking and COVID-19 risk. Source
New vaccine needed for serious childhood pneumonia
A rise in vaccine-resistant bacteria shows the need for a new vaccine to fight childhood empyema after a spike in hospitalisations, a new study reveals. Source
Researchers identify ‘violent’ processes that cause wheezing in the lungs
A team of engineers has identified the ‘violent’ physical processes at work inside the lungs which cause wheezing, a condition which affects up to a quarter of the world’s population. Source
New strategy blocks chronic lung disease in mice
A new study has uncovered a previously unknown role for exosomes in inflammatory respiratory diseases. The study has implications for finding new therapies. Exosomes are tiny compartments released from cells that carry different types of cargo, including inflammatory chemicals called cytokines that can drive lung disease. Source