The cold and flu season is beginning amid conflicting guidance on vaccination and the use of acetaminophen — a common fever-reducing drug sold under brand names such as Tylenol — during pregnancy. Adrienne Antonson is a professor of animal sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who studies the immune response during pregnancy and prenatal neurodevelopment.
Biomarkers found linking ER-positive breast cancer with neighborhood deprivation
Scientists have long known that Black women with estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer and those who live in disadvantaged neighborhoods often have more aggressive forms of the disease and poorer survival rates. However, the underlying factors that link these outcomes with women’s living environments have remained unclear.
Illinois researchers receive $1 million FDA grant to study antimicrobial resistance in foodborne pathogens
Raw meat and seafood can carry harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness, posing an ongoing public health risk. These pathogens frequently show resistance to multiple antimicrobials, making them harder to treat.
In pregnant mice with severe flu, harmful molecules can breach fetal barriers
A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign shows, for the first time, that severe flu infection in pregnant mice leads to a breakdown in placental and brain barriers and an accumulation of potentially harmful molecules in the fetal b
Can cash payments to low-income families improve romantic relationships?
Financial strain can be a major stressor that impacts people’s wellbeing and quality of life, and it can also affect couple relationships.
Illinois analysis aims to ease GI symptoms for cancer patients
Many modern cancer treatments are highly effective at reducing or eliminating tumors, but they can also cause severe gastrointestinal symptoms that impact patients’ quality of life or lead to discontinuation of treatment.
Kidney fibrosis linked to molecule made by gut bacteria
A molecule made by bacteria in the gut can hitch a ride to the kidneys, where it sets off a chain reaction of inflammation, scarring and fibrosis — a serious complication of diabetes and a leading cause of kidney failure — according to a new study from researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Mie University in Japan.
Mouse study reveals gut microbe balance may be key factor in early-onset colorectal cancer
With colorectal cancer on the rise in people under 50, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are looking at the colon’s tiniest inhabitants to reveal causes and potential treatments.
How the COVID-19 pandemic affected parents and youth: Thorns and silver linings
The COVID-19 pandemic upended life for individuals and communities worldwide. Social isolation, health mandates, illness, and economic hardships took a toll on the well-being of families and children, but there were also silver linings to people’s experiences.
Cracking the code to trying vegan eggs
As the demand for plant-based meat and dairy options grows, vegan burgers, nuggets, and beverages have been in the spotlight for sustainable protein alternatives. But unlike their meatless burger counterparts, plant-based eggs haven’t received the same attention from researchers — until now.