Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, evolve to withstand antimicrobial treatments that once effectively cured infections they caused. This resistance is driven by the misuse and overuse of these treatments. AMR poses a significant global health threat by increasing the risk of disease spread, severe …

In a middle-income country like Ecuador, the survival chances of premature children have increased due to the institutionalization of births and improved postnatal care. However, this positive trend has led to more children surviving injuries that can result in disabilities. The challenge lies in the fact that the healthcare system …

Biomaterials in tissue engineering (TE) are crucial to recreate a tissue in vitro. Up till this day Matrigel is the go-to ’gold standard’ for growing organoids derived from different tissues. However, its xenogenic and tumor related nature (Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm (EHS) sarcoma tumour cells) and high batch-to-batch variability of Matrigel limit its …

Human appetite is controlled by hormones secreted from various body sites that signal to neurons present in the hypothalamus. The gut microbiome can also influence appetite through its metabolites. Furthermore, lifestyle and environmental exposures can influence both appetite and the gut microbiome, about which little is known. The goal of …

Hormonal anticonception has been used for over 100 years by women for various reasons including to prevent pregnancy, reduce acne and to prevent painful periods. However, the pill might still cause physiological changes in the female body. In this light, we investigated the influence of hormonal anticonception on the brain …

The persistent use of anabolic substances, particularly testosterone esters, in sports poses a challenge for anti-doping authorities. Traditional matrices such as urine and serum/plasma have limitations in detecting these substances effectively. This study proposes the use of noninvasive dried blood (DB) as a matrix for anti-doping testing. DB offers advantages …

The application of MRI requires high sensitivity of the MRI system to clinically relevant biological changes. However, MR images are susceptible to variability caused by other confounding factors. In addition to biological changes, variations in MR images may arise from participant-related physiological variability and device-related technical variability. These confounding factors …

Approximately one out of six reproductive-aged couples are affected by infertility worldwide. Over time, various assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have evolved, helping couples to overcome fertility problems. Currently, in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) are the most frequently used ART because of their high success rates. Nevertheless, …

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders, with one in three epilepsy patients being diagnosed with refractory epilepsy. A diagnosis of refractory epilepsy is made when two or more types of anti-seizure medication (ASM) have been tried and have failed to control the seizures. In such cases, the …

Mitochondrial disorders, caused by mutations in mitochondrial (mt)DNA, affect 1 in 4,300 individuals and can cause severe symptoms such as muscle pain, developmental delays, and vision problems. MtDNA disorders are maternally inherited, meaning that mtDNA mutations are passed from a mother to all her children. There are some options for …