A new study has revealed important information about how a patient’s testosterone level can help protect them from severe Covid-19.
Previous research involving Swansea University investigated how sex hormones are likely to be important determinants of Covid-19 severity.
Now digit ratio expert Professor John Manning, of the Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise and Medicine (A-STEM) research team, has been working with colleagues in Poland and Sweden to look more closely at the subject.
He says their findings, which have just been published by prestigious online journal Andrology, could have significant implications for public health and future treatments.
Professor Manning said: “Covid-19 varies markedly in its severity across both nations and individuals. It is most severe in elderly men. This has led to suggestions that testosterone may influence severity. However, it is unclear whether testosterone increases or decreases severity.
“In collaboration with colleagues in Poland and Sweden, we have been looking at testosterone-dependent finger patterns in hospitalized patients compared to controls.”
He explained there are two opposing explanations – the low-androgen-driven and high-androgen-driven theories. The first theory implicates high testosterone as aiding infection by the virus, but the latter theory argues that is the low levels of testosterone found in elderly men which increases their inflammatory immune response to Covid, resulting in a poor prognosis.
News
World First: Stem Cell Transplant Restores Vision in Multiple People
A radical stem cell transplant has significantly improved the blurry vision of three people with severe damage to their cornea. The clinical trial, which took place in Japan, is the first of its kind in the world, [...]
Clinical Trial: Mushroom Supplement May Halt Prostate Cancer Growth
The bidirectional research examines both laboratory findings and human clinical trial data, revealing that the medicinal use of white button mushrooms reduces the type of cells that suppress the immune system and facilitate the [...]
Scientists propose drug-free method to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Recent estimates indicate that deadly antibiotic-resistant infections will rapidly escalate over the next quarter century. More than 1 million people died from drug-resistant infections each year from 1990 to 2021, a recent study reported, with [...]
New study shows how salmonella tricks gut defenses to cause infection
A new UC Davis Health study has uncovered how Salmonella bacteria, a major cause of food poisoning, can invade the gut even when protective bacteria are present. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy [...]
Chlamydia vaccine shows early promise in mice
An experimental vaccine has shown promise in protecting against the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia, researchers report. Lab mice given the vaccine were able to rapidly clear subsequent chlamydia infections, and were less likely to [...]
Contradictory Discovery: Our Innate Immune System May Fuel Cancer Development
MSK researchers discovered that the innate immune system’s chronic activation due to issues in the Mre11 complex can lead to cancer, highlighting new therapeutic targets. In addition to defending against pathogens, the body’s innate [...]
New study links circadian gene variants to winter depression
Findings suggest that PER3 gene variants prevent adrenal adaptation to winter daylight, leading to serotonin disruption and depression-like behaviors. A recent study in Nature Metabolism used humanized mice with modified PERIOD3 gene variants (P415A and H417R) [...]
Quantum Leap for MRI: Atomic Sensors Unlock New Imaging Potential
New atomic sensor technology enhances MRI quality control by tracking hyperpolarized molecules in real-time, with potential benefits for various scientific fields. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a fundamental tool in modern medicine, offering detailed [...]
MethylGPT unlocks DNA secrets for age and disease prediction
By harnessing advanced AI, MethylGPT decodes DNA methylation with unprecedented accuracy, offering new paths for age prediction, disease diagnosis, and personalized health interventions. In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv preprint* server, researchers developed a [...]
“Astonishing” – Scientists Unveil First Blueprint of the Most Complex Molecular Machine in Human Biology
Researchers unveil the inner mechanisms of the most intricate and complex molecular machine in human biology. Scientists at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona have developed the first comprehensive blueprint of the [...]
Breakthrough research reveals how to target malignant DNA in aggressive cancers
Scientists have discovered a way to target elusive circular fragments of DNA that drive the survival of some of the most aggressive cancers, paving the way for future treatments. In three groundbreaking papers published [...]
How bacteria trigger colon cancer
In a recent study published in Nature, scientists used murine models to investigate how certain bacteria, such as Escherichia coli strains that contain a polyketide synthase (pks) island encoding enzymes that produce colibactin genotoxin, could increase the [...]
Nanoparticles designed to trap and neutralise large amounts of SARS-CoV2
(Nanowerk News) Researchers from the IBB-UAB have developed a new class of nanostructures capable of trapping and neutralising large quantities of the SARS-CoV2 virus particles, both in liquid solutions and on the surface of [...]
Nanodiscs: What Are They and How Are They Shaping the Future of Medicine?
Nanodiscs are synthetic phospholipid particles with a distinct morphology and size that enhance their efficiency in drug delivery applications.1 First developed by Sligar et al. in the early 2000s, these model membrane systems measure around 10 [...]
New Discovery Reveals How Ovarian Cancer Starves Immune Cells
Researchers discovered that ovarian tumors hinder T cells’ energy supply by trapping a key protein, blocking lipid uptake. A new approach to reprogram T cells could enhance immunotherapy for aggressive cancers. Researchers at Weill Cornell [...]
Innovative Drug-Design Strategies to Overcome Antibacterial Resistance
Antibacterial resistance occurs when antibiotics fail to treat bacterial infections. This incidence is considered one of the top global health threats, stemming from the misuse or overuse of antibiotics in humans and animals.1 The [...]
