Credit: iStock As the body’s “command center,” the brain’s job is to communicate with other organs to make sure all our body systems are in proper working order. But you may not know that people who have brain injuries are also more likely to develop respiratory disorders. This is due to the brain-lung axis—how the … Continue reading Brain-Lung Crosstalk: How the Brain and Lungs Communicate with Each Other
Immune System
Precision Medicine: When ‘One-pill-fits-all’ Doesn’t Fit
Credit: iStock Everybody is unique due to their genetics. Even identical twins do not have completely identical genetic information, as they start accumulating developmental mutations from early stages in the womb. Our uniqueness is the main reason medical professionals often cannot rely on the same medication when trying to treat different people with the same … Continue reading Precision Medicine: When ‘One-pill-fits-all’ Doesn’t Fit
Spotlight On: SARS-CoV-2
Credit: iStock SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, emerged into the human population late in 2019. COVID-19 is an airway infection much like the common cold. One in six colds are caused by coronaviruses, although these are other types of coronaviruses. Why, then, did COVID-19 become such a devastating pandemic that has led to the … Continue reading Spotlight On: SARS-CoV-2
Targeting the Immune System to Treat Cancer
Credit: iStock This month, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the American Physiological Society journal Physiological Reviews, we are highlighting recent research published in the journal. Interested in reading more in celebration of Physiological Reviews’ birthday? Read our spotlight on migraine, about bariatric surgery’s effect on hunger and new thoughts on why you can't sleep. When we hear the … Continue reading Targeting the Immune System to Treat Cancer
Post-vaccination Blues: Why Feeling Sick Is a Good Sign
Credit: iStock Many of us have experienced symptoms such as a sore arm or a fever after receiving vaccinations. Feeling a little under the weather can make some people hesitant to get a jab in the future. But these aftereffects are actually a good thing and an important part of how our bodies develop immunity … Continue reading Post-vaccination Blues: Why Feeling Sick Is a Good Sign
The Physiology of Grief
Credit: iStock Many of us have experienced the death of a loved one and the grief that inevitably accompanies it. Such loss is widely considered to be the most stressful event we will ever encounter in our lives. I have been thinking about this lately because in just a few months it will be five … Continue reading The Physiology of Grief
Smile Rx: A Smile a Day Can Go a Long Way
Credit: iStock The biggest authentic smile—called a Duchenne smile—happens when we use our whole face, show our teeth and crinkle the muscles around our eyes. What a beautiful outward projection of our inner positive emotion! Smiling can cause positive changes in our bodies, too, and even a fake smile is worth something. Smile fact:There are … Continue reading Smile Rx: A Smile a Day Can Go a Long Way
Horseshoe Crabs Help in Fight against COVID-19
Credit: iStock COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for distribution across the U.S. As of mid-January 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 31 million doses of vaccine have been distributed and about 12 million people in the U.S. have received a COVID-19 vaccination. That may sound like a lot, but to fully … Continue reading Horseshoe Crabs Help in Fight against COVID-19
Mild Symptoms, Major Impact: How Getting COVID-19 Changed One Student’s Perspective
Kelsey Bayles has fully recovered from COVID-19. Credit: Kelsey Bayles APS member Anberitha Matthews, PhD, recently spoke to Kelsey Bayles, a senior in the bachelor of science in nursing program at the Mississippi University for Women, who became infected with the coronavirus in the summer of 2020. APS thanks Bayles for giving us permission to … Continue reading Mild Symptoms, Major Impact: How Getting COVID-19 Changed One Student’s Perspective
How ACE2 Influences COVID-19 Severity in Older Adults
Credit: iStock In the spring of 2020, ACE2—angiotensin-converting enzyme 2—became a major focus of attention as the entryway of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19. As of early November 2020, over 47 million cases of COVID-19 were confirmed worldwide, with more than 9 million cases in the U.S. Since the beginning … Continue reading How ACE2 Influences COVID-19 Severity in Older Adults