news

The connections between the structure of the brain and its function are a key focus of neuroscience. A new Medical University of Vienna study involving a team of international partners has been looking at evolution and its relationship with the capabilities of human and animal brain architecture. The findings showed that the shape of the brain has developed in parallel with the organ's function throughout the course of evolution.

Approx. 40 % of persons with diabetes develop chronic kidney disease, leading to successive deterioration and even the complete loss of kidney function. Up to now, it has not been possible to predict whether and at what rate the kidney disease will progress. Early detection is essential to delay or avoid kidney failure requiring dialysis.

Among the biggest environmental problems of our time, microand nanoplastic particles (MNPs) can enter the body in various ways, including through food. And now for the first time, research conducted at MedUni Vienna has shown how these minute particles manage to breach the blood-brain barrier and as a consequence penetrate the brain.

Iron deficiency is one of the five main causes of impaired health. It affects 30 percent of the world's population, particularly women. Why iron deficiency can occur, even if enough iron is supplied through the diet, has not yet been sufficiently clarified in scientific research. For the first time, a research team from MedUni Vienna has discovered that certain immune cells in the intestine play an important role in iron absorption in the body.

For the first time, a team led by Claudia Zimmermann from MedUni Vienna's Centre for Public Health examined the suicide risk among members of several Austrian healthcare professions and other highly skilled professions compared with the general population. The results show that the suicide risk among male doctors, tax consultants/auditors is significantly lower than in the general population, while an increased suicide risk was found in the case of female doctors, dentists, veterinarians and pharmacists.

Vegans are considered health-conscious both in the public and in their own perception. Researchers at the Centre for Public Health have now examined the dietary patterns and physical activity behaviour of vegans and found a discrepancy between appearance and reality in many cases. Although many vegans exercise more than the average person, the widespread consumption of industrially processed foods in this group cannot be classified as beneficial to health.

Patients suffering from Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory intestinal disorder, develop painful constrictions in the bowel. Due to a lack of methods until now, these complications cannot be characterised with sufficient precision to initiate targeted treatment. An interdisciplinary research group at MedUni Vienna has investigated a new imaging technique that can improve the treatment of intestinal strictures.

Medicine & Science A team of researchers at MedUni Vienna has newly appraised the immunosuppressive effect of antithymocyte globulin (ATG) and identified a previously unknown mode of action. The new findings on ATG, which are used for induction therapy prior to organ transplantations and for the treatment of T-cell mediated rejection reactions, provide a new approach for further improvements in transplantation medicine.

Medicine & Science The treatment of nerve injuries with the aid of nerve guidance conduits has led to the desired regenerative success in some, but by no means all, cases. In a recently published study, a research team from MedUni Vienna and the University of Oxford has used silk as a promising material for repairing severed nerves.

Medicine & Science In recent years, ultrasound brain therapies have gained importance worldwide and are considered a promising form of therapy for various neurological and psychiatric diseases. The Medical University of Vienna, together with the University of Toronto, plays a leading role in the development and research of applications for these new therapies.

Medicine & Science Although the effects of a noisy environment in the neonatal intensive care unit have been studied before, the effect of the incubators preterm infants are housed in their first weeks/months of life in has not. A team of scientists from MedUni Vienna together with colleagues from Vienna, Hamburg, Munich and Osnabruck investigated, and found that while the incubators dampen some sounds, they amplify others, potentially damaging babies- hearing.

Medicine & Science With vaccination fatigue growing and the emergence of new coronavirus variants a possibility, health officials face a potential challenge when it comes to encouraging the public to get regular boosters to protect them against Covid-19.

Medicine & Science In the case of the rare genetic disease of hereditary angioedema (HAE), swelling occurs in one or more parts of the body without a recognisable trigger. An HAE attack can be life-threatening especially if the upper respiratory tract is affected. Active substances for on-demand medication are currently only available in the form of injections and transfusions.

Studies & Further Education Carinthia University of Applied Sciences and the Medical University of Vienna have launched a cooperation project to address the sustainable interlinking of basic university research and applied brain research. Seven doctoral positions will be publicised for this purpose with research starting in the winter semester 2023/24.

Studies & Further Education People in Austria have great confidence in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), diagnostic and therapeutic methods of TCM should also be strengthened further in national healthcare systems. A recent publication by MedUni Vienna found a clear divergence between the perceived and actual scientific character of TCM.

Medicine & Science Climate protection and sustainability are among the major issues of the future. The concerns are also increasingly coming to the fore in the health sector. Anaesthesia, and intensive care in particular, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions through the use of pollutants such as anaesthetic gases and equipment such as heart-lung machines, which have a high energy consumption.

Medicine & Science Mutations of virus and illnesses caused by new variants are still to be expected even in a SARS-CoV-2 situation that has now become endemic. Although the population has developed specific immune responses due to previous infections and vaccinations, vaccinated and vulnerable individuals continue to contract COVID-19.

Medicine & Science Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for 15% of all lung cancer cases and is still associated with a particularly high mortality rate. According to a recent multicenter study led by MedUni Vienna, SCLC can be classified into specific molecular subtypes. New research from the same international team now suggests that a novel combination drug therapy could be an effective option for patients with specific molecular backgrounds.

Medicine & Science As part of a study led by MedUni Vienna in cooperation with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and the Karl Landsteiner Private University for Health Sciences (KL) in Krems, a comprehensive European allergy atlas was compiled for the first time using a newly developed test method.

Medicine & Science As part of a MedUni Vienna-led study conducted in cooperation with Stockholm's Karolinska Institute and the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences in Krems, a comprehensive European allergy atlas has been compiled for the first time using a newly developed test method.