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Microorganisms in the human gut are in constant exchange - with each other and with their host. A new study by the Medical University of Graz, published in the journal Nature Communications, now shows how archaea - a previously little-researched group of microorganisms - control this exchange via tiny vesicles.

Particulate matter is considered a serious environmental threat to human health - and its effects begin earlier than previously assumed. An international research collaboration between the University of Lund in Sweden and the Medical University of Graz has shown for the first time that particulate matter from urban traffic can not only change the structure of the placenta, but can also affect the function of its immune cells.

During pregnancy, the woman's cardiovascular system undergoes profound functional and structural changes. These changes ensure the supply of the foetus and placenta, but at the same time place high demands on the maternal vascular system. A recent study led by Ursula Hiden and Evelyn Jantscher-Krenn from the Medical University of Graz, published in the Journal of Physiology, sheds light for the first time on how a special group of cells, the so-called endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs), changes during the course of pregnancy.

What happens to the human body during prolonged bed rest or weightlessness? The European Space Agency (ESA) is conducting so-called "bed rest studies" to investigate whether and what changes occur when the body is at rest for an extended period of time. These bed rest studies are carried out at various locations throughout Europe and offer researchers from a wide range of disciplines the opportunity to investigate these unusual circumstances in healthy test subjects.

Sneezing on the bus, coughing on the streetcar, catching a cold at work - a record number of sick notes and wastewater analyses show an unprecedented viral load throughout Austria. The winter, and with it the new COVID-19 wave, has hit Austria hard. The virus, which has been keeping us on our toes since the beginning of 2020, is once again sweeping through the country, even if its progress is to be slowed down with the help of vaccinations and precautionary measures.

The use of nanotechnology offers numerous new possibilities in the development of medicines and the targeted release of active ingredients. One interesting innovation is the use of iron oxide nanoparticles with a special coating. This allows active ingredients to be delivered safely and directly to the affected cells.

A large EU-funded study with the participation of experts from Graz has now shown that the removal of the causative blood clot with a catheter intervention in severe strokes can save lives. "Even in patients with severe strokes, treatment using a catheter to open the vessel occlusion is successful. In almost 20 percent of the patients treated, death or the need for nursing care could be prevented by a corresponding procedure," the Hamburg University Hospital (UKE) now reported.

Bone fractures due to osteoporosis are a major risk for the elderly. It is therefore all the more important to identify people at risk. An international team of authors with the participation of scientists from Med Uni Graz has analyzed how high the risk is of suffering a second bone fracture after the first: The risk is almost 90 percent higher.

In recent years, permanent glucose measurement from tissue fluid has become established, especially for type 1 diabetics who are constantly dependent on insulin to control their blood glucose. According to the latest study by an Austrian-British-Irish research team, such a system is also safe for professional pilots .

After a heart attack, the healing process can lead to increased storage of connective tissue and thus to excessive scarring of the damaged heart muscle. This so-called fibrosis in turn leads to the heart muscle gradually becoming stiff and unable to work properly, which ultimately results in heart failure.

Hair dyes can easily trigger contact allergies. In a large-scale project, the Information Network of Dermatological Clinics (IVDK) has investigated which substances are most frequently involved. The importance of hair dyes for allergies is thus evident. Safety at the workplace and product safety should be improved, the scientists involved now wrote in their study .

When a child is born before the completed 37th week of pregnancy, it is called a premature birth. Modern medicine makes it possible to care for premature babies, but depending on the baby's stage of development, some of them face major challenges. One of the biggest problems is the (un)maturity of the lungs, and thus the oxygen supply to children who are born prematurely.

When people talk about a stroke, they are usually referring to ischemic stroke, in which an artery in the brain becomes blocked and affected areas of the brain are subsequently no longer supplied with nutrients and oxygen. Cerebral hemorrhage is another form of this medical emergency, in which a blood vessel bursts.