Health Science Reviews

By Mudau Nzumbululo Precious T regulatory (Treg) cells are a subset of immune cells that play an important role of controlling immunological responses. Upon an infection, Treg cells dampen down the immune response to keep it in check and prevent chronic inflammation that could lead to tissue damage. Treg cells also prevent immune system from…

By Jodie Jacobs A question on the rise is whether HIV has a direct correlation on cardiovascular disease.  The emerging prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) present in HIV-infected patients is particularly interesting. People infected with HIV who die from cardiovascular complications is rising in comparison to people who die as a result of the virus…

by Noluthando Magubane Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common median nerve neuropathy that was first described by Paget in 1854. It is a medical condition caused by damage to the median nerve due to compression and traction of the nerve at the level of the carpal tunnel. This condition affects 4-5% of the population…

by Sithandiwe Dlamini  According to the South African Demographic and Health Survey 2016, 68% of women and 39% of men aged 15 and older were overweight or obese. According to the World Health Organisation 2016, 39% of adults aged 18 and over were overweight, while 13% were obese. This is significant as obesity contributes to…

By Mbalentle Madlala What comes to mind when you read the words “mental health”? Your answer may depend on several factors. One factor may be age. Many of us may be aware of the “infamous” feud between the so called “baby boomers” (born 1944 – 1964) and “Generation Z” (born 1995 – 2015). There have…

by Sam Gild  Metabolism is important- by definition, it maintains life. We know that nothing in nature is ‘random’- everything evolves by natural selection, which necessitates selective pressure. Metabolism has evolved to fit the needs of the organism it serves, and it is accordingly very diverse. By way of example, mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) utilizes an…

By Mudau Nzumbululo Precious T regulatory (Treg) cells are a subset of immune cells that play an important role of controlling immunological responses. Upon an infection, Treg cells dampen down the immune response to keep it in check and prevent chronic inflammation that could lead to tissue damage. Treg cells also prevent immune system from…

by Phillip Swanepoel The Cancer Ecosystem When thinking of ecosystems, cancer isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. However, tumours aren’t just a simple mass of identical cells. They can consist of a wide range of cell types, each with different set of properties. This is called “Tumour Heterogeneity”. Furthermore, tumours don’t exist in isolation.…

by Hardik Jeena Reproducibility is one of the most important aspects of research and a great deal of effort is taken to ensure that the findings of a study can be reproduced as otherwise, the conclusions lose credibility. This crucial reproductivity can be compromised by technical as well as biological variations. This blog emphasises the…

by Kelly Kordom Traumatic brain injury (TBI) refers to injury to the brain via an external force and is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in children worldwide. Given that children are a vulnerable group to research it initially seemed appropriate to extrapolate clinical findings from research including adult populations to the…