August 27, 2020

Novel Alkaline Hydrogel Advances Skin Wound Care

Effective wound care requires the maintenance of optimal conditions for skin and tissue regeneration. Hydrogels provide many of these conditions, but not an alkaline environment. Now, in a breakthrough study, scientists at Tokyo University of Science, Japan, have developed a new method that requires no specialized equipment and can be […]
August 27, 2020

Exercise therapy for Parkinson’s disease

Researchers at James Cook University and La Trobe University are working on making life better for people with Parkinson’s disease by developing a new exercise program. Moira Smith, lecturer in physiotherapy at JCU, said Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition affecting the ability to control movement. “People with Parkinson’s […]
August 27, 2020

Investigational New Therapy Prevents Onset of Dravet Syndrome Symptoms in Mice

In a development that may finally offer hope to children with Dravet syndrome and their parents, a new promising investigational therapy appears to alter the destructive course of the deadly disease. Lori Isom, Ph.D., chair of the University of Michigan’s department of pharmacology and professor of molecular & integrative physiology and neurology […]
August 27, 2020

Progress toward a treatment for Krabbe disease

In one out of 100,000 infants, a mutation in the GALC gene causes an incurable, always fatal disorder known as infantile Krabbe disease, or globoid cell leukodystrophy. Most children with the condition die before they turn 2. A parallel condition also naturally affects dogs, who typically show symptoms of the […]
August 27, 2020

Female Chromosomes Offer Resilience to Alzheimer’s

Study Reveals the Second X Chromosome Confers Protection. Women with Alzheimer’s live longer than men with the disease, and scientists at UC San Francisco now have evidence from research in both humans and mice that this is because they have genetic protection from the ravages of the disease. By virtue […]
August 27, 2020

Novel breast cancer therapy candidate enters clinical study

A Phase 1 patient trial of the novel, oral therapy candidate, alpha-TEA, for advanced HER2 positive breast cancer is now underway.  Veana Therpeutics, Inc., and UW Medicine will collaborate on the clinical testing of Veana’s lead agent – an alpha TEA lysine salt, in combination with the monoclonal antibody, trastuzumab, brand name Herceptin. In HER2 positive […]
August 27, 2020

Women with diabetes and high levels of coronary artery calcium at greater risk of death than men

A new study finds women with diabetes and significant levels of calcium in their coronary arteries have higher rates of death from cardiovascular disease and all causes than their male counterparts. Published in the American Diabetes Association journal, Diabetes Care, researchers from the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine and Cedars-Sinai […]
August 27, 2020

In one cancer therapy, two halves are safer than a whole

Splitting one type of cancer drug in half and delivering the pieces separately to cancer cells could reduce life-threatening side effects and protect healthy, non-cancerous cells, a new study suggests. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that splitting immunotoxins into two inactive and […]
August 27, 2020

Accumulating extra genome copies may protect fly brain cells during aging

Scientists at the University of Michigan have discovered a novel anti-aging defense in the brain cells of adult fruit flies: producing extra copies of the genome. The findings could help explain how the brain, which rarely produces new cells, is able to cope with the accumulation of cell damage over […]
August 27, 2020

Research team pairs 3D bioprinting and computer modeling to examine cancer spread in blood vessels

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists have paired 3D-printed, living human brain vasculature with advanced computational flow simulations to better understand tumor cell attachment to blood vessels, the first step in secondary tumor formation during cancer metastasis. The unique approach, developed with outside collaborators, lays the foundation for developing a predictive […]
August 26, 2020

Researchers discover cell communication mechanism that drives cancer adaptation

Collaborative Cancer Research UK-funded studies from University of Oxford researchers have uncovered a new mechanism by which cancer cells adapt to the stresses they encounter as they grow and respond to therapies. This mechanism involves cells releasing small vesicles, known as exosomes. These contain complex mixtures of proteins, RNAs and […]
August 26, 2020

Fresh biopsies can improve development of cancer drugs

COVID-19 didn’t make all other diseases disappear. Cancer is still killing people like before and scientists are still trying to find new ways to treat it. Now researchers from the University of Queensland found that fresh tumour biopsies respond differently to medicine than the  tissue cultures traditionally used. This could […]
August 26, 2020

Gene therapy could potentially reverse memory loss from Alzheimer's in humans

Researchers from Macquarie University have discovered a world-first new treatment that reverses the effects of memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease in a study of mice with advanced dementia. The research, co-led by two brothers, Dr Arne Ittner and Professor Lars Ittner, from Macquarie University Dementia Research Centre, builds on their work […]
August 26, 2020

Leading-edge Technology Unmasks Protein Linked to Parkinson’s Disease

An elusive protein that many consider the key of fully understanding the causes of genetic Parkinson’s disease has come much more clearly into focus. Impacting millions around the world, Parkinson’s is a neurological disorder that progressively attacks motor functions, leading to lasting damage in movement and coordination, among other areas. […]
August 26, 2020

Excessive Fructose Consumption May Cause a Leaky Gut, Leading to Fatty Liver Disease

Excessive consumption of fructose — a sweetener ubiquitous in the American diet — can result in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is comparably abundant in the United States. But contrary to previous understanding, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that fructose only adversely affects […]
August 26, 2020

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Linked to an Immune Cell Run Amok

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of intestinal disorders affecting an estimated six to eight million people worldwide. Although there are many treatments for IBD, a number of patients fail to respond long-term, leaving those afflicted with a host of chronic issues, from abdominal pain and cramping to frequent, […]
August 26, 2020

Uncontrolled ‘cAMP’ Helps Spark Rare Liver Cancer

Since humans first controlled fire, they have camped around it to circulate information, signaling each other when something approaches. Metaphorically, certain molecules have been carrying information around our cells to help regulate bodily functions as needed. One such molecule, called cyclic AMP or “cAMP,” presumably travels freely inside cells managing […]
August 26, 2020

Fresh tumour biopsies in world-first technique for cancer treatments

An innovative technique to improve cancer treatments using tumour biopsies less than 30 minutes after they’re taken has been developed at The University of Queensland. The ‘Drug uptake in ex Vivo tumours’ technique was developed after researchers found fresh patient tumour biopsies responded differently to treatments than the tissue cultures […]
August 26, 2020

Newly discovered ‘support system’ for axons suggests a novel therapeutic target for neurodegenerative diseases

Axons are long, finger-like projections of neurons that transmit critical signals throughout the nervous system. But because they are fragile, they are often among the first casualties of certain neurodegenerative diseases, causing symptoms such as muscle weakness or numbness of limbs. New research from the University at Buffalo reveals that […]
August 26, 2020

Detecting pancreatic cancer at treatable stages

Pancreatic cancer is rarely detected at its early stages because symptoms often do not present themselves until after the cancer has progressed. By then, invasive procedures such as surgery, chemotherapy or radiation are often needed to treat the cancer. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri’s College of Veterinary Medicine […]
August 26, 2020

Protein ‘chameleon’ colors long-term memory

A chameleonlike protein in neurons can change its mind, and in the process change our brains. Scientists at Rice University and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) uncovered new clues in the protein CPEB3 as part of their dogged pursuit of the mechanism that allows humans to have […]
August 25, 2020

A simple blood test could predict the success of immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a promising technology for cancer treatment. Essentially, body’s own immune system is taught how to recognize cancer cells and kill them. When other treatments have failed, immunotherapy can still shrink tumours and prolong survival. However, it doesn’t work for everyone – how to predict which patients could benefit […]
August 25, 2020

Re-engineered enzyme could help reverse damage from stroke, spinal cord injury

A team of researchers from the University of Toronto's Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and the University of Michigan has redesigned and enhanced a natural enzyme that shows promise in promoting the regrowth of nerve tissue following injury. The new version of the enzyme is more stable and could lead […]
August 25, 2020

BRCA1 and BRCA2 Gene Mutations: The Basics

Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are linked to the development of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and other types of cancer. Genetic testing and counseling services can determine whether a person carries these mutations and, if they do, how the information could help inform cancer prevention or treatment decisions. In the first of […]
August 25, 2020

Increasing the Arsenal of Radioisotopes in the Fight Against Cancer

A new supply of a critical radioisotope advances personalized medicine. The Science Researchers have deployed a newly developed method to produce large quantities of copper-67. This material is a promising medical radioisotope–isotopes with applications in health care. The increased supply of copper-67 will enable clinical studies for new drug discovery […]
August 25, 2020

Study: MTL deterioration can lead to impulsive decisions

Deterioration of a part of the brain known as the medial temporal lobe can cause an older adult to make more impulsive decisions. One decision-making process — temporal discounting — places a greater value on a smaller and immediate outcome while dismissing a better but delayed outcome: instant gratification, in […]
August 25, 2020

Taking Risks for Big Rewards

Much of the world, including research at Penn Medicine, has focused its attention on how T cells — which play a central role in immune response — might shape the trajectory of COVID-19 infection, and how immunotherapy can shed light on treatment of the disease. Already a leader in immunotherapy research […]
August 24, 2020

New maps of chemical marks on DNA pinpoint regions relevant to many developmental diseases

Salk researchers mapped how DNA methylation changes over time in mice to better understand developmental disorders. In research that aims to illuminate the causes of human developmental disorders, Salk scientists have generated 168 new maps of chemical marks on strands of DNA—called methylation—in developing mice. The data, published July 29, […]