December 13, 2018

Breast Cancer Recruits Bone Marrow Cells to Increase Cancer Cell Proliferation

Tel Aviv University researchers have discovered that breast cancer tumors boost their growth by recruiting stromal cells that originate in bone marrow. While the recruitment of bone marrow-derived fibroblasts lowers the odds of surviving breast cancer, the study suggests that targeting these cells with new therapies could be an effective way […]
December 13, 2018

Infections in children tied to subsequent mental illness risk in new study

High temperatures, sore throats and infections during childhood can increase the risk of also suffering from a mental disorder as a child or adolescent. This is shown by the first study of its kind to follow all children born in Denmark between 1 January 1995 and 30 June 2012. The […]
December 12, 2018

New gene editing tool drives stem cell services and discovery

At just two-and-a-half years old, the University of Wisconsin–Madison Human Stem Cell Gene Editing Service is already contemplating expansion. The increased demand has tracked the growth of research projects on campus using a new gene editing tool called CRISPR-Cas9. The service derives and genetically engineers pluripotent stem cell lines for […]
December 12, 2018

Can exercise delay dementia symptoms?

After reading studies that showed aerobic exercise can improve cognition in healthy adults, School of Nursing researcher Fang Yu wondered how exercise could affect people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. For the last 15 years, Yu has been exploring that question from a variety of perspectives. She thinks non-pharmacological […]
December 12, 2018

Study points to optimal blood pressure treatment for stroke patients

Aggressive treatment of hypertension in stroke patients could do more harm than good in the long term, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Georgia. Sixty percent of stroke patients admitted to U.S. emergency rooms have elevated blood pressure, and many studies say that having high blood […]
December 12, 2018

A better look at how cells move

A new computational model clarifies the structure and mechanics of soft, shape-changing cells, potentially giving scientists a better understanding of cancerous tumor growth, wound healing, and embryonic development. Led by Corey O’Hern, a Yale professor of mechanical engineering and materials science, physics, and applied physics, the researchers developed an efficient computational […]
December 11, 2018

Diabetes drug liraglutide linked to lower risk of cardiovascular events

Real world data from a large Nordic study shows that use of liraglutide, a drug for type 2 diabetes, is associated with a lower risk of myocardial infarction, stroke or cardiovascular death. The study, led by researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, is published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. The […]
December 11, 2018

Digital technology in management of Huntington’s

Researchers at Cardiff University are exploring how digital technologies, such as wearable fitness trackers, can be used to help people with Huntington’s disease (HD) manage their symptoms. As part of a £16 million collaboration to address the health and social care of people with diseases of the brain, Professor Monica […]
December 11, 2018

Computers can 'spot the difference' between healthy brains and the brains of people with Dissociative Identity Disorder

Machine-learning and neuroimaging techniques have been used to accurately distinguish between individuals with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and healthy individuals, on the basis of their brain structure, in new research part funded by the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre and published in The British Journal of Psychiatry. Researchers performed MRI (magnetic resonance […]
December 10, 2018

Elevated hormone flags liver problems in mice with methylmalonic acidemia

Researchers have discovered that a hormone, fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), is extremely elevated in mice with liver disease that mimics the same condition in patients with methylmalonic acidemia (MMA), a serious genomic disorder. Based on this finding, medical teams treating patients with MMA will be able to measure FGF21 levels to […]
December 10, 2018

Scientists design way to track steps of cells’ development

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a new tool described as a “flight data recorder” for developing cells, illuminating the paths cells take as they progress from one type to another. Scientists hope to one day be able to take skin cells from a […]
December 10, 2018

Discovery brings saliva test for Alzheimer’s disease one step closer

The discovery of three biomarkers that detect mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s has the potential to lead to the development of a saliva test to diagnose the chronic neurodegenerative disease. University of Alberta scientists Liang Li and Roger Dixon examined saliva samples from three sets of patients: those with Alzheimer’s, those with mild cognitive […]
December 10, 2018

Major breakthrough in quest for cancer vaccine

The idea of a cancer vaccine is something researchers have been working on for over 50 years, but until recently they were never able to prove exactly how such a vaccine would work. Now, a team of researchers at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) at Université de […]
December 10, 2018

MIT engineers repurpose wasp venom as an antibiotic drug

The venom of insects such as wasps and bees is full of compounds that can kill bacteria. Unfortunately, many of these compounds are also toxic for humans, making it impossible to use them as antibiotic drugs. After performing a systematic study of the antimicrobial properties of a toxin normally found […]
December 10, 2018

Link between neonatal vitamin D deficiency and schizophrenia confirmed

Newborns with vitamin D deficiency have an increased risk of schizophrenia later in life, a team of Australian and Danish researchers has reported. The discovery could help prevent some cases of the disease by treating vitamin D deficiency during the earliest stages of life. The study, led by Professor John McGrath from The […]
December 10, 2018

High body fat increases breast cancer risk for women with normal BMI

Postmenopausal women with higher levels of body fat have a significantly increased risk of developing breast cancer even if they have a normal body mass index (BMI), according to a study published Dec. 6 in JAMA Oncology. BMI is a measure of body mass based only on height and weight; […]
December 7, 2018

Hazelnuts improve older adults’ micronutrient levels

Older adults who added hazelnuts to their diet for a few months significantly improved their levels of two key micronutrients, new research at Oregon State University indicates. In the study, 32 people age 55 and older ate about 57 grams of hazelnuts – 2 ounces or about one-third cup – […]
December 7, 2018

Prenatal exposure to chemicals in personal care products may speed puberty in girls

Girls exposed to chemicals commonly found in toothpaste, makeup, soap and other personal care products before birth may hit puberty earlier, according to a new longitudinal study led by researchers at UC Berkeley. The results, which were published in the journal Human Reproduction, came from data collected as part of the […]
December 7, 2018

NIH-funded tissue chips rocket to International Space Station

When traveling in space, astronauts experience physiological changes normally associated with aging, such as bone loss, muscle deterioration and altered immune systems. When the astronauts return to Earth, the changes often reverse. To better understand the relevance of the astronauts’ experience to human health — both on the ground and […]
December 7, 2018

Older women who suffer from tooth loss are more likely to develop high blood pressure

Postmenopausal women who have experienced loss of all teeth are at higher risk of developing high blood pressure, according to a University at Buffalo study published Dec. 4 in the American Journal of Hypertension. Multiple studies have suggested an association between periodontal disease and tooth loss with hypertension, but the […]
December 7, 2018

Scientists to produce anti-cancer drugs in yeast

Nature is so complex that natural molecules used for i.e. cancer treatment still can’t be produced by chemical synthesis. Today, major chemical and pharmaceutical companies harvest large amounts of rare plants and seeds in order to extract valuable substances. But the production methods based on extracts from natural resources are […]
December 6, 2018

Researchers classify Alzheimer's patients into 6 subgroups

Researchers studying Alzheimer’s disease have created an approach to classify patients with Alzheimer’s disease, a finding that may open the door for personalized treatments. “Alzheimer’s, like breast cancer, is not one disease,” said lead author Shubhabrata Mukherjee, research assistant professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. ”I […]
December 6, 2018

Researchers at MU identify enzyme responsible for helping cancer tumors spread

Researchers at the University of Missouri have unraveled how a cancer-critical enzyme is positioned on cell surfaces. The enzyme enables tumor cells to tunnel through collagen, creating a convenient path for tumors to spread cancer throughout the body. This breakthrough is an important step toward the development of pharmaceuticals that can prevent […]
December 5, 2018

Vascudyne to commercialize biologic engineered tissue with potential to transform medical device technology

University of Minnesota Technology Commercialization today announced the formal launch of Vascudyne Inc., a startup company based in Stillwater, Minn., focused on the development of biologically engineered tissue for medical device and therapeutics applications. The technology offers a regenerative capacity unavailable until now in materials and devices used for medical […]
December 5, 2018

New possible target for treating major common diseases

There is a large, untapped potential for developing drugs against cancer, fibrosis and cardiovascular diseases by targeting a family of receptors known as Frizzleds, researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden believe. In a new study published in Science Signaling, they identify how these receptors are activated in the cell membrane and […]
December 5, 2018

World War II weapon used in new battle: combatting Parkinsons disease

Purdue University research shows the antidote can effectively remove acrolein, a neurotoxin produced in the body that is directly correlated with Parkinson’s disease. A World War II chemical weapon antidote is shown to be effective combating a new enemy: Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is characterized by the steady and progressive loss […]
December 4, 2018

Epigenetic Map May Pave Way for New Therapeutic Solutions to Hearing Loss

Epigenetics is the expression and control of genes. The epigenetics involved in the inner ear is a critical part of the mystery of hearing. A team led by Prof. Karen B. Avraham, Vice Dean of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University, has now created the first map of “methylation” — one […]
December 4, 2018

ABCD study completes enrollment, announces opportunities for scientific engagement

The National Institutes of Health announced that enrollment for the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study is now complete and, in early 2019, scientists will have access to baseline data from all ABCD Study participants. There are 11,874 youth, ages 9-10, participating in the study, including 2,100 young people who […]
December 4, 2018

Treating spinal pain with ‘engineered living tissue’ moves closer to reality

For the first time, bioengineered spinal discs were successfully implanted and provided long-term function in the largest animal model ever evaluated for tissue-engineered disc replacement. A new Penn Medicine study published in Science Translational Medicine provides compelling translational evidence that the cells of patients suffering from neck and back pain could be used to […]