Related Science News

July 19, 2018

Omega 3 supplements have little or no heart or vascular health benefit

Omega 3 supplements have little or no effect on the risk of heart disease, stroke or death – according to new research from the University of East Anglia. Increased consumption of omega 3 fats is widely promoted globally because of a common belief that that it will protect against heart […]
July 19, 2018

Research Brief: Social stress linked to disease of aging and shortened lifespan

Society is becoming older and more vulnerable to chronic diseases that result in a poor quality of life. Life stress, which before being a scientific notion is instinctively clear to most due to its universality, is an important risk factor promoting the vulnerability to disease. So far, there is limited […]
July 19, 2018

Link found between bitter-taste sensitivity and cancer risk

High bitter-taste sensitivity is associated with a significantly increased risk of cancer in older British women, according to researchers who conducted a unique study of 5,500 women whose diet, lifestyle and health has been tracked for about 20 years. The research examined the relationship between the ability to taste the […]
July 18, 2018

Magnetized wire could be used to detect cancer in people

A magnetic wire used to snag scarce and hard-to-capture tumor cells could prove to be a swift and effective tactic for early cancer detection, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The wire, which is threaded into a vein, attracts special magnetic nanoparticles engineered to […]
July 18, 2018

NIH and Prostate Cancer Foundation launch large study on aggressive prostate cancer in African-American men

The largest coordinated research effort to study biological and non-biological factors associated with aggressive prostate cancer in African-American men has begun. The $26.5 million study is called RESPOND, or Research on Prostate Cancer in Men of African Ancestry: Defining the Roles of Genetics, Tumor Markers, and Social Stress. It will […]
July 18, 2018

Childhood stress leaves lasting mark on genes

Kids who experience severe stress are more likely to develop a host of physical and mental health problems by the time they reach adulthood, including anxiety, depression and mood disorders. But how does early life stress put children at risk when they grow up? To find out, researchers from the […]
July 18, 2018

Devastating disease of the lung is a new research gift’s focus

The lungs are made up of some 30 to 40 different types of cells. “When you get sick, these cells can change. New cells can come in and resident cells can change over,” says Naftali Kaminski, MD, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Endowed Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary), and chief of the […]
July 18, 2018

Deciphering dementia’s gender gap

Two-thirds of the 5.5 million Americans with Alzheimer’s disease are women, and without effective prevention and treatments, that number will triple by 2050. Now, thanks to an innovative partnership, two UCI researchers have been awarded $100,000 to dig into why such a huge gender disparity exists. Sunil Gandhi and Mathew […]
July 18, 2018

Yale-developed test for Alzheimer’s disease directly measures synaptic loss

Yale researchers have tested a new method for directly measuring synaptic loss in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. The method, which uses PET imaging technology to scan for a specific protein in the brain linked to synapses, has the potential to accelerate research for new Alzheimer’s treatments, the researchers said. The […]
July 18, 2018

Protein found to be key component in irregularly excited brain cells

Researchers have identified a key protein involved in the irregular brain cell activity seen in autism spectrum disorders and epilepsy. The protein, p53, is well-known in cancer biology as a tumor suppressor. The findings, reported in the journal Human Molecular Genetics and Neuropharmacology, will open new avenues for understanding the […]
July 18, 2018

High Vinculin Levels Help Keep Aging Fruit Fly Hearts Young

Our cells tend to lose their shape as we grow older, contributing to many of the effects we experience as aging. This poses particular problems for the heart, where aging can disrupt the protein network within muscle cells that move blood around the body. A new discovery in how heart […]
July 17, 2018

Yale cancer researchers suggest new treatment for rare inherited cancers

Studying two rare inherited cancer syndromes, Yale Cancer Center (YCC) scientists have found the cancers are driven by a breakdown in how cells repair their DNA. The discovery, published in Nature Genetics, suggests a promising strategy for treatment with drugs recently approved for other forms of cancer, said the researchers. The two conditions […]
July 17, 2018

New genetic link for prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the UK, and researchers from Cardiff University have identified a genetic alteration that is linked to poor prognosis for patients with the disease. Advanced prostate cancer patients initially respond well to hormonal therapies but nearly all will eventually […]
July 17, 2018

Tackling cancer at ground zero with designer molecules

A new molecule designed by University of Adelaide researchers shows great promise for future treatment of many cancers. The new molecule successfully targets a protein that plays a major role in the growth of most cancers. This protein target is called proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), otherwise known as the […]
July 17, 2018

Products of omega-3 fatty acid metabolism may have anticancer effects, study shows

A class of molecules formed when the body metabolizes omega-3 fatty acids could inhibit cancer’s growth and spread, University of Illinois researchers report in a new study in mice. The molecules, called endocannabinoids, are made naturally by the body and have similar properties to cannabinoids found in marijuana – but […]
July 16, 2018

Turning Cancer on Itself

What if cancer cells could be re-engineered to turn against their own kind? A new study led by Harvard Medical School researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital leverages the power of gene editing to take a critical step toward using cancer cells to kill cancer. The team reports promising results […]
July 16, 2018

Breast Cancer Follow-Up Imaging Varies Widely, Study Finds

Follow-up imaging for women with non-metastatic breast cancer varies widely across the country, according to a new study led by researchers at UC San Francisco. Some patients go without the annual mammograms that experts recommend, while others with the same cancer diagnosis receive full-body scans that expose them to significant […]
July 16, 2018

HPV study could spur new cervical-cancer screening guidelines

New research on human papillomavirus (HPV) testing drew the same reaction from Drs. Rachel Winer and Constance Mao: It’s about time. The UW Medicine researchers responded to a decade-long study reported by two Canadian universities. It showed that HPV screening is more accurate at detecting cervical pre-cancers than the long-established Pap smear. Both doctors hope this will […]
July 16, 2018

T Cell Engineering Breakthrough Sidesteps Need for Viruses in CRISPR Gene-Editing

In an achievement that has significant implications for research, medicine, and industry, UC San Francisco scientists have genetically reprogrammed the human immune cells known as T cells without using viruses to insert DNA. The researchers said they expect their technique – a rapid, versatile, and economical approach employing CRISPR gene-editing […]
July 16, 2018

Eye expert leads research to better predict blindness in patients

A University of Southampton eye expert is leading research using state-of-the art imaging to predict which patients with early age-related-macular-degeneration (AMD) are at more risk of blindness. Professor of Ophthalmology in the University’s Faculty of Medicine and Institute for Life Sciences member, Andrew Lotery, is leading an international research team which […]
July 13, 2018

Focussed ultrasound used to improve effects of cancer drugs

Researchers have made a breakthrough in more precisely targeting drugs to cancers. Using ultrasound and lipid drug carriers (liposomes), a multi-disciplinary team of biomedical engineers, oncologists, radiologists and anaesthetists at the University of Oxford have developed a new way to improve the targeting of cancer drugs to tumours. The new […]
July 13, 2018

VIP neurons hold master key to jet lag response

Travel by airplane has opened the door to experiencing different cultures and exploring natural wonders. That is, if you can get past the jet lag. But what if you could take control of the brain’s daily timing system? Biologists at Washington University in St. Louis unlocked a cure for jet […]
July 13, 2018

Senolytic drugs reverse damage caused by senescent cells in mice

Injecting senescent cells into young mice results in a loss of health and function but treating the mice with a combination of two existing drugs cleared the senescent cells from tissues and restored physical function. The drugs also extended both life span and health span in naturally aging mice, according […]
July 13, 2018

Rise of the Clones

A new study led by researchers at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has identified some of the first known inherited genetic variants that significantly raise a person’s likelihood of developing clonal hematopoiesis, an age-related white blood cell condition linked with higher risk of […]
July 12, 2018

Potential game-changer for Parkinson's disease outcomes

A unique gaming system called ‘OrbIT’ will play a lead role in the fight to improve life for individuals living with Parkinson’s disease, thanks to funding from the Estate of the late Olga Mabel Woolger. In a three-year $90,000 study, Flinders University Rehabilitation Engineer, Mr David Hobbs and University of […]
July 12, 2018

Vitamin D no defence against dementia

New research from South Australian scientists has shown that vitamin D (also commonly known as the sunshine vitamin) is unlikely to protect individuals from multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease or other brain-related disorders. The findings, released in the science journal Nutritional Neuroscience reported that researchers had failed to find solid clinical […]
July 12, 2018

Combination of blood test and imaging improves detection of prostate cancer

The study compares traditional detection of prostate cancer with a novel practice using a blood test, the Stockholm3 test, in combination with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and targeted prostate biopsies. More men get a correct diagnosis and treatment The results show that the suggested diagnostic strategy decreased the number of […]