Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital found that removing one protein from tumors could help thwart cancer cells in multiple ways, enhancing immunotherapy effects Targeted inhibition of a “signal jammer” protein may improve how tumors respond to immunotherapy. Published today in Nature, a new study demonstrates how some cancer cells use the protein voltage-dependent anion channel 2 (VDAC2) like a signal jammer to prevent the body’s anticancer systems from communicating with the immune system. The research also reveals the…
Newly described protein drives immune response, offers potential target for treatment Autoimmune diseases, which are estimated to affect more than 15 million people in the U.S., occur when the body responds to immune-system false alarms, and infection-fighting first responders are sent out to attack threats that aren’t there. Scientists have long understood how the false alarms get triggered, but the second step of dispatching the immune response has been a mystery. Now, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in…
In experiments conducted at the University of São Paulo, tumor stem cells became less able to proliferate and invade tissues when the production of the prion protein was blocked by gene editing; the results suggest that the molecule could be a therapeuti Glioblastoma (GBM), one of the most aggressive types of brain cancer, is one of the greatest challenges for medicine, both because it is difficult to treat and because of its high mortality rate. In Brazil, although no exact…
Researchers led by CHLA’s Jonathan D. Santoro, MD, have identified signs of neuroinflammation and dysfunction of the blood-brain barrier among patients with Down syndrome Regression Disorder (DSRD). A new research study led by Jonathan D. Santoro, MD, Director of the Neuroimmunology Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, shows evidence of dysfunction of the blood-brain barrier and inflammation in the central nervous system in individuals with Down syndrome Regression Disorder (DSRD). The new study, “Evidence of blood–brain barrier dysfunction and CSF…
Data reveals that retention bans are a good first step, but won’t be enough to prevent continued decline Despite the fear they may inspire in humans, sharks have far more reason to fear us. Nearly one-third of sharks are threatened with extinction globally, mostly as a result of fishing. A team led by researchers at UC Santa Barbara discovered that mandates to release captured sharks won’t be enough to prevent the continued decline of these important ocean predators. These findings,…
Study reveals new information about how to prevent chronic inflammation from zombie-like cells that accumulate with age In humans and other multicellular organisms, cells multiply. This defining feature allows embryos to grow into adulthood, and enables the healing of the many bumps, bruises and scrapes along the way. Certain factors can cause cells to abandon this characteristic and enter a zombie-like state known as senescence where they persist but no longer divide to make new cells. Our bodies can remove…
University of Arizona neuroscientists studying the brains of songbirds have found that aging alters the gene expressions that control the birds’ song. The finding could lead to earlier diagnoses and better treatments for human neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, which are known to hinder vocal production in their early stages. The study, published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, found that networks of interacting genes, in a region of the bird’s brain involved with singing, dramatically…
A new type of antibody which stimulates the immune system to target cancer cells slows tumor growth, according to new research Antibody treatment which activates the patient’s own immune system against cancer, known as immunotherapy, is increasingly being investigated as an alternative for chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This is because it specifically targets the cancer cells, which reduces the side effects seen with more conventional therapies. Tumours, such as some breast and ovarian cancers, can express the marker HER2. HER2 is…
Study links genetics, vision and neural processing to mating behavior in Heliconius butterflies A simple neural change alters mating preferences in male butterflies, aiding rapid behavioral evolution, Nicholas VanKuren and Nathan Buerkle at the University of Chicago, US, and colleagues, report March 11th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology. Heliconius are a group of tropical butterflies known for their wide variety of wing patterns and colors, which act as a warning to predators. Because wing coloration is crucial for their…
Scripps Research scientists created a stable form of carnosic acid, observing greater memory function and other disease improvements in mice. The herb rosemary has long been linked with memory: “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance,” says Ophelia in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. So it is fitting that researchers would study a compound found in rosemary and sage—carnosic acid—for its impact on Alzheimer’s disease. In the disease, which is the leading cause of dementia and the sixth leading cause of death in the US,…
Researchers from Osaka University find that in immune tissues, plasma cells that express certain proteins are more likely to migrate to the bone marrow, where they help create long-lasting antibody responses Vaccine effectiveness relies on creating a strong antibody response that can be reactivated to fight future infections. Now, researchers from Japan report that antibody-producing cells are destined for longevity from the moment they are born. In a recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, a multi-institutional research…
American Heart Association Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2025 – Oral Presentation 060 Research Highlights: Embargoed until 11 a.m. CT/12 p.m. ET, Sunday March 9, 2025 This news release contains updated information from the researcher that was not in the abstract and will be referenced in the oral presentation. Among postmenopausal women with a history of cancer, taking more daily steps and engaging in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were both associated with a significantly reduced risk…
Novel study paints more accurate picture of extinct, gigantic shark The megalodon has long been imagined as an enormous great white shark, but new research suggests that perception is all wrong. The study finds the prehistoric hunter had a much longer body—closer in shape to a lemon shark or even a large whale. The study team, which included researchers from University of California, Riverside and across the globe, used a novel approach to estimate the shark’s total body length, moving…
Declining student performance tied to life skills gaps, not just pandemic The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student performance is well known, but four years after the pandemic, scores in college classes are not returning to their pre-pandemic levels. A University of Mississippi study might point to an answer. In a study published in a special issue of the Educational Sciences journal, three Ole Miss researchers found that student performance scores started a downward trend following COVID-19. Dozens of…
Researchers at Rice University have uncovered a critical link between rising temperatures and declines in a species’ population, shedding new light on how global warming threatens natural ecosystems. The study, published in Ecology and led by Volker Rudolf, revealed that rising temperatures exacerbate competition within populations, ultimately leading to population crashes at higher temperatures. It offers one of the first clear experimental confirmations that rising temperatures alter the forces that control population dynamics in nature. “Our research provides an essential missing piece in…
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have discovered that what was previously thought to be a unique seaweed species of bladderwrack for the Baltic Sea is in fact a giant clone of common bladderwrack, perhaps the world’s largest clone overall. The discovery has implications for predicting the future of seaweed in a changing ocean. In the brakish waters of the Baltic Sea, bladderwrack is the dominant seaweed species as it is one of the few seaweed species that can tolerate…
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