By using the lymphatic system as a storage reservoir, researchers found they could optimize drug concentrations to simultaneously target two molecular signaling pathways responsible for cancer growth. A team of University of Michigan researchers is developing a new anti-cancer drug that is absorbed through the gut’s lymphatic system rather than blood vessels, potentially outmaneuvering the molecular signaling pathways that lead to drug resistance while increasing cancer-fighting ability and reducing side effects. In a study published today in Nature Communications, the team reports…
Bone health requires a balanced activity of various bone cell types including bone-forming osteoblasts and bone-resorbing osteoclasts. Osteoporosis occurs when osteoclasts dominate without adequate bone formation to compensate. In new research published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, elevated blood levels of a certain chemokine, or small signaling protein, that promotes osteoclast formation were linked with a higher risk of hip fracture in men. The study included 55 men and 119 women who had experienced a hip fracture an…
Researchers at Heidelberg University Hospital together with a team of international researchers demonstrate a positive effect of physical activity on the generation of new heart muscle cells in older hearts in an animal model / Molecular analyses provide information on the underlying mechanisms / Study results published in the journal Circulation. Can physical activity support the generation of heart muscle cells (cardiomyocytes) even in aged animals? Researchers at Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD) together with a team of international collaborators demonstrated…
Could lead to therapies for people at risk of sudden rupture due to abdominal aortic aneurysm. An experimental drug therapy protects mice from sudden death due to the rupture of a major blood vessel in the abdomen, according to a study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The findings, available online in Biomaterials Advances, may lead to a new strategy in treating abdominal aortic aneurysm, a condition in which the wall of the abdominal aorta —…
The level of collagen type XII in breast tumours plays an important role in triggering the spread of cancer cells around the body. Collagen type XII plays a key role in regulating the organisation of the tumour matrix, reveals a new study from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. A team of scientists led by Associate Professor Thomas Cox, Head of the Matrix and Metastasis lab, also discovered that high levels of collagen XII can trigger breast cancer cells to…
Implantable devices that release insulin into the body hold promise as an alternative way to treat diabetes without insulin injections or cannula insertions. However, one obstacle that has prevented their use so far is that the immune system attacks them after implantation, forming a thick layer of scar tissue that blocks insulin release. This phenomenon, known as the foreign body response, can also interfere with many other types of implantable medical devices. However, a team of MIT engineers and collaborators…
A breakdown of lipid metabolism in these brain cells promotes inflammation and interferes with neuron activity, a new study finds. One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease is a reduction in the firing of some neurons in the brain, which contributes to the cognitive decline that patients experience. A new study from MIT shows how a type of cells called microglia contribute to this slowdown of neuron activity. The study found that microglia that express the APOE4 gene, one of…
While Omicron variants of the pandemic coronavirus ratchet up immune evasion, study suggests current boosters intensify protections against serious infection. Although Omicron subvariants of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic coronavirus have evolved to evade antibody responses from the primary COVID-19 vaccine series, a new laboratory study suggests current vaccine boosters may elicit sufficient immune protection against severe Omicron-induced COVID-19 disease. The project assessed a comprehensive panel of vaccines available in the United States and around the world, as well as immunity acquired…
… in advanced tumour disease. What factors influence the life expectancy of patients with advanced gastric cancer? Scientists at Leipzig University Hospital have discovered that the body’s inflammatory response is accompanied by reduced muscle quality in patients and ultimately constitutes the decisive factor for the prognosis. Their results have been published in the “Annals of Oncology.” A research group at Leipzig University Hospital, led by Professor Ulrich Hacker, together with scientists from Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic, has investigated…
Newly identified brain circuits may point to more effective pain therapies. An international team of scientists has identified the neural mechanisms through which sound blunts pain in mice. The findings, which could inform development of safer methods to treat pain, were published in Science. The study was led by researchers at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR); the University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei; and Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China. NIDCR is part of the…
Study on wound healing after heart attack published in Science. More than 300,000 people suffer a heart attack in Germany every year. In this case, the heart muscle is no longer supplied with sufficient blood and oxygen, and part of the heart muscle tissue dies and becomes scarred. The consequences can range from massive cardiac insufficiency to heart failure. Unlike the liver, the heart of an adult human being can hardly regenerate. However, it is able to initiate repair processes….
Genetic and clinical research reveals new type of macular dystrophy, a cause of central vision loss. Researchers from the National Eye Institute (NEI) have identified a new disease that affects the macula, a small part of the light-sensing retina needed for sharp, central vision. Scientists report their findings on the novel macular dystrophy, which is yet to be named, in JAMA Ophthalmology. NEI is part of the National Institutes of Health. Macular dystrophies are disorders that usually cause central visual…
New evidence for an autoimmune cause of schizophrenia. Researchers from Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) identify an autoantibody that may cause schizophrenia in some individuals. Schizophrenia is a disorder that affects how people act, think, and perceive reality. It is often very difficult to treat because it has many different causes and symptoms. In a study published last month in Cell Reports Medicine, researchers from Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) have identified an autoantibody—a protein that is produced…
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have developed a tiny sensor for detecting pesticides on fruit in just a few minutes. The technique, described as a proof-of-concept in a paper in the journal Advanced Science, uses flame-sprayed nanoparticles made from silver to increase the signal of chemicals. While still at an early stage, the researchers hope these nano-sensors could help uncover food pesticides before consumption. “Reports show that up to half of all fruits sold in the EU contain pesticide…
A University of Queensland-led study has found millions of COVID-19 patients may have undiagnosed acute kidney injury (AKI). AKI is a condition where the kidneys suddenly fail to filter waste from the blood, which can lead to serious illness or even death. Existing data indicates approximately 20 per cent of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 develop AKI, rising to roughly 40 per cent for those in intensive care. But UQ PhD candidate and kidney specialist Dr Marina Wainstein said…
Cancer patients are at a greater risk for developing diabetes, according to a new study. The study also concludes that cancer patients who develop diabetes die sooner than survivors without diabetes. Cancer patients are at a greater risk for developing diabetes, according to a new study by the Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, and the University of Copenhagen. The study also concludes that cancer patients who develop diabetes die sooner than survivors without diabetes. Cancer is the leading cause of…
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