Cell News and Research

RSS

Some types of proteins can stabilize damaged DNA

At the University of Copenhagen, researchers have discovered how some types of proteins stabilize damaged DNA and thereby preserve DNA function and integrity. This new finding also explains why people with inborn or acquired defects in certain proteins cannot keep their DNA stable and develop diseases such as cancer.

28 Oct 2019

3D-printed cell traps help researchers remove the hay to expose cancer cells

Finding a handful of cancer cells hiding among billions of blood cells in a patient sample can be like finding a needle in a haystack. In a new approach enabled by 3D-printed cell traps, researchers are removing the hay to expose the cancer cells.

28 Oct 2019

New cystic fibrosis drug now available through NHS England

On October 24, 2019, cystic fibrosis (CF) patients rejoiced at the news that three years of talks between the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals had succeeded in a compromise which could see about 5,000 patients gaining access to a potentially life-saving drug called Orkambi within the next month. Orkambi is perceived to be a ‘wonder drug’ because it helps these patients to breathe easier and better, and can be started as young as two years.

28 Oct 2019

How the SETD1A gene produces schizophrenia in mice

A new study published in the journal Neuron on October 9, 2019 reports that scientists have unlocked part of the secrets of the SETD1A gene – how mutations in the gene put the individual at risk for the condition.

26 Oct 2019

New cellular immunotherapy for cancers

A new study published in the journal Nature Communications on 22 October 2019 reports a new approach to cancer treatment that increases the immune capability of T lymphocytes against malignant cancers. This allows the T cells to successfully infiltrate and destroy these tumors. Animal trials have been completed and the researchers are planning clinical trials in human beings next.

26 Oct 2019

Some plant foods causing paralysis, death, in malnourished populations

There are a lot of plants eaten for food that may also contain toxins that harm the brain and the nervous system, when present in amounts that cross the limit of individual tolerance. This happens when such toxin-containing foods are the chief or only source of nutrition.

26 Oct 2019

Gut microbiome altered by burn injury and influenced by fluid resuscitation, study shows

Major burns lead to changes in the gastrointestinal tract bacteria, and these alterations of the gut microbiome are influenced by resuscitation with intravenous (IV) fluids, according to animal studies reported in SHOCK: Injury, Inflammation, and Sepsis: Laboratory and Clinical Approaches, Official Journal of theShockSociety. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

25 Oct 2019

Multimillion-dollar ERC grant for study of cell fate in cancer

Harvard Medical School researcher Peter Kharchenko and three collaborators have won a six-year multimillion-dollar grant from the European Research Council for their work toward mapping out cellular decision-making during early development in an effort to illuminate new pathways for the treatment of pediatric cancer.

25 Oct 2019

Discovery in monkeys could pave way for treatment of Bardet-Biedl Syndrome

A genetic mutation that leads to a rare, but devastating blindness-causing syndrome has been discovered in monkeys for the first time. The finding offers a promising way to develop gene and cell therapies that could treat the condition in people.

25 Oct 2019

New way to detect and attack cancer cells using solar technology

Scientific breakthroughs don't always happen in labs. For Sophia and Richard Lunt, Michigan State University researchers, many of their breakthroughs happen during neighborhood walks.

25 Oct 2019

Nerve cell protection without side effects on erythropoiesis

The hormone erythropoietin (Epo) is a well-known doping substance that has a long history of abuse in endurance sports, such as cycling. In addition to promoting red blood cell production (erythropoiesis), which improves the oxygen supply in the organism, Epo also protects nerve cells from cell death.

25 Oct 2019

Energy regulation rollbacks slow the fight against harmful ozone

Pollutants from coal-fired power plants help make ground-level ozone, and a warming world exacerbates that.

25 Oct 2019

Phase 2 clinical trial of CAR T-cell therapy starts at Atlantic Health System

Atlantic Health System is treating patients in a new Phase 2 clinical trial of CAR T-cell therapy at Morristown Medical Center. A select number of sites across the U.S. are involved in this study, which is done on an outpatient basis.

25 Oct 2019

White and brown fat cells send very different signals to rest of the body

Many people might not realize that they have different types of body fat. Most of it is white fat that sits on your stomach, hips and thighs, for example. White fat is an energy storage that our body can use when food is scarce.

25 Oct 2019

TU Dresden scientists receive 4.5 million euros for fundamental research

Rapid growth of tumor tissue and metastasis formation are major problems of cancers. Cancer cells use a higher amount of energy than normal body cells and therefore undergo a metabolic reprogramming.

25 Oct 2019

Researchers unveil ultrastructure of focal adhesion scaffold in pluripotent stem cells

Focal adhesions are known as signaling platforms broadcasting the information of the biochemical and physical qualities of the extracellular matrix into intracellular signaling cascades.

25 Oct 2019

Study finds molecular key to formation of mature and fully functioning T cells

In a finding that could help lead to new therapies for immune diseases like multiple sclerosis and IBD, scientists report in the Journal of Experimental Medicine identifying a gene and family of proteins critical to the formation of mature and fully functioning T cells in the immune system.

25 Oct 2019

New nanoenzyme may help increase anti-tumor immunity

Theoretically, our immune system could detect and kill cancer cells. Unfortunately, tumors are well armed to fight these attacks. Despite modern cancer treatments, metastases and relapses remain a major problem.

25 Oct 2019

TB is not a life-long infection in most people

A new analysis challenges the longstanding notion that tuberculous infection is a life-long infection that could strike at any time and cause tuberculosis. Based on a review of clinical studies, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and colleagues show that people who test positive with immunologic TB skin or blood tests rarely develop TB.

25 Oct 2019

Study pinpoints cell types linked to age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of blindness in the elderly, affecting more than 2 million people in the United States and leading to progressive loss of central vision.

25 Oct 2019