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Improving drug testing with comprehensive 'Organ Chip' platform

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves only 13.8% of all tested drugs, and these numbers are even lower in "orphan" diseases that affect relatively few people.

27 Jan 2020

Determining Microsatellite Instability Status Using Multiplex PCR-Based Methods

Determining microsatellite instability status using multiplex PCR-based methods used to screen for Lynch Syndrome, a dominant hereditary cancer propensity.

From Promega Corporation 24 Jan 2020

Researchers identify novel cellular entry factor for AAV vector types

Researchers led by a team at Massachusetts Eye and Ear have identified a novel cellular entry factor for adeno-associated virus vector (AAV) types--the most commonly used viral vectors for in vivo gene therapy. AAVs are vectors-or vehicles--that are created from a virus that is made harmless by molecular engineering, and have shown promise transporting genetic therapy treatments to affected tissues.

23 Jan 2020

Reelin can reverse the main pathological processes associated with Alzheimer's, other tauopathies

Promoting the signaling pathway of reelin -an essential extracellular protein for the neuronal migration and synaptic plasticity- could be an effective therapeutical strategy to counterbalance the main cognitive, biochemical and behavioral alterations seen in Alzheimer's and other pathologies associated with Tau protein, as shown in a new study with animal models -published in the journal Progress in Neurobiology.

23 Jan 2020

Persistant industrial chemical modifies gut microbiome of mice

An industrial chemical -- phased out since 2002, but previously used in stain and water-repellent products and firefighting foam -- alters the gut microbiome of mice and could have implications for human health, according to an international team of researchers.

21 Jan 2020

Debate continues over donor sperm from deceased men

A new article published in the Journal of Medical Ethics continues to defend the concept of sperm donation from dead men, in order to improve sperm quality, and quantity. This would go far in addressing the current deficiency of donor sperm.

21 Jan 2020

Liver mesenchymal stromal cells could be a better option for many therapeutic applications

Mesenchymal stromal cells from fat tissue and bone marrow are widely used in therapeutic trials for their anti-inflammatory qualities, but new Mayo Clinic research finds that liver cells may be of greater value.

20 Jan 2020

Improved microfluidic brain chip can assess the effectiveness of cancer drugs in record time

The Akay Lab biomedical research team at the University of Houston is reporting an improvement on a microfluidic brain cancer chip previously developed in their lab.

17 Jan 2020

A controlled phage therapy to target drug-resistant pathogens

The fight against drug-resistant pathogens remains an intense one. While the Centers for Disease Control's 2019 "biggest threats" report reveals an overall decrease in drug-resistant microbe-related deaths as compared to its previous report (2013) the agency also cautions that new forms of drug-resistant pathogens are still emerging.

13 Jan 2020

Researchers provide first robust cell culture model for hepatitis E virus

Even though hepatitis E causes over three million infections and about 70,000 deaths each year, the virus has been little studied as yet.

13 Jan 2020

Genes determining the browning of white fat finds study

The fat cells of the body play an essential role in the storage of energy and its release when necessary. Research has shown that apart from energy storage, these adipocytes or fat cells also play a role in hormonal balance and metabolism-regulating hunger. A new study titled, “Systems-genetics-based inference of a core regulatory network underlying white fat browning”, was published in the latest issue of the journal Cell Report.

13 Jan 2020

Boston researchers develop novel approach to generate intestinal organoids in vitro

Boston researchers have developed a new way to generate groups of intestinal cells that can be used, among others, to make disease models in the lab to test treatments for diseases affecting the gastrointestinal system.

11 Jan 2020

Evolution of Antibiotic Tolerance Promotes Resistance to Combination Regimens

A new study suggests that the evolution of antibiotic tolerance requires further investigation if newly designed antibiotic treatments are going to be able to prevent drug-resistant infections.

10 Jan 2020

First in vitro system can help study early spine development in humans

More than 20 years ago, the lab of developmental biologist Olivier Pourquié discovered a sort of cellular clock in chicken embryos where each "tick" stimulates the formation of a structure called a somite that ultimately becomes a vertebra.

9 Jan 2020

ToxPoint article highlights alternative mechanism to bring focus to major issues in toxicology

The new year has brought with it advances to the Society of Toxicology's official journal, Toxicological Sciences, some of which are reflected in the January 2020 issue - Volume 173, Issue 1.

9 Jan 2020

New study analyzes how consumers use vapor and tobacco heating products

The way consumers use vapor and tobacco heating products can affect the levels of harmful and potentially harmful constituents they are exposed to, and a new study has analyzed how the use of these products compares with cigarette smoking.

8 Jan 2020

Patient care could be affected as health research faces a crisis

Health research faces a crisis that could impact on patient care, says a new report led by 10 prominent figures in the NHS and academia.

8 Jan 2020

New drug compounds thwart master regulator of tumor growth, metastasis

Scientists have developed new drug compounds that thwart the pro-cancer activity of FOXM1, a transcription factor that regulates the activity of dozens of genes.

7 Jan 2020

Ultra-processed food consumption linked to rising obesity epidemic in the U.S.

As food consumed in the U.S. becomes more and more processed, obesity may become more prevalent.

6 Jan 2020

Researchers study new immunogenic properties of already existing anti-cancer drugs

The world scientific community is waging a difficult and prolonged war on cancer. New research in the field of immunogenic cell death can extend the area of drugs application and ensure patients' protection from relapse after therapy.

3 Jan 2020