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New gold-based molecules more effective at killing cancer cells with fewer toxic side effects

Researchers have engineered gold-based molecules that target cancer cells and leave healthy cells unharmed, in a critical step towards precision cancer drugs with fewer toxic side effects.

6 Sep 2019

Researchers discover a molecule that regulates tumor development in different types of cancers

Researchers from the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, discover that a non-coding region of the genome originates a key molecule for the proliferation of tumors in breast cancer and some types of sarcoma.

5 Sep 2019

Simple urine analysis can be used to quickly identify brain trauma and expedite treatment

A traumatic brain injury is often easily suspected and can be confirmed and treated if necessary following an injury using a blood analysis, but scientists are reporting that even one mild blast to the brain can cause very subtle but permanent damage as well.

5 Sep 2019

“Mini Brains” in the lab show electrical activity similar to a preemie’s brain

Researchers have developed successfully mini brains in the labs which are essentially a cluster of brain cells perfused in fluids. These brain tissues are now showing electrical activity akin to real brain, explain the researchers and this is a path-breaking development in brain research.

29 Aug 2019

Traumatic brain injuries could be healed using peptide hydrogels

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) –– defined as a bump, blow or jolt to the head that disrupts normal brain function –– sent 2.5 million people in the U.S. to the emergency room in 2014, according to statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

27 Aug 2019

Researchers demonstrate the effectiveness of new bladder cancer treatment

Researchers from the Molecular Cancer group at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute and doctors from Hospital del Mar, have demonstrated the effectiveness of a drug for treating metastatic bladder cancer in patients who did not respond to the usual treatment.

27 Aug 2019

Remodeling unhealthful gut microbiomes with the help of synthetic peptides

You are what you eat - right down to the microbiome living in your gut. Diet can affect which microbes are in the intestinal tract, and research has shown that harmful gut microbiome changes can lead to illnesses such as heart disease, obesity and cancer.

27 Aug 2019

Ultrafast 3D printing technique for artificial tissues

Scientists have come up with a very rapid 3D printing technique for producing the most complex tissue forms in hydrogels which are loaded with stem cells, and then generating the growth of blood vessels in the resulting tissue mass.

26 Aug 2019

New bioprinting method takes just a few seconds to sculpt complex tissue shapes

Tissue engineers create artificial organs and tissues that can be used to develop and test new drugs, repair damaged tissue and even replace entire organs in the human body. However, current fabrication methods limit their ability to produce free-form shapes and achieve high cell viability.

26 Aug 2019

Sophisticated chip mimics the effects of osteoarthritis to develop effective drugs

A sophisticated chip the size of a coin in which cartilage can be cultivated and which can later be subjected to mechanical stress such that it generates the effects of Osteoarthrosis.

25 Aug 2019

Reliable response of cortical neurons amidst noise and chaos

Neurons communicate with each other by sending out rapid pulses of electrical signals called spikes. At first glance, the generation of these spikes can be very reliable: when an isolated neuron is repeatedly given exactly the same electrical input, we find the same pattern of spikes.

22 Aug 2019

Virginia Tech professor wins NSF grant to study biofilm formation in bacteria

Should I stay or should I go? This is a common question people ask themselves in their journey through life, but bacteria are also asking the same question.

22 Aug 2019

New cannabis-based drug shows promise for pancreatic cancer

Cancer of the pancreas is a particularly deadly cancer, claiming over 90% of its victims within 5 years from diagnosis. It resists most standard therapies, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy, and metastasizes early, often before being diagnosed. A cure is possible only with very localized tumors.

22 Aug 2019

Simple test could help diagnose glioblastoma

Scientists at the University of Sussex could be a step closer to developing the first-ever blood test to diagnose the most aggressive type of brain cancer, glioblastoma.

20 Aug 2019

FDA approves cold atmospheric plasma technology for first-ever use in clinical trial

Cold atmospheric plasma technology, currently the only way to remove microscopic cancer tumors remaining from surgery, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for first-ever use in a clinical trial.

20 Aug 2019

Study shows synergistic effects of drugs that inhibit cell division in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, with patients surviving on average less than a year once the disease has spread.

19 Aug 2019

Protein governing platinum-resistant ovarian cancer identified

The extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) protein is an important mechanism behind platinum-resistance in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, according to a study from a research team at the George Washington University (GW) Cancer Center.

18 Aug 2019

Simple technique to choose the sex of offspring by separating X and Y sperm

A simple, reversible chemical treatment can segregate X-bearing sperm from Y-bearing sperm, allowing dramatic alteration of the normal 50/50 male/female offspring ratio, according to a new study by Masayuki Shimada and colleagues at Hiroshima University, published on August 13 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology. The study was performed in mice, but the technique is likely to be widely applicable to other mammals as well.

From PLOS ONE 16 Aug 2019

Herpes treatment greatly improved by adding charcoal

A novel charcoal-based drug-delivery system to treat herpes infections topically shows greatly improved efficacy over conventional treatment. Here, the medication called acyclovir, commonly used for herpes infection, was combined with activated carbon particles.

15 Aug 2019

Scientists demonstrate an in vitro kidney model

Kidneys work to constantly filter blood and remove toxins from the body. Conditions such as chronic kidney disease are characterized by a reduced ability to perform this essential function.

14 Aug 2019