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Immunotherapy side effect could signal improved control of kidney cancer

An autoimmune side effect of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) drugs could signal improved control of kidney cancer, according to a new study by researchers in UT Southwestern's Kidney Cancer Program (KCP).

2 Nov 2020

Temperature and humidity do not play a significant role in COVID-19 spread

At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, there were high hopes that hot summer temperatures could reduce its spread. Although summer didn't bring widespread relief, the connection between the weather and COVID-19 continues to be a hot topic.

2 Nov 2020

Two studies find age as a primary factor in melanoma treatment resistance

Age may cause identical cancer cells with the same mutations to behave differently. In animal and laboratory models of melanoma cells, age was a primary factor in treatment response.

2 Nov 2020

Researchers develop a unique method of identifying early signs of acute kidney injury

Researchers at the University of Liverpool have identified a unique method of identifying the early signs of a potentially serious condition known as Acute Kidney Injury (AKI).

2 Nov 2020

Is it safe to resume cruise operations? CDC issues safety guidelines

Nearly a year into the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, many countries are easing restrictions to rebuild their economies. At the same time, many industries are trying to return to a new normal, one of which being the cruise sector. Prior to the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and COVID-19, the cruise industry represented 2% of the worldwide travel and tourism industry.

2 Nov 2020

First-of-its-kind synthetic DNA vaccine designed against Powassan virus

Scientists at The Wistar Institute have designed and tested the first-of-its-kind synthetic DNA vaccine against Powassan virus (POWV), targeting portions of the virus envelope protein.

30 Oct 2020

Potential treatment might make tumors more responsive to immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapies, which empower patients' immune systems to eliminate tumors, are revolutionizing cancer treatment. Many patients respond well to these treatments, sometimes experiencing long-lasting remissions.

30 Oct 2020

Researchers report a novel approach to generate T-cells faster

Adoptively transferred T-cells can prolong survival and sometimes cure patients with advanced solid tumors. While promising, it can take months to generate the necessary T-cells to help these patients. Such slow speed makes this therapy impractical for most patients who need immediate treatment.

30 Oct 2020

Princeton professor selected to receive new award recognizing faculty innovation

Robert Prud'homme, professor of chemical and biological engineering at Princeton University, has been selected to receive the inaugural Dean for Research Award for Distinguished Innovation for the invention of flash nanoprecipitation, a method for creating nanoparticles that promises to improve the delivery of drugs throughout the body.

30 Oct 2020

Washing hands and Halloween candy can reduce COVID-19 exposure risk

New research shows that COVID-19 exposure risk from contaminated candy could be successfully mitigated both by washing hands and washing candy using a simple at-home method. A team of researchers published this work today in mSystems, an open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

30 Oct 2020

Beetroot peptide may be a good candidate for development of a drug to treat inflammatory diseases

In a recent study, a research group led by Christian Gruber at MedUni Vienna's Institute of Pharmacology isolated a peptide (small protein molecule) from beetroot.

30 Oct 2020

High Throughput Identification and Quantification of Breast Cancer With NMR-Based Metabolomics

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death among the female population globally, despite the ever-growing technology of early detection.

From Bruker BioSpin Group 30 Oct 2020

APS technique shows how SARS-CoV-2 virus camouflages itself inside the human body

Scientists using the Advanced Photon Source have discovered new insights into the ways the SARS-CoV-2 virus camouflages itself inside the human body.

30 Oct 2020

SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins can directly impact the blood-brain barrier

Like a key, SARS-CoV-2 - the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) - attaches to specific molecules on the host cell surface, opening gateways into the cell interior.

30 Oct 2020

Human immune system may play key role in shaping the microbiome composition

The gut is an unusually noisy place, where hundreds of species of bacteria live alongside whatever microbes happen to have hitched a ride in on your lunch.

30 Oct 2020

Penn State and Stanford University collaborate to develop two-hour sepsis test

One in three people who die in U.S. hospitals have sepsis, the body's extreme response to infection that can lead to multiple organ failure. Diagnosis can take up to five days, but death may take only hours from the initial onset of sepsis.

30 Oct 2020

RNI researchers to study the impact of excessive speeds on the human brain, body

Before the first Virgin Hyperloop ride takes off, the brains behind pioneering neuroscience research at West Virginia University will help ensure the health and well-being of its passengers and operators.

30 Oct 2020

Social threat can change a specific brain region

Our brains are wired to protect us from threats. For social animals like humans, threats often come from other members of our own species when there is conflict over food, mates, or territory.

30 Oct 2020

COVID-19 study: Researchers recruit frontline workers to identify asymptomatic individuals

Fifteen hundred frontline workers are being recruited for a yearlong study to find what percentage are positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, what percentage become positive and whether the antibodies they produce protect them from reinfection.

30 Oct 2020

SARS-CoV-2 load varies widely in the community and over time

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in October 2020 reports that there are large differences in the viral load in different communities. Moreover, the authors say that the cycle threshold values required to obtain a positive result for viral RNA by polymerase chain reaction may provide an early warning of an outbreak.

29 Oct 2020