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Removal of a critical enzyme may help cases of sepsis finds research

Scientists at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have shown that removal of an enzyme called the PH domain Leucine-rich repeat Protein Phosphatase 1 (PHLPP1) could help laboratory mice with sepsis in a model they had created for their experiment. The study titled, “PHLPP1 counter-regulates STAT1-mediated inflammatory signalling,” was published this week in the journal eLife.

15 Aug 2019

Count and location of moles on the body influenced by genetic makeup

A study published this week in the journal Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research has found that genes have a greater influence than previously thought not only on the number of moles you have but also where they are on your body.

14 Aug 2019

UC San Diego researchers win $9 million funding to identify cellular cause of type 1 diabetes

University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers have been awarded nearly $9 million to fund two multi-institutional research projects that use human pluripotent stem cells, CRISPR and human organoids to dissect beta cell defects and create a human cell model of type 1 diabetes aimed at identifying the elusive cellular actions leading to disease onset.

14 Aug 2019

Removing single enzyme improves outcomes in mouse model of sepsis

Sepsis occurs when the body goes overboard in its attempt to fight off an infection. Immune cells rush in, overreact and wreak havoc on tissues and organs, often resulting in organ failure and death.

14 Aug 2019

Researchers identify new transmembrane protein as chloride ion channel

In the human body the salt content of cells and their surrounding is regulated by sophisticated transport systems.

14 Aug 2019

Study shows how cervicovaginal microbiome can elicit resistance to chlamydia

The vaginal microbiome is believed to protect women against Chlamydia trachomatis, the etiological agent of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections in developed countries.

13 Aug 2019

Study sheds light on likely conserved functions of gammaherpesvirus microRNAs

The discovery of thousands of host mRNAs targeted by gammaherpesvirus microRNAs (miRNAs) could shed light on the biology of gammaherpesviruses and how these pathogens establish lifelong infections, according to a study published August 8 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Scott Tibbetts of the University of Florida, and colleagues.

From PLOS ONE 13 Aug 2019

DNA methylation may influence the effects of aspirin in patients with breast cancer

Women with a particular DNA feature may live longer if they take aspirin even before they are diagnosed with breast cancer, a new study found.

13 Aug 2019

Resistance to two critical antibiotics widely distributed in Southeast Asia

Resistance to two critical antibiotic types, one a "drug of last resort" when all others fail against some "superbugs," are widely distributed in Southeast Asia, raising the risk of untreatable infections, say a team of investigators led by Georgetown University Medical Center.

13 Aug 2019

Study unearths evolutionary history of antibiotic production and resistance

A study from McMaster University has unearthed new details about the evolutionary history of both antibiotic production and resistance and dates their co-emergence as far back as 350 to 500 million years.

13 Aug 2019

A newly-emerging species of C. difficile highly adapted to spread in hospitals

Scientists have discovered that the gut-infecting bacterium Clostridium difficile is evolving into two separate species, with one group highly adapted to spread in hospitals.

12 Aug 2019

New test may improve the ability to diagnose riskiest forms of HPV infection

Ninety-nine percent of cervical cancers are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). More than 200 HPVs, some of which are associated with varying degrees of cancer risk, complicate diagnosis and treatment.

12 Aug 2019

Study reveals surprising discoveries about poorly understood glioblastoma

Glioblastoma, a cancer that arises in the brain's supporting glial cells, is one of the worst diagnoses a child can receive. The grade IV, highly malignant tumor aggressively infiltrates healthy brain tissue, and most children die of the disease within one to two years of diagnosis, similar to adults.

12 Aug 2019

Novel dual approach can be a promising way to enhance cardiac repair

As a medical emergency caused by severe cardiovascular diseases, myocardial infarction (MI) can inflict permanent and life-threatening damage to the heart.

12 Aug 2019

UAMS Myeloma Center receives $542,486 grant from Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Brian Walker, Ph.D., with the Myeloma Center at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has received a $542,486, three-year grant from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to look at changes in the DNA sequence that effects the development and advancement of multiple myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells in the blood.

12 Aug 2019

Biologists discover the intricacies of 'on/off switch' that creates cell differentiation

A team of biologists has discovered how cells become different from each other during embryogenesis, a finding that offers new insights into genetic activity and has implications for better understanding the onset of disease and birth defects.

12 Aug 2019

Decoding abnormal touch sensitivity in autism spectrum disorders

The inability to tolerate light touch is a telltale feature of autism and one of the disorder's many perplexing symptoms. It has defied treatment, and its precise origins have remained somewhat of a mystery.

12 Aug 2019

Cells and organisms evolved complex biochemical circuits that follow control theory

In the last 150 years, engineers have developed and mastered ways to stabilize dynamic systems, without lag or overshoot, using what's known as control theory.

12 Aug 2019

Regular, moderate exercise appears to prevent development of physical signs of Alzheimer's

Moderate exercise is not only good for memory as people age, it also appears to help prevent the development of physical signs of Alzheimer's, known as biomarkers, in those who are at risk for the disease, according to research presented at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association.

10 Aug 2019