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Implanted robotic system stimulates tissue growth in stunted organs

An implanted, programmable medical robot can gradually lengthen tubular organs by applying traction forces -- stimulating tissue growth in stunted organs without interfering with organ function or causing apparent discomfort, report researchers at Boston Children's Hospital.

11 Jan 2018

Circadian rhythms could hold key to novel treatments for glioblastoma

Biological clocks throughout the body play a major role in human health and performance, from sleep and energy use to how food is metabolized and even stroke severity.

10 Jan 2018

Decorated cardiac stem cells could provide enhanced treatment for heart attacks

Although cardiac stem cell therapy is a promising treatment for heart attack patients, directing the cells to the site of an injury - and getting them to stay there - remains challenging.

10 Jan 2018

Researchers use a gene-editing complex to preserve hearing in animal model of progressive deafness

Researchers have developed a CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing complex that can be delivered directly into hair cells of the inner ear to prevent hearing loss.

21 Dec 2017

Researchers use RNA nanotechnology to program exosomes for delivering effective cancer therapies

A new study shows that attaching antibody-like RNA nanoparticles to microvesicles can deliver effective RNA therapeutics such as small interfering RNA specifically to cancer cells.

13 Dec 2017

Texas Biomed scientists develop new animal model that mimics key features of Zika infection

An alternative animal model that mimics key features of the Zika virus infection, including its lingering presence in bodily fluids, has been developed at Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio.

12 Dec 2017

SLU scientists provide promising approach in designing new drugs for DMD

In a paper published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports, Saint Louis University researchers report that a new drug reduces fibrosis (scarring) and prevents loss of muscle function in an animal model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), providing a promising approach in designing new medications for those suffering from DMD.

8 Dec 2017

Study identifies mechanism that could explain early link between sound input and cognitive function

Some expectant parents play classical music for their unborn babies, hoping to boost their children's cognitive capacity. While some research supports a link between prenatal sound exposure and improved brain function, scientists had not identified any structures responsible for this link in the developing brain.

7 Dec 2017

Study links canola oil consumption with worsened memory, learning ability in Alzheimer's

Canola oil is one of the most widely consumed vegetable oils in the world, yet surprisingly little is known about its effects on health.

7 Dec 2017

Specific protein negatively affects pancreatic cells and leads to cancer growth

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer and is currently very difficult to treat. However, the last few years have seen advances in the scientific understanding of how this cancer develops at a molecular level.

6 Dec 2017

Investigational ZPIV vaccine found to be safe and immunogenic in trial participants

The investigational Zika purified inactivated virus (ZPIV) vaccine was well-tolerated and induced an immune response in participants, according to initial results from three Phase 1 clinical trials.

5 Dec 2017

Study reveals gene linked to metastatic melanoma

A study by Craig J. Ceol, PhD, assistant professor of molecular medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, has revealed a protein active during early embryo development called GDF6 plays a primary role in metastatic melanoma.

4 Dec 2017

Innovative nanoparticle-based approach to fight myocardial infarction

How can damaged cardiac tissue following a heart attack best be treated with replacement muscle cells? A research team under the supervision of the University of Bonn is now presenting an innovative method on mice: Muscle replacement cells, which are to take over the function of the damaged tissue, are loaded with magnetic nanoparticles.

1 Dec 2017

Vanillin could prevent or reduce psoriatic skin inflammation

Small amounts of artificial vanilla extract, also known as vanillin, are in a wide range of products, from baked goods to perfumes.

29 Nov 2017

Synthetic cannabis-like drug found to be safe and effective in treating sleep apnea

A synthetic cannabis-like drug in a pill was safe and effective in treating obstructive sleep apnea in the first large multi-site study of a drug for apnea funded by the National Institutes of Health. The study was conducted at Northwestern Medicine and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

28 Nov 2017

New findings offer hope for children with aggressive brain tumors

Findings published in Oncotarget offer new hope for children with highly aggressive brain tumors like atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) and medulloblastoma.

28 Nov 2017

Treatment with endogenous protein can heal scarring in the lungs

The endogenous protein RAGE, which has usually been negatively associated with chronic inflammation and diabetic complications, plays a major role in the repair of DNA damage - and also appears to heal tissue damaged as a result of accelerated cell senescence.

27 Nov 2017

New mechanism in cancer cells to disarm attacking immune cells, study reveals

A new study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, identified a substance Gdf-15, which is secreted by pancreatic cancer cells and shields cancerous cells from attack by immune cells known as macrophages.

21 Nov 2017

Study identifies substance released by pancreatic cancer cells to disarm attacking macrophages

A new study by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute identifies a substance released by pancreatic cancer cells that protect them from attack by immune cells called macrophages.