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New class of hydrogels can enable precise drug delivery

Hydrogels are commonly used inside the body to help in tissue regeneration and drug delivery. However, once inside, they can be challenging to control for optimal use. A team of researchers in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University is developing a new way to manipulate the gel -- by using light.

3 Jun 2021

Researchers detect Zika virus RNA in free-ranging African bats

A team of Colorado State University scientists, led by veterinary postdoctoral fellow Dr. Anna Fagre, has detected Zika virus RNA in free-ranging African bats. RNA, or ribonucleic acid, is a molecule that plays a central role in the function of genes.

3 Jun 2021

Study: Lung squamous patients harboring druggable mutations have lower median overall survival

Oncotarget published "Molecular characterization of lung squamous cell carcinoma tumors reveals therapeutically relevant alterations" which reported that unlike lung adenocarcinoma patients, there is no FDA-approved targeted-therapy likely to benefit lung squamous cell carcinoma patients.

3 Jun 2021

E6-specific inhibitors offer a unique, strategic approach for treating HPV-HNSCC

Oncotarget published "A high-content AlphaScreen™ identifies E6-specific small molecule inhibitors as potential therapeutics for HPV+ head and neck squamous cell carcinomas" which reported that the incidence of human papillomavirus-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma has increased dramatically over the past decades due to an increase in infection of the oral mucosa by HPV.

3 Jun 2021

Researchers are closer to unraveling the mystery of science behind regeneration

Many salamanders can readily regenerate a lost limb, but adult mammals, including humans, cannot. Why this is the case is a scientific mystery that has fascinated observers of the natural world for thousands of years.

3 Jun 2021

NCI grants more than $4.2 million to launch Cancer Epitope Database and Analysis Resource

Researchers are about to welcome a new one-stop shop for crucial information on how the immune system targets cancers.

3 Jun 2021

Newly developed spheroidal structure reproduces the microenvironment of tumors

Every tumor is different, every patient is different. So how do we know which treatment will work best for the patient and eradicate the cancer? In order to offer a personalised treatment that best suits the case being treated, a team of scientists led by the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, had already developed a spheroidal reproduction of tumors that integrates the tumor cells, but also their microenvironment.

3 Jun 2021

Single mutation to bat virus spike protein allows cell entry using human ACE2

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv by Kirchhoff et al. (May 31st, 2021) it is demonstrated that a single mutation to the RaTG13 spike protein results in significantly greater affinity towards the human receptor, indicating that the presence of a positively charged amino group at this position better facilitates interaction with the human ACE2 receptor, and helping to identify other viruses with zoonotic potential.

3 Jun 2021

European Virtual Institute receives award to explore brain circuits that underlie emotional behavior

A Marie Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network will explore the brain circuits that underlie emotional behavior thanks to funding of 4.5 million euros by the European Research Council.

3 Jun 2021

Experts offer plausible solutions to mitigate zoonotic risk associated with intensive animal agriculture

As early as the Neolithic period (circa 3900 BC), the domestication of animals likely led to the development of diseases including measles and smallpox. Since then, zoonotic disease has led to other major transnational outbreaks including HIV, Ebola, SARS, MERS, and H1N1 swine flu, among others.

3 Jun 2021

A study of the COVID fatality rates in India during waves 1 and 2

A team of researchers at the Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan estimated the underreporting factor for infections using publicly available data released by the Indian Council of Medical Research on the reported number of cases and national seroprevalence surveys.

3 Jun 2021

New research sheds light on the origins of synovial sarcoma

A new study published today in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, reports findings that may change the understanding of how synovial sarcoma develops and spreads.

3 Jun 2021

New study will help design better antibodies for potential treatments

Scientists are harnessing hard X-rays in the fight against cancer. A team of researchers, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, has used ultrabright X-ray light to determine how specific types of antibodies can tell the difference between different forms of a cancer-linked molecule.

3 Jun 2021

Tiny implant reverses diabetes in mice without requiring drugs

A team of researchers led by diabetes specialists and biomedical engineers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Cornell University has demonstrated that, using a miniscule device, they can implant insulin-secreting cells into diabetic mice.

3 Jun 2021

COVID-19 mortality in Israel and Europe after vaccination

The study, which appeared on the pre-print server, medRxiv*, confirms the potent efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination based on real-life public data in terms of protection against death.

2 Jun 2021

Hydroxychloroquine + Azithromycin therapy at a higher dose improved survival by nearly 200% in ventilated COVID patients

However, a fascinating new study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server suggests that such disappointment may have been both premature and unwarranted, based on a re-analysis of over 250 patients on invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) during the first two months of the pandemic.

2 Jun 2021