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Researchers discover new details about several proteins implicated in cancer

Researchers from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have uncovered new details about several proteins implicated in tumor growth and metastasis, opening a potential avenue for the development of treatments for diseases such as breast cancer.

23 Oct 2019

High levels of dietary salt can activate a brain pathway to cause cognitive impairment

High levels of dietary salt can activate a pathway in the brain to cause cognitive impairment, according to a new study. The paper, which was published in Nature, shows that this effect is not due to a loss in blood flow to the brain as originally thought, but rather to clumps of a protein linked to several forms of dementia in humans.

23 Oct 2019

MIT neuroscientists find a way to reverse noise hypersensitivity in mice

People with autism often experience hypersensitivity to noise and other sensory input. MIT neuroscientists have now identified two brain circuits that help tune out distracting sensory information, and they have found a way to reverse noise hypersensitivity in mice by boosting the activity of those circuits.

23 Oct 2019

Discovery reveals why newer PD-1 targeted therapies sometimes fail

Researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute report a discovery that helps scientists understand why some tumors lack immune cell infiltration and are therefore unresponsive to newer PD-1 targeted therapies.

23 Oct 2019

New study indicates a way to improve cancer immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy drugs trigger the body's immune system to attack tumors and have revolutionized the treatment of certain cancers, such as lymphoma, lung cancer and melanoma. Yet, while some patients respond well to the drugs, others don't respond at all. Cancer immunologists want to change that.

23 Oct 2019

Mung bean protein supplement can improve physical strength without exercise, study shows

People have a number of reasons for adopting plant-based diets, from improving their health to concerns about animal treatment to a desire to minimize their carbon footprint. But there is one good reason to be mindful of how they do so: the possibility of becoming nutrient deficient.

23 Oct 2019

Findings point to potential interventions to improve preemie growth during high risk pregnancy

A study in humans and mice demonstrated that a fetus has its own microbiome, or communities of bacteria living in the gut, which are known to play important roles in the immune system and metabolism.

23 Oct 2019

Healthy behavior must be established earlier in life to improve health in old age

Reduced food intake helps both animals and humans to improve health in old age and can prolong life.

23 Oct 2019

New study on zebrafish may have possible relevance for heart regeneration in humans

In mammals, including humans, the heart muscle has a very limited capacity to recover after injury. After an acute myocardial infarction, millions of cardiac muscle cells, named cardiomyocytes, die, and are replaced by a scar.

23 Oct 2019

Study paves the way to successful pregnancies in fertility clinics

Struggling with infertility? You are not alone. Infertility affects one out of every six Canadian couples. Some resort to in vitro fertilization, with mixed results.

23 Oct 2019

Researchers discover new chemical weapon to fight against cancer

The fight against cancer involves eradicating cancer cells but current treatments inevitably have negative consequences on healthy cells.

23 Oct 2019

Discovery sheds light on TNFα protein's role in impairing memory in Alzheimer's disease

Otago scientists have made an important discovery in understanding the role a particular protein plays to impair memory in Alzheimer's disease, which could lead to more effective treatment in future.

23 Oct 2019

Anti-arthritis drug can stop tuberculosis bacillus from infecting blood stem cells

Immunologist Johan Van Weyenbergh (KU Leuven) and his Belgian-Brazilian colleagues have shown that a drug used to fight arthritis also stops the process that allows the tuberculosis bacillus to infect and hijack blood stem cells.

23 Oct 2019

Study links common chemical to rare birth defect in mice

A chemical commonly used in consumer and agricultural products to boost the effectiveness of insecticides has been linked to a rare birth defect in mice.

23 Oct 2019

Polymerized estrogen can protect nervous system cells and promote regeneration

Spinal cord damage that causes paralysis and reduced mobility doesn't always stop with the initial trauma, but there are few treatment options to halt increased deterioration -- and there is no cure.

23 Oct 2019

New CRISPR genome “prime editing” system

Gene editing to correct genetic faults and removing the risk of hereditary diseases may soon become reality. Researchers have come up with a new gene editing technology that could help patients with sickle cell anaemia and up 89 percent of other genetic defects.

22 Oct 2019

SEPATH: New template to detect oncogenic viruses and bacteria in human DNA

A new study from the University of East Anglia describes a novel approach to detecting bacteria and viruses that may possibly be causing cancer. Many such associations have already been found, such as HPV (human papilloma virus) infection in cervical cancer, and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in stomach cancer.

22 Oct 2019

New study identifies gene that causes intellectual disability syndrome

It used to take several years or sometimes decades to unequivocally identify the genes that cause rare human syndromes that affect very few individuals. Nowadays, however, human geneticists and fly and mouse biologists have the means to work together to integrate their data, which has significantly accelerated the pace of disease and gene discovery.

22 Oct 2019

Link found between unique brain cells and OCD, anxiety

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 1 in 3 people experience debilitating anxiety - the kind that prevents someone from going about their normal life.

22 Oct 2019

Neural mechanism could help explain how the brain creates memories of episodes

The memory of specific episodes is the base of autobiographical memory, but we do not know how the brain structures the experience to remember it in the long run.

22 Oct 2019