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Researchers uncover unexpected mechanism of glucose sensing in skeletal muscles

It's obvious that the taste buds on the tongue can detect sugar. And after a meal, beta cells in the pancreas sense rising blood glucose and release the hormone insulin - which helps the sugar enter cells, where it can be used by the body for energy.

5 May 2017

New research identifies immunotherapy targets to offer hope for early-stage lung cancer patients

Immunotherapy, which has achieved remarkable results in late-stage lung cancer patients, can also hold great hope for newly diagnosed patients, cutting the deadly disease off before it has the chance to take hold and offering a potential cure, according to a new Mount Sinai study published today in Cell.

4 May 2017

Discovery of signaling pathway offers new functional framework for treating schizophrenia

Neuroscientists at Tufts University School of Medicine have discovered a new signaling pathway that directly connects two major receptors in the brain associated with learning and memory – the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) and the alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (a7nAChR) – which has significance for current efforts to develop drugs to treat schizophrenia.

4 May 2017

Genetic study outlines path to personalize breast cancer risk assessment and treatment

Although the odds of developing breast cancer are nearly identical for black and white women, black women are 42 percent more likely to die from the disease. This mortality gap – driven by social and environmental, as well as biological factors – continues to persist.

4 May 2017

Molecular mechanism reprograms tumor cells to drive treatment resistance in advanced prostate cancer

Columbia University Medical Center researchers have discovered a molecular mechanism that reprograms tumor cells in patients with advanced prostate cancer, reducing their response to anti-androgen therapy.

4 May 2017

GW scientist awarded $1.7 million grant to understand mechanisms behind Hedgehog receptor

Among scientists specializing in the area, the mechanisms behind the signaling function of the Hedgehog (Hh) receptor pathway remain a mystery. Xiaoyen Zheng, Ph.D., assistant professor of anatomy and regenerative biology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, who recently received a $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health and National Institute of General Medical Sciences, is determined to learn more about the Hh pathway.

4 May 2017

Genetic findings may offer clues to accurate diagnosis and treatment of type 1.5 diabetes

Researchers investigating a form of adult-onset diabetes that shares features with the two better-known types of diabetes have discovered genetic influences that may offer clues to more accurate diagnosis and treatment.

4 May 2017

Breast-feeding may aid development of white matter structures in the brains of premature babies

To the growing list of reasons why mothers should consider breast-feeding infants, add another: Critical white matter structures in the brains of babies who are born so prematurely that they weigh less than 1,500 grams develop more robustly when their mothers breast-feed them, compared with preemie peers who are fed formula.

4 May 2017

International consensus addresses research bottlenecks to diagnose rare genetic diseases

A worldwide consensus co-authored by more than 40 scientists sets out ways to address research bottlenecks as the international community strives to diagnose most rare genetic diseases by 2020.

4 May 2017

Researchers develop hybrid nanomaterial for destruction of cancer cells

Most tumors contain regions of low oxygen concentration where cancer therapies based on the action of reactive oxygen species are ineffective.

4 May 2017

Disrupting the circadian clock can alter gut microbiome and the body's response to diet

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered that changing the circadian clock in mouse liver can alter how the body responds to diet and also change the microbes living in the digestive track.

4 May 2017

Researchers identify biomarker that could predict disease severity in glaucoma patients

Glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness worldwide, most often is diagnosed during a routine eye exam. Over time, elevated pressure inside the eye damages the optic nerve, leading to vision loss. Unfortunately, there's no way to accurately predict which patients might lose vision most rapidly.

4 May 2017

$New mutation predisposes patients under osteoporosis treatment to atypical femur fractures, study finds$

New mutation predisposes patients under osteoporosis treatment to atypical femur fractures, study finds

A team of researchers of the University of Barcelona and the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute have discovered a new mutation that has an impact on the bone so that it is vulnerable to the bisphosphonate, a drug used to treat osteoporosis.

4 May 2017

Study shows first removal of HIV-1 replication using CRISPR/Cas9, gene editing technology

A new study published in the journal Molecular Therapy reveals that HIV DNA in the genome of living animals can be removed to eliminate further infection. While a permanent cure for infection caused by HIV remains a challenge due to the ability of the virus to hide away in latent reservoirs. The study team comprising Wenhui Hu, Kamel Khalili, Laura H. Carnell, and Won-Bin Young carried out an experiment on three different animal models.

4 May 2017

Scientists identify how key skin barrier protein drives development of eczema

Scientists have uncovered evidence that a deficiency in the skin's barrier is key to triggering eczema. The team at Newcastle University, in collaboration with scientists at Stiefel, a GSK company, have identified how a key skin barrier protein called filaggrin impacts on other proteins and pathways in the skin, which in turn drive the development of eczema.

4 May 2017

Research findings reveal new approach to prevent age-related obesity

The function and distribution of adipose tissue in the body change during the course of life. Beige fat cells, a special type of adipocytes, have the capability to use energy reserves - fatty deposits - by generating heat in a process known as thermogenesis.

4 May 2017

Gene mutation may accelerate loss of memory and thinking skills in people with Alzheimer's risk

A gene mutation may accelerate the loss of memory and thinking skills in people who are at risk for Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the May 3, 2017, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The gene mutation is called the BDNF Val66Met allele, or just the Met allele.

4 May 2017

Discovery could help design better drugs to fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs

Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health threat. So much so that a 2014 study commissioned by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom predicted that, if the problem is left unchecked, in less than 35 years more people will die from antibiotic-resistant superbugs than from cancer.

4 May 2017

Neuroscientists take new approach to addiction research with focus on quantifying craving in the brain

A new article in JAMA Psychiatry details the first step in revealing how craving works in the brain. Scientists at the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas are the first to propose a systematic and quantitative model for drug addiction research.

4 May 2017

Walking intervention may reestablish protective neuronal connections in older adults with MCI

Could the initiation of a simple walking exercise program help older adults to reverse declines in key brain regions? A new study led by University of Maryland School of Public Health researchers adds more information about how physical activity impacts brain physiology and offers hope that it may be possible to reestablish some protective neuronal connections.

3 May 2017

Medical Science News

Researchers uncover unexpected mechanism of glucose sensing in skeletal muscles

New research identifies immunotherapy targets to offer hope for early-stage lung cancer patients

Discovery of signaling pathway offers new functional framework for treating schizophrenia

Genetic study outlines path to personalize breast cancer risk assessment and treatment

Molecular mechanism reprograms tumor cells to drive treatment resistance in advanced prostate cancer

GW scientist awarded $1.7 million grant to understand mechanisms behind Hedgehog receptor

Genetic findings may offer clues to accurate diagnosis and treatment of type 1.5 diabetes

Breast-feeding may aid development of white matter structures in the brains of premature babies

International consensus addresses research bottlenecks to diagnose rare genetic diseases

Researchers develop hybrid nanomaterial for destruction of cancer cells

Disrupting the circadian clock can alter gut microbiome and the body's response to diet

Researchers identify biomarker that could predict disease severity in glaucoma patients

New mutation predisposes patients under osteoporosis treatment to atypical femur fractures, study finds

Study shows first removal of HIV-1 replication using CRISPR/Cas9, gene editing technology

Scientists identify how key skin barrier protein drives development of eczema

Research findings reveal new approach to prevent age-related obesity

Gene mutation may accelerate loss of memory and thinking skills in people with Alzheimer's risk

Discovery could help design better drugs to fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs

Neuroscientists take new approach to addiction research with focus on quantifying craving in the brain

Walking intervention may reestablish protective neuronal connections in older adults with MCI

Exploring the nanoscale: How AFM is transforming cosmetic science

Innovating Texture and Culture in Plant-Based Foods

Advancing brain microphysiological systems (bMPS)

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