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New CAR-based therapy using combined cancer target could be effective for solid tumors

Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), engineered from a patient's own immune cells, have been successful for treating blood cancers, but using CARs for solid tumors has been limited by side effects to normal tissues containing the protein targeted by the engineered cells.

22 Jun 2016

Inflammatory response to mosquito bites can help spread viral infections

Mosquito bite sites are not just itchy, irritating nuisances - they also make viral infections spread by the insects far worse, new research has found.

22 Jun 2016

New study reveals conversion of oral cannabidiol to THC by acidic fluids in the stomach

A new study demonstrating the conversion of oral cannabidiol (CBD) to the psychoactive component tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the presence of gastric fluids could explain why children given CBD to treat epilepsy had an unexpectedly high rate of adverse effects such as sleepiness and fatigue.

22 Jun 2016

VUMC researchers aim to decode genetic underpinnings of human immune system

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center this month began recruiting volunteers to participate in a clinical trial aimed at decoding the human "immunome," the genetic underpinnings of the immune system.

22 Jun 2016

Study shows how age-related inhibitory deficits can affect visual perception

Grandparents may be some of the best storytellers around, in the sense that they usually have plenty of stories to tell. What they're not always as good at, however, is staying on topic when they regale others with their tales.

22 Jun 2016

High fibre diet can help reduce food allergies

Eating a diet rich in fibre can actually shape the immune system to reduce allergies to substances such as peanuts, new research shows.

21 Jun 2016

Molecular map of transporter proteins could be vital step toward drug discovery against zinc-related diseases

Mapping the molecular structure where medicine goes to work is a crucial step toward drug discovery against deadly diseases.

21 Jun 2016

Food allergies linked to diet and gut microbiome

The development of food allergies in mice can be linked to what their gut bacteria are being fed, reports a study published June 21 in Cell Reports. Rodents that received a diet with average calories, sugar, and fiber content from birth were shown to have more severe peanut allergies than those that received a high-fiber diet.

21 Jun 2016

Study shows Alzheimer's disease can lead to diabetes

Drugs used to treat diabetes could also be used to treat Alzheimer's disease, and vice versa, according to new research from the University of Aberdeen.

21 Jun 2016

Experts use next-generation genetic sequencing to diagnose suspected brain infections

In a proof-of-principle study, a team of physicians and bioinformatics experts at Johns Hopkins reports they were able to diagnose or rule out suspected brain infections using so called next-generation genetic sequencing of brain tissue samples.

21 Jun 2016

New protein risk score may help predict cardiovascular risk in patients with CHD

In a study appearing in the June 21 issue of JAMA, Peter Ganz, M.D., of the University of California-San Francisco, and colleagues conducted a study to develop and validate a score to predict risk of cardiovascular outcomes among patients with coronary heart disease using analysis of circulating proteins.

21 Jun 2016

Study finds increase in pollen allergies among Swedish adults

The prevalence of pollen allergies among adults in Sweden has increased. However, the prevalence of allergies to furred animals, mites or mold has not. These were the results of a new study at Sahlgrenska Academy.

21 Jun 2016

Low mammographic breast density linked to worse prognosis in breast cancer patients

Even though dense breast tissue is a risk factor for breast cancer, very low mammographic breast density is associated with a worse prognosis in breast cancer patients.

21 Jun 2016

Highly efficient bacterial agent could improve treatment of Wilson disease

In the 'Journal of Clinical Investigation', scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum München describe a small peptide that very efficiently binds excess copper from liver cells. This molecule comes from a bacterium's bag of tricks and could be suitable for treating Wilson disease.

21 Jun 2016

Study links brain chemistry and fluid intelligence in living humans

A new study begins to clarify how brain structure and chemistry give rise to specific aspects of "fluid intelligence," the ability to adapt to new situations and solve problems one has never encountered before.

21 Jun 2016

Potential therapeutic approaches to combat chronic myeloid leukemia

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) develops through chromosomal alterations in blood-forming cells of the bone marrow and usually occurs in older persons. Around 20 percent of adults diagnosed with leukemia suffer from this type of blood cancer.

21 Jun 2016

Researchers identify 38 independent genomic regions linked to migraine

The results of the largest genetic study on migraine thus far were published online in the journal Nature Genetics today, June 20. The study was based on DNA samples of 375,000 European, American and Australian participants. Almost 60,000 of them suffer from migraine.

21 Jun 2016

Researchers identify new myosin kinase that could optimize heart contractions

The heart is the only muscle that contracts and relaxes continuously over a lifetime to pump oxygen-rich blood to the body's organs. Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center now have identified a previously unrecognized enzyme that could optimize contraction and lead to new strategies to treat heart failure.

21 Jun 2016

Maternal hypothyroxinemia may contribute to increased risk of schizophrenia in infants

A study published in Biological Psychiatry reveals a new link between low levels of the thyroid hormone thyroxine during pregnancy and risk of schizophrenia in the offspring.

21 Jun 2016

Scientists identify on/off obesity-induced switch to slow cancer progression

Having established that excessive fat tissue can fuel the growth of certain cancers, researchers have turned their attention to the molecular mechanisms involved in the process in the hopes of developing new cancer treatments.

21 Jun 2016