T cells are important fighters against disease. Immunotherapies are changing the outlook for many cancer patients. Drugs that block cancer cells from deflecting an immune attack are now routinely used to treat advanced skin and kidney cancers, and are showing promise in other types of cancer too. But cancers are complex and diverse – what works...
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Smoking decreases MAIT cells, implicated in the pathology of autoimmune diseases
New research published in the May 2017 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology provides another reason why smoking tobacco is harmful. In the report, researchers from Denmark show that smokers have reduced levels of mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, a cell type involved in autoimmune diseases. Not only does this information shed more light on the...
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First patient receives experimental immunotherapy for cancer
The experimental MG1MA3 virus used in this trial is derived from a virus called Maraba that was first isolated from Brazilian sandflies. It has been engineered to infect and kill cancer cells directly, while also triggering an immune …more A Hamilton patient is the first trial participant to receive a novel experimental immunotherapy treatment for...
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New insights on triggering muscle formation
Lorenzo Puri, M.D., Ph.D. Researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) have identified a previously unrecognized step in stem cell-mediated muscle regeneration. The study, published in Genes and Development, provides new insights on the molecular mechanisms that impair muscle stem cells (MuSCs) during the age-associated decline in muscle function that typically occurs in...
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Scientists turn human induced pluripotent stem cells into lung cells
This is Finn Hawkins and Katherine McCauley. Human lungs, like all organs, begin their existence as clumps of undifferentiated stem cells. But in a matter of months, the cells get organized. They gather together, branch and bud, some forming airways and others alveoli, the delicate sacs where our bodies exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide....
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Stem cells edited to fight arthritis: Goal is vaccine that targets inflammation in joints
Using CRISPR technology, a team of researchers led by Farshid Guilak, PhD, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, rewired stem cells’ genetic circuits to produce an anti-inflammatory arthritis drug when the cells …more Using new gene-editing technology, researchers have rewired mouse stem cells to fight inflammation caused by arthritis and other chronic...
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Study signals need to screen genes for stem cell transplants
Regenerative medicine using human pluripotent stem cells to grow transplantable tissue outside the body carries the promise to treat a range of intractable disorders, such as diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. However, a research team from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI), Harvard Medical School (HMS), and the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at the Broad...
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Does apple cider vinegar help people with diabetes?
For many years, apple cider vinegar has been linked with an array of health benefits. These have ranged from aiding weight loss to relieving cold symptoms. But does taking it help people with diabetes? The majority of the health claims around apple cider vinegar have yet to be supported by clinical research. However, evidence...
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Diabetes app forecasts blood sugar levels
First-of-its-kind, personalized glucose forecasting tool may make meal planning simpler for type 2 diabetes patients Columbia University researchers have developed a personalized algorithm that predicts the impact of particular foods on an individual’s blood sugar levels. The algorithm has been integrated into an app, Glucoracle, that will allow individuals with type 2 diabetes to keep...
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How broccoli helps beat strokes: Powerful daily pill that harnesses chemical in the vegetable will help protect patients against most damaging effects
Molecule called sulforaphane turns on a protective enzyme in the brain It removes dangerous free radical cells which have been linked to cancer May pave the way for thousands at risk to take a simple pill every day that minimises the most damaging effects of strokes A powerful daily pill that harnesses a potent chemical in...