Particle-driven diseases sound exotic and include things like silicosis and asbestos, but actually also include much more common diseases like Alzheimer’s, gout and even atherosclerosis. A new report published online in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests a potential drug target for particle-driven diseases like these and many others. Specifically, the study reveals that particle-induced cell death...
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Barrier proteins in tumors are possible key to immunotherapy success
By comparing variations in protein expression in tumor samples from a single melanoma patient, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center say their findings have the potential to reveal some of the mechanisms underlying response or resistance to immunotherapy drugs. The “proof of concept” findings, published online Feb. 13,...
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New insight into how telomeres protect cells from premature senescence
Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have further uncovered the secrets of telomeres, the caps that protect the ends of our chromosomes. They discovered that an RNA molecule called TERRA helps to ensure that very short (or broken) telomeres get fixed again. The work, which was recently...
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New handheld scanner to give instant heart disease diagnosis
With worldwide cardiovascular deaths at an all-time high, European scientists have developed a new handheld scanner that can read your heart’s vital signs like a supermarket barcode reader can scan items at the checkout, allowing a GP to diagnose even preclinical patients for the early onset of a disease. According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular...
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Wrist Worn Wearable Measures Glucose, Cortisol, and Interleukin-6 from Sweat
Researchers at University of Texas at Dallas may have revolutionized diabetes management thanks to a remarkable new wrist-worn sensor that is able to continuously and accurately monitor glucose, cortisol, and interleukin-6 in perspired sweat for up to a week. These days, blood has to be drawn and levels of cortisol and interleukin-6 can only be measured once in a while...
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Toyota’s support robot helps paralyzed war veteran
Toyota has been developing industrial robotics since the 1970s but it wasn’t until 2004, with the announcement of its “Partner Robot” project that it started to move from the industrial and into the domestic. The company recently reached a new landmark in the project with the successful completion of the first North American in-home trial of the...
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Delaying lymph node biopsy after melanoma diagnosis does not affect survival rates
Postponing lymph node biopsy more than 30 days after melanoma diagnosis doesn’t adversely impact long-term clinical outcomes, according to new study findings published online as an “article in press” on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website ahead of print publication. Every year, about 87,000 people are diagnosed with melanoma, according to the American Cancer Society....
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A new weapon for the war on cancer
Cancerous tumors are formidable enemies, recruiting blood vessels to aid their voracious growth, damaging nearby tissues, and deploying numerous strategies to evade the body’s defense systems. But even more malicious are the circulating tumor cells (CTCs) that tumors release, which travel stealthily through the bloodstream and take up residence in other parts of the body,...
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Tumor Test Helps Identify Which Breast Cancers Don’t Require Extra Treatment
For years, doctors have focused on detecting breast cancer at the earliest possible moment after a tumor develops so treatment can start right away. But more and more studies are showing many small, early tumors don’t present a danger. So, when is it safe to remove a tumor but skip additional treatments like tamoxifen, chemotherapy...
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This New Gene-Editing Technique Can Spot CRISPR’s Mistakes
IN BRIEF Scientists have developed a tool that can test an entire genome against a CRISPR molecule to predict potential errors and interactions. This will allow doctors to ensure treatments are safer and more effective. EDITING THE EDITOR The CRISPR gene-editing tool is already in use by scientists all over the world who are racing to cure...