In the largest study of its kind, cancer researchers analyzed and classified over 10,000 tumors from 33 cancer types to trace connections between different cancers. Typically cancers are classified by where they originate in the body–think breast cancer, stomach cancer, and so on. But a collaboration called the Pan-Cancer Initiative, launched in 2012 at a...
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New research sheds light on weight gain, stress and our circadian rhythms
A recent study sheds new light on why people gain weight from long-term stress and disruption to their circadian rhythms. It also helps to explain weight gain from the use of glucocorticoid drugs, which are often used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. For the first time scientists think they have a molecular...
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The absence of a single mitochondrial protein causes severe inflammation
The link between mitochondria and inflammation is still unclear. But it is known is that, for example, the accumulation of defective mitochondria, which should have been removed, causes inflammation. Scientists at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) headed by Antonio Zorzano, also full professor of the University of Barcelona and researcher in the...
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Exercise could outsmart genetics when it comes to heart disease
Exercise, especially cardio fitness, could outweigh genetics when it comes to heart disease, according to new research. The study, published Monday in the journal Circulation, showed strength and cardiorespiratory fitness lowered the risk for heart disease across the board – whether people were categorized with low, intermediate or high genetic risk. “Genes don’t have to determine destiny,” said Dr. Erik Ingelsson,...
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Personalised prescriptions according to your genetics
Angiotensin converting enzyme-inhibitors are commonly prescribed to patients with high blood pressure. In rare cases, this type of medication can cause severe, even life threatening, swelling to the head and neck area. Approximately half a million Danes are currently prescribed some type of ACE inhibitor to reduce their blood pressure. Worldwide, that number is around 40...
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How to use a baking soda bath
Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is a household staple with many different uses, including baking. Adding baking soda to a bath may help detox the body or relieve itching, irritation, or infections. In this article, we look at the benefits of a baking soda bath and how taking one may help. We also examine some...
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Stretchable Stick-On Ultrasound Patches Image Even on Curved Surfaces
Conventional ultrasound transducers are rigid devices that have to be held against the skin when imaging inside the body. The best results are achieved on smooth surfaces where contact between the transducer and the skin is the greatest. On curvy, moving surfaces, such as the knees, ultrasound visualizations are difficult. A team at the University...
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The ‘immuno revolution’: Turning up the heat on resistant tumors
A promising class of drugs known as CD40 monoclonal antibodies could be the spark needed to light the fire in the immune system of patients who don’t respond to the newer cancer immunotherapies. Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania and an internationally renowned cancer immunotherapy expert, makes...
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The relevance of GABA for diabetes is highlighted in two new studies
Dynamic interactions between the nervous system, hormones, and the immune system are normally on-going but in diabetes, the balance is disturbed. The two studies published in EBioMedicine by an international research team from Uppsala University highlight the importance of the neurotransmitter beta-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. GABA is synthesized by an...
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Analysis challenges link between pain medications and inflammatory bowel disease
Contrary to generally accepted belief, a recent review and analysis of published studies did not reveal a consistent association between the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or acetaminophen and exacerbation of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Nevertheless, when the analysis was limited to studies with a low risk of bias, three was a link...