By taking a high-cost drug with a low-fat meal—instead of on an empty stomach, as prescribed—prostate cancer patients could decrease their daily dose, prevent digestive issues and cut costs by 75 percent, according to a new study in the March 28, 2018, issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO). Abiraterone acetate, marketed as Zytiga, is...
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A moveable feast: Antibiotics give C. diff a nutrient-rich environment, no competition
Using a mouse model, researchers from North Carolina State University have found that antibiotic use creates a “banquet” for Clostridium difficile (C. diff), by altering the native gut bacteria that would normally compete with C. diff for nutrients. The findings could lead to the development of probiotics and other strategies for preventing C. diff infection. C. diff is a harmful bacterium that...
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There’s a Previously Undiscovered Organ in Your Body, And It Could Explain How Cancer Spreads
Ever heard of the interstitium? No? That’s OK, you’re not alone — scientists hadn’t either. Until recently. And, hey, guess what — you’ve got one! The interstitium is your newest organ. Scientists identified it for the first time because they are better able to observe living tissues at a microscopic scale, according to a recent study published in Scientific Reports, Scientists...
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Scientists identify a promising target for the treatment of heart failure
Stained heart sections from wild-type mice and knockout mice that do not express OMA1. Wild-type mice exposed to ISO, which induces heart failure, exhibited collagen lesions indicative of heart cell death (top right), while knockout mice Researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC) led by Dr. José Antonio Enríquez have described...
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Alzheimer’s: This protein may halt brain injury
Antibodies that can remove toxic protein plaques in the brains of mice may lead to treatments that halt the brain damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease. What role do antibodies (depicted here) have in treating Alzheimer’s? This was the conclusion that researchers came to after investigating antibodies that target the apolipoprotein E (APOE) protein in a...
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Ibuprofen could stop Alzheimer’s, say researchers
You may have taken ibuprofen today, be it to ease a headache or alleviate back pain. But there might be more to this common medication than pain relief; a new paper suggests that a daily dose of ibuprofen could prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers say that ibuprofen could ward off Alzheimer’s if taken every day. Led...
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Test for antibiotic associated kidney damage in children with cystic fibrosis identified
New research, published in Nature Scientific Reports, conducted by the University and partners highlights effective methods for identifying a common side effect in children receiving drug treatments for Cystic fibrosis. The genetic disorder, cystic fibrosis (CF) is characterized by secondary bacterial lung infections, often by a specific resistant bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antibiotics known as aminoglycosides have good efficacy...
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University of Cincinnati researcher receives US patent for potential COPD treatment
A researcher in the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine has been granted a U.S. patent for a potential treatment for a pulmonary infection in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The treatment, known as AB569, was developed in the lab of Daniel Hassett, Ph.D., a professor in the...
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Drug compound shows promise against rheumatoid arthritis
Scientists have designed a new drug compound that dials down inflammation, suggesting possible future uses against autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis. The new inhibitor is more selective than other compounds designed to target the same inflammatory pathway, according to new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Such precision, along with...
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Study finds the frequency of alpha brain waves could be used to assess a person’s predisposition to pain
The personal experience of pain is highly variable among individuals, even in instances where the underlying injury is assessed to be identical. Credit: University of Birmingham The frequency of alpha brain waves can be used as a measure of an individual’s vulnerability to developing and experiencing pain, researchers at the University of Birmingham in the...