A drug discovered and advanced by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Institute for Applied Cancer Science (IACS) and the Center for Co-Clinical Trials (CCCT) inhibits a vital metabolic process required for cancer cells’ growth and survival. Credit: Min Yu (Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC),USC Norris...
Post
New target for treating heart failure identified
Changes in cellular struts called microtubules (MT) can affect the stiffness of diseased human heart muscle cells, and reversing these modifications can lessen the stiffness and improve the beating strength of these cells isolated from transplant patients with heart failure, found researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. This Nature...
Post
Key cancer-fighting gene’s secret weapons revealed
The findings revealed that a special group of genes that function within the body’s normal DNA repair process were vital to the effectiveness of p53. This new information could help doctors to better identify patients with an increased risk of developing certain cancers. It could also help to develop safer, more effective treatments for patients....
Post
A new therapy proves effective against brain metastasis
A study published in Nature Medicine by a team led by Manuel Valiente, head of the Brain Metastasis Group at the Spanish National Cancer ResearchCentre (CNIO), shows that the administration of silibinin in patients with brain metastasis reduces lesions without causing any adverse effects. This preliminary trial provides proof of concept that this compound could be a new...
Post
Enzyme found to control formation of collagen carriers and inhibit collagen secretion
Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have identified an enzyme that controls how much our cells secrete collagen. As collagen imbalance is linked to a range of human diseases, the study provides clues to new therapeutic strategies. Moreover, the findings could facilitate efficient production of collagen for the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. IMAGE: ELECTRON...
Post
Post-stroke delivery of neurotrophic factor MANF promotes functional recovery in rats
Stroke is the most common cause of adult disability. This is due not only to the high incidence of stroke, but also because spontaneous recovery is often incomplete and no drugs are available that hasten recovery. Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor MANF is neuroprotective when administered before experimental stroke in rats. A massive immune response mediated...
Post
Drug may quell deadly immune response when trauma spills the contents of our cells’ powerhouses
When trauma spills the contents of our cell powerhouses, it can evoke a potentially deadly immune response much like a severe bacterial infection. Photo of Drs. Keith O’Malley, Patricia Martinez Quinones and Camilla Ferreira Wenceslau. Credit: Phil Jones, Senior Photographer, Augusta University A drug that cleaves escaped proteins called N-formyl peptides appears to reduce resulting...
Post
Mutation links bipolar disorder to mitochondrial disease
Mutations in the gene ANT1 may confer a risk for bipolar disorder through a complex interplay between serotonin and mitochondrial signaling in the brain. These two pathways have been separately implicated in bipolar disorder, but the link between levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin and mitochondrial dysfunction had not been established. Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Brain...
Post
Study identifies a link between antidepressant treatment resistance and inflammation
Researchers at Emory University have found that depressed patients who have not responded to multiple antidepressants exhibit evidence of increased inflammation. Findings were recently published online in the journal, Psychoneuroendocrinology. Levels of inflammation can be easily measured by simple blood tests, like C-reactive protein (CRP), readily available in clinics and hospitals throughout the U.S. Credit: Emory University...
Post
New light shed on mechanisms of paediatric epilepsy
Research by Cardiff University has uncovered the brain activity that underlies absence epilepsy, offering new hope for the development of innovative therapies for this disabling disease. Generalized 3 Hz spike and wave discharges in a child with childhood absence epilepsy. Credit: Wikipedia. Absence epilepsy—the most common form of epilepsy in children and teenagers—causes episodes of lack of...