Microscopy image showing vascular smooth muscular cells made from blood-derived induced pluripotent stem cells. The Scripps Research team found that a deleting genetic risk factor for coronary artery disease rescued the health of these cells. Credit: Baldwin lab/Scripps Research Over the past decade we’ve learned that billions of people carry a mysterious specter in their...
Year: <span>2018</span>
Post
Faster, cheaper test can help predict risk of metastasis in prostate cancer patients
The Next-Generation Copy Number Alteration (NG-CNA) assay can analyze small amounts of material to estimate metastatic risk, reports The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics ELSEVIER Philadelphia, December 12, 2018 – For men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer or patients previously treated, the risk of metastasis is a crucial determinant of whether to choose conservative management or...
Post
Maintaining the unlimited potential of stem cells
Salk scientists discover new protein complex that keeps embryonic stem cells at stage of fullest potential, a key to regenerative medicine SALK INSTITUTE LA JOLLA–(December 11, 2018) Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are the very definition of being full of potential, given that they can become any type of cell in the body. Once they start...
Post
Alzheimer’s drug may help battle antibiotic resistance
Dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria could soon be targeted with a drug initially developed to treat Alzheimer’s disease. University of Queensland-led research investigated the antibacterial properties of metal transport drug, PBT2. IMAGE: DANGEROUS ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT BACTERIA COULD SOON BE TARGETED WITH A DRUG INITIALLY DEVELOPED TO TREAT ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE. CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND Professor Mark Walker from UQ’s School...
Post
New insight into stem cell behaviour highlights therapeutic target for cancer treatment
Research led by the University of Plymouth and Technische Universität Dresden has identified a new therapeutic target for cancer treatment and tissue regeneration – a protein called Prominin-1. Dr Bing Hu. Credit: University of Plymouth Dr. Bing Hu from Plymouth’s Institute of Translational and Stratified Medicine (ITSMed), together with Dr. Denis Corbeil from the Technische...
Post
Lethal combination: Drug cocktail turns off the juice to cancer cells
A widely used diabetes medication combined with an antihypertensive drugspecifically inhibits tumor growth—this was discovered by researchers from the University of Basel’s Biozentrum two years ago. In a follow-up study, recently published in Cell Reports, the scientists report that this drug cocktail induces cancer cell death by switching off their energy supply. Image: Scanning electron microscopy image of a cancer cell. Credit: University of...
Post
Enzymes engineered to trap reaction intermediates
Many enzymatic processes involve a mechanism in which reaction intermediates are covalently attached to the enzyme’s active site. A strategy has been devised that enables mimics of these intermediates to be visualized. Andrew M. Gulick Enzyme structure and function are routinely studied by altering the DNA that encodes the enzyme, thus replacing specific amino-acid residues in the enzyme with other...
Post
Adrenaline fuels a cytokine storm during Immunotherapy
Attempts to boost the body’s antitumour immune responses can trigger a harmful inflammatory reaction called a cytokine storm. New insights into the mechanisms involved might help to prevent this problem. Many newly developed, potent cancer therapies aim to harness an immune response to target tumours1. However, a common problem with such immunotherapy approaches is the development of...
Post
Septin proteins act as cellular police to identify, imprison and kill ‘superbug’ Shigella
Ground-breaking discovery reveals new clues to stop the spread of deadly infections LONDON SCHOOL OF HYGIENE & TROPICAL MEDICINE Using state-of-the art technologies to image human cells and study infection at the level of a single bacterial cell, the research team, led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, has uncovered the strongest...
Post
Ingestible capsule can be controlled wirelessly
Electronic pill can relay diagnostic information or release drugs in response to smartphone commands MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY CAMBRIDGE, MA — Researchers at MIT, Draper, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have designed an ingestible capsule that can be controlled using Bluetooth wireless technology. The capsule, which can be customized to deliver drugs, sense environmental conditions, or both,...