New research gives scientists a clearer picture of what is happening in the brains of people with Huntington’s disease and lays out a potential path for treatment. The study, which appears today in the journal Cell Stem Cell, shows that support cells in the brain are key contributors to the disease. “Huntington’s is a complex disease that is characterized by the loss of multiple...
Year: <span>2018</span>
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Stem cell researchers develop promising technique to generate new muscle cells in lab
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON To help patients with muscle disorders, scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have engineered a new stem cell line to study the conversion of stem cells into muscle. Findings appeared in Cell Reports. IMAGE: UTHEALTH STEM CELL RESEARCHERS, FROM THE LEFT, ARE NADINE MATTHIAS, DVM; JIANBO WU, PH.D.; RADBOD DARABI, M.D., PH.D.; AND...
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New drug seeks receptors in sarcoma cells, attacks tumors in animal trials
A new compound that targets a receptor within sarcoma cancer cells shrank tumors and hampered their ability to spread in mice and pigs, a study from researchers at the University of Illinois reports. Image: The new drug candidate, shown in green, fits precisely into the active site within the target protein, retonoid X receptor. Credit: Dipanjan Pan, University...
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Researchers give new insight to muscular dystrophy patients
New research by University of Minnesota scientists has revealed the three-dimensional structure of the DUX4 protein, which is responsible for the disease, facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). Unlike the majority of genetic diseases, FSHD is not caused by a protein that is missing or not functioning properly. Rather it is caused when a functioning, normal, protein...
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New two-in-one powder aerosol to upgrade fight against deadly superbugs in lungs
Purdue University researchers have developed a new approach to treating the fourth-leading cause of death worldwide – lower respiratory infections. Lung infections, often caused by multi-drug-resistant bacteria, are deadly because the ‘superbugs’ are resistant to all available antibiotics. Even worse, traditional systemic administrations of those antibiotics cannot reach the lung surface to kill the bacteria,...
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Blood test could lead to cystic fibrosis treatment tailored to each patient
Researchers at Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and colleagues, used a blood test and microarray technology to identify distinct molecular signatures in children with cystic fibrosis. These patterns of gene expression ultimately could help predict disease severity and treatment response, and lead to therapies tailored to each patient‘s precise biology. Findings were published in Physiological Genomics. “Our findings pave the way...
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‘Consider a number of factors’ before buying an at-home genetic testing kit
Direct-to-consumer laboratories now offer at-home testing kits that allow individuals to mail in a saliva sample and receive a variety of genetic test results. These at-home kits had an unprecedented year in 2017. According to MIT Technology Review, more people took genetic tests last year than in all previous years combined. Research has estimated that...
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What foods protect the liver?
The liver is responsible for breaking down carbohydrates, making glucose, and detoxing the body. It also stores nutrients and creates bile, which is necessary to digest and absorb the nutrients in food properly. There are many foods and drinks that a person can consume to help protect the liver. Liver health is vital for overall...
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New findings on concussion in football’s youngest players
New research from Seattle Children’s Research Institute and UW Medicine’s Sports Health and Safety Institute found concussion rates among football players ages 5-14 were higher than previously reported, with five out of every 100 youth, or 5%, sustaining a football-related concussion each season. Published in the Journal of Pediatrics, the study summarizes the research team’s...
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Hearing loss is a risk factor for premature death
December 12, 2018 — A new study links hearing loss with an increased risk for mortality before the age of 75 due to cardiovascular disease. Researchers at the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health found that mortality among those with hearing loss is elevated, particularly among men...