Researchers at the University of Toronto and UC San Francisco have discovered that the intestine is the source of immune cells that reduce brain inflammation in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and that increasing the number of these cells blocks inflammation entirely in a preclinical model of the disease. The cells in question are plasma...
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Experimental treatment shows promise against triple-negative breast cancer
Mouse study illustrates the potential efficacy of Tinagl1 protein PRINCETON UNIVERSITY By simultaneously tackling two mechanisms for cancer’s growth, an experimental therapy reduced the spread of triple-negative breast cancer in a study conducted in mice. IMAGE: TREATMENT WITH RECOMBINANT TINAGL1 PROTEIN SIGNIFICANTLY SUPPRESSED LUNG METASTASIS, AS SHOWN BY THE BLUE ARROWS IN MICE WITH (RIGHT) OR WITHOUT...
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Study sheds light on the function of a long-mysterious PCSK9 mutation
Results build on developing model of new druggable PCSK9 interactor AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY High levels of low-density lipoproteins, parcels of lipids and protein that carry cholesterol, are a leading risk factor for heart disease. Many cholesterol medications lower LDL, some of them by targeting the protein PCSK9. In the January issue of the...
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Controlling neurons with light — but without wires or batteries
University of Arizona research reveals a more sophisticated method for delivering light to control neurons in the brain — which could ultimately mean turning off pain receptors or reducing the effects of severe neurological disorders UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING IMAGE: WIRELESS AND BATTERY-FREE IMPLANT WITH ADVANCED CONTROL OVER TARGETED NEURON GROUPS. CREDIT: PHILIPP GUTRUF University of Arizona biomedical engineering...
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A new glucose monitor for diabetics proves virtually painless and even more accurate
A more comfortable and reliable blood-sugar monitoring system is being designed by researchers in Sweden for people with diabetes. After successfully testing a prototype of a microneedle patch on a human subject, the completion of a system for clinical tests is now underway. Continuous monitoring is a way to safely and reliably lower blood glucose – giving the user...
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New compound shows promise in treatment of Alzheimer’s
Yale researchers have identified a drinkable cocktail of designer molecules that interfere with a crucial first step of Alzheimer’s and even restores memories in mice, they report Jan. 2 in the journal Cell Reports. The binding of amyloid beta peptides to prion proteins triggers a cascade of devasting events in the progression of Alzheimer’s—accumulation of...
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Clinical trial launches to develop breath test for multiple cancers
Researchers have launched a clinical trial to develop a breath test, analysing molecules that could indicate the presence of cancer at an early stage. This is the first test of its kind to investigate multiple cancer types. A cancer breath test has huge potential to provide a non-invasive look into what’s happening in the body and could help to find cancer early when treatment is more likely to be...
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Women’s wellness: Is endometriosis a risk factor for ovarian cancer?
Q: I just found out I have endometriosis, which my mother also has. She says endometriosis raises our risk of ovarian cancer, so I should have children early and then get a hysterectomy. What’s the real story? A: It sounds like your mother jumped to the wrong conclusion. Endometriosis and ovarian cancer are linked, but the relationship isn’t straight cause and effect. Although ovarian cancer occurs at higher rates in...
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Why two people see the same thing but have different memories
Does it ever strike you as odd that you and a friend can experience the same event at the same time, but come away with different memories of what happened? So why is it that people can recall the same thing so differently? We all know memory isn’t perfect, and most memory differences are relatively trivial. But sometimes they can have serious consequences. Credit: Shutterstock/Photographee.eu Imagine if you both witnessed a crime. What factors lead...
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Study shows dementia care program delays nursing home admissions, cuts Medicare costs
New research shows that a comprehensive, coordinated care program for people with dementia and their caregivers significantly decreased the likelihood that the individuals would enter a nursing home. The study also shows that the program saved Medicare money and was cost-neutral after accounting for program costs. The research, conducted at the UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia...