A new drug shows potential to halt cancer cells’ growth by stunting the cells’ biological clock. The photograph shows an enlarged view of human bone cancer cells, which stopped growing when a drug molecule, GO289, jammed their circadian rhythm. Results appear in a study in Science Advances. Credit: USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience The...
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Bacterial pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease: Study
Cortexyme, Inc., a privately held, clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing therapeutics to alter the course of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other degenerative disorders, today announced publication of a foundational paper supporting its approach in Science Advances. In the paper, an international team of researchers led by Cortexyme co-founders Stephen Dominy, M.D. and Casey Lynch detail the...
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In surprising reversal, scientists find a cellular process that stops cancer before it starts
Just as plastic tips protect the ends of shoelaces and keep them from fraying when we tie them, molecular tips called telomeres protect the ends of chromosomes and keep them from fusing when cells continually divide and duplicate their DNA. But while losing the plastic tips may lead to messy laces, telomere loss may lead...
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Old cells repair damage in the brains of multiple sclerosis patients
A new study shows that there is a very limited regeneration of cells in the brains of patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). These findings underline the importance of treating MS at an early stage of disease progression, when the affected cells can repair the damage, as they are not replaced by new ones. The...
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Small metabolites have big effects on the intestinal immune response
Gut microbiota such as lactobacillus produce lactate and pyruvate. These metabolites stimulate intestinal macrophages through the receptor GPR31, allowing macrophages to protrude trans-epithelial dendrites and take up pathogenic bacteria efficiently in the intestine. Accordingly, lactate and pyruvate cause enhanced immune responses to pathogenic bacteria and increased resistance to the infection. Credit: Osaka University For at...
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Long-Read Genome Assemblies Have Many Errors in Protein-Coding Regions, Study Finds
NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have found that three published long-read human genome assemblies — two from Pacific Biosciences sequencing data alone and one from Oxford Nanopore and Illumina data — contain considerably more errors in protein-coding regions than short-read assemblies. As a result, they suggested, more efforts should go...
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Teaching human cells to clean house to delay ageing and fight neurodegeneration
Monash researchers have unlocked a key process in all human cells that contributes to diseases like cancer and neurodegenerative diseases as well as ageing. The discovery reveals how cells efficiently get rid of cellular junk, which when it accumulates, can trigger death and the health problems associated with getting older. IMAGE: THE IMAGE SHOWS CELLS...
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Zinc deficiency may play a role in high blood pressure
Zinc deficiency is common in people with chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. People with low zinc levels are also at a higher risk for hypertension. The way in which the kidneys either excrete sodium into the urine or reabsorb it into the body–specifically through a pathway called the sodium...
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New kidney research sheds light on harms of certain drugs
Scientists have identified an enzyme that is a “master regulator” of kidney function that if excessively suppressed, can trigger renal failure. Their findings have implications for the use of existing drugs and the development of new pharmaceuticals. IMAGE: THIS IS A TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC PICTURE OF THE FILTRATION BARRIER OF THE KIDNEY- FOOT PROCESSES OF...
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Too many children with autism are let down by schools and end up in prison
For many young people, school can be a difficult place. And for some, it can be just about impossible. Negative experiences in school can have harmful long-term effects on pupils with autism spectrum conditions. Credit: shutterstock Official figures show that children, are increasingly being suspended or expelled from school because of “behavioural problems” – many...