The gut microbiome is a complex, interconnected ecosystem of species. And, like any ecosystem, some organisms are predators and some are prey. A new study led by investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Wyss Institute investigates the impact of bacteriophage, viruses that infect and kill bacteria. They find that phage can have a profound impact on the dynamics of the gut microbiome, not...
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New research could help predict seizures before they happen
by RCSI A new study has found a pattern of molecules that appear in the blood before a seizure happens. This discovery may lead to the development of an early warning system, which would enable people with epilepsy to know when they are at risk of having a seizure. Researchers at FutureNeuro, the SFI Research Centre for Chronic and Rare Neurological Diseases, hosted...
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How ultrasound could help curb Parkinson’s
By Catharine Paddock PhD Fact checked by Carolyn Robertson There are two major stumbling blocks to developing effective drugs for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other diseases that destroy the brain. The first is overcoming the blood-brain barrier, and the second is delivering the drug to a precise location and ensuring that it does not spread to...
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A precise look at Alzheimer’s proteins
by Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory A substance known as amyloid beta protein gets a lot of attention from scientists. Beta amyloid, as it’s also called, is a normal brain protein found in everyone, but for an unknown reason it gunks up in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, forming deposits that are the classic hallmark...
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In fluke experiment, espresso quells rare genetic disease
A lot of people say they cannot live without coffee, but for one 11-year-old boy living in France, that may be literally true. When his parents accidentally bought decaffeinated capsules recently, a rare genetic muscular disorder—which they knew could be held in check by two shots of espresso per day—flared up, provoking uncontrollable and painful...
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Engineers Create Cross-Linked Hydrogels to Lure Stem Cells Into Wounds
Hydrogels have become a popular material for new treatment strategies targeting a variety of diseases. They can deliver encapsulated therapeutic molecules, degrade in the body at a predefined rate, and can be biocompatible. However, each application requires the hydrogel to have appropriate strength, consistency, and the ability to carry growth factors or other molecules within itself....
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Improving breast cancer treatment
Oestrogen receptive positive breast cancer can be treated by drugs, such as fulvestrant, that interfere with the action of oestrogen. Although these drugs are often effective for a while, the cancer can frequently become resistant and the drugs stop working. In the trial, researchers investigated whether they could reverse or delay resistance to hormone therapy in post -menopausal women whose cancer had...
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Drug makes tumors more susceptible to chemo
Many chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells by severely damaging their DNA. However, some tumors can withstand this damage by relying on a DNA repair pathway that not only allows them to survive, but also introduces mutations that helps cells become resistant to future treatment. Researchers at MIT and Duke University have now discovered a potential drug compound that can...
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Unhealthy gut microbiome may make breast cancers more aggressive finds study
By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MD A new study from the researchers at the University of Virginia Cancer Center connects an unhealthy gut microbiome with breast cancer that can become invasive and spread to other organs faster. The results of the study were published in the latest issue of the journal Cancer Research. The study titled, “Pre-existing...
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Common acne drug could prevent artery hardening
By Catharine Paddock PhD Fact checked by Paula Field The depositing of calcium, or calcification, helps to harden tissues in the body. Tissue hardening is essential for healthy bone development, but it can cause health problems when it occurs in arteries. Stiff, or hard, arteries impede the flow of nourishing blood to tissues and organs. This...