A new antibiotic, produced by bacteria found on a species of African ant, is very potent against antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’ like MRSA according to scientists. Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the John Innes Centre (JIC) discovered a new member of the Streptomyces bacteria family, isolated from the African fungus-growing plant-ant Tetraponera penzigi. They have...
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Antibiotics could be alternative to surgery as treatment for appendicitis
A study by researchers at the University of Southampton shows that antibiotics may be an effective treatment for acute non-complicated appendicitis in children, instead of surgery. The systematic review of existing literature is published in Pediatrics. The condition, which causes the appendix—a small organ attached to the large intestine—to become inflamed due to a blockage...
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Encouraging signs for potential new antibiotic
A new antibiotic developed at the University of Plymouth is for the first time shown to be a viable alternative to established antimicrobials A study published online today (17 February 2017) in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, reveals strong evidence that the first in a new class of antibiotic is as effective as an established...
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Method Developed by Biomedical Scientists Could Help in Treatment of Several Diseases
UC Riverside researchers’ method measures the efficiency in real time of a processing pathway that plays an important role in protein formation in cells Sika Zheng is an assistant professor of biomedical sciences in the School of Medicine at UC Riverside. RIVERSIDE, Calif. – In cells, DNA is first converted to RNA, and RNA is...
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Researchers engineer new thyroid cells
Researchers have discovered a new efficient way to generate thyroid cells, known as thyrocytes, using genetically modified embryonic stem cells. Researchers have discovered a new efficient way to generate thyroid cells, known as thyrocytes, using genetically modified embryonic stem cells. The findings, which appear in the journal Stem Cell Reports, are the first step to developing...
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New studies unravel mysteries of how PARP enzymes work
(From left) Dr. Ziying Liu, Keun Woo Ryu, Dr. W. Lee Kraus, and Dr. Xin Luo led research studies that focused on how PARP enzymes function. A component of an enzyme family linked to DNA repair, stress responses, and cancer also plays a role in enhancing or inhibiting major cellular activities under physiological conditions, new...
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U.S. science advisory committee supports genetic modification of human embryos
Embryos could soon be edited—but there are some caveats. Ever since CRISPR—the relatively cheap and easy-to-use genome editing technique—made its way to the scientific stage, researchers have grappled with one of its biggest ethical quagmires: Its ability to edit human embryos, thereby potentially altering the DNA of subsequent generations. The question of whether to allow such a...
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Cancer-killing robots could one day be injected into our bodies and controlled using magnets to fight disease
The researchers can control the behaviour of each bot using magnetic fields Tiny magnetic screws allow the robots to move their limbs independently Scientists could inject the robots into the body to help fight a range of diseases Our bodies are full of immune cells that circle around the blood, ready to see off any...
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Salmonella 'can kill cancer': How bacteria that cause food poisoning could be used to attack tumour cells
A genetically-altered form of salmonella is being developed to combat cancer It would kill off the tumour cells while leaving the healthy cells alone The new strain would also help the body’s immune system target tumours The bacteria that cause food poisoning could be used to kill cancer, medical experts said yesterday. A genetically-altered form of...
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Role of rogue protein PAK4 confirmed in pancreatic cancer cells
A new study that confirms the role of a protein called PAK4 in the movement and growth of pancreatic cancer cells could help researchers find new ways to tackle the disease. The work, funded by national charity Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, uncovers new evidence that PAK4 plays a key role in enabling cancer cells to...