July 10, 2018 by Anna Williams, Northwestern University Two drugs that target different mutations showed encouraging results in treating leukemia, according to recent clinical trials published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and The Lancet Oncology. Bone marrow aspirate showing acute myeloid leukemia. Several blasts have Auer rods. Credit: Wikipedia Jessica Altman, MD, ’07 GME, associate professor...
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Synthetic surfactant could ease breathing for patients with lung disease and injury
July 9, 2018, Lawson Health Research Institute Human lungs are coated with a substance called surfactant which allows us to breathe easily. When lung surfactant is missing or depleted, which can happen with premature birth or lung injury, breathing becomes difficult. In a collaborative study between Lawson Health Research Institute and Stanford University, scientists have developed and tested a new...
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Vitamin D no defence against dementia
July 10, 2018, ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics New research from South Australian scientists has shown that vitamin D (also commonly known as the sunshine vitamin) is unlikely to protect individuals from multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease or other brain-related disorders. Stylised image of the brain. Credit: CC0. No attribution required. The findings, released today...
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Researchers cure type 2 diabetes and obesity in mice using gene therapy
July 10, 2018, Autonomous University of Barcelona A research team from the UAB led by Professor Fatima Bosch has managed to cure obesity and type 2 diabetes in mice using gene therapy. The research team at CBATEG (UAB). Credit: UAB A single administration of an adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) carrying the FGF21 (Fibroblast Growth Factor 21) gene, resulted in genetic...
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Mitochondrial DNA in exosomes is the alarm that initiates the antiviral response
July 10, 2018, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC) have provided valuable information about the defense mechanisms of the immune system during the early stages of the response to pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. The research findings, published today in Nature Communications, contribute to the understanding of the...
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New way to regenerate hearts after a heart attack
Researchers funded by the British Heart Foundation have identified how a new treatment in mice can regenerate the heart after a heart attack – preventing the onset of heart failure. IMAGE: THESE ARE NEW LYMPHATIC VESSEL GROWTH, SEEN UNDER A MICROSCOPE. During a heart attack, the heart is starved of oxygen and heart muscle is damaged. The...
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Altitude sickness drug appears to slow progression of glioblastoma
Acetazolamide increased sensitivity to treatment and enhanced survival in mice UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICAL CENTER A drug used to treat altitude sickness — as well as glaucoma, epilepsy, heart failure and seizures — may also offer significant gains for patients with a fast-growing brain tumor known as glioblastoma, according to a study published July 4,...
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Researchers discover llama-derived nanobody can be potential therapy for hard-to-treat diseases
Finding holds promise to advance targeted treatment for neurological diseases and cancer CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY Researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have found a nanobody that holds promise to advance targeted therapies for a number of neurological diseases and cancer. In a recent study published in Nature Communications, Sahil Gulati, of the Department...
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Discovery of a new on/off switch affecting cell-to-cell communications
A new study published in the prestigious journal Molecular Cell INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE – INRS Cellular functions rely on several communications networks that allow cells to rapidly respond to signals affecting the organism. A new study published in the prestigious journal Molecular Cell has revealed a mechanism that shuts down a major cell-to-cell communications...
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Crystal structure reveals how curcumin impairs cancer
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA – SAN DIEGO Through x-ray crystallography and kinase-inhibitor specificity profiling, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers, in collaboration with researchers at Peking University and Zhejiang University, reveal that curcumin, a natural occurring chemical compound found in the spice turmeric, binds to the kinase enzyme dual-specificity tyrosine-regulated kinase 2 (DYRK2) at the atomic...