July 17, 2018 by Estelle Jones, University of New South Wales A study led by the Kirby Institute at UNSW supports evidence that treatment-as-prevention allows people living with HIV to have effectively zero chance of sexually transmitting the virus to others. Results from a large study of HIV transmission risk among homosexual male couples with differing...
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More data needed to determine safety of probiotics and prebiotics
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS Annals of Internal Medicine Tip Sheet Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. 1. More data needed to determine the safety of probiotics and...
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Protecting ribosome genes to prevent aging
AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY Aging is a process of gradual deterioration from exposure to time and the elements; this process begins with deterioration deep inside every cell. Researchers from Stanford University and the VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) have identified a protein that guards cells against senescence – aging-related problems...
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Modulation of anti-tumor immunity by the brain’s reward system
Abstract Regulating immunity is a leading target for cancer therapy. Here, we show that the anti-tumor immune response can be modulated by the brain’s reward system, a key circuitry in emotional processes. Activation of the reward system in tumor-bearing mice (Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) and B16 melanoma) using chemogenetics (DREADDs), resulted in reduced tumor weight....
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Virtual counseling helps lower blood pressure
People with high blood pressure who get on the information highway can avoid roadblocks in their cardiovascular health, according to new research. The study found that adding online counseling to medical therapy helped lower high blood pressure and the estimated risk of developing heart disease within the next decade. “Internet-based supportive lifestyle counseling does indeed...
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New platform poised to be next generation of genetic medicines
July 16, 2018, City of Hope A City of Hope scientist has discovered a gene-editing technology that could efficiently and accurately correct the genetic defects that underlie certain diseases, positioning the new tool as the basis for the next generation of genetic therapies. City of Hope’s Saswati Chatterjee (left), Ph.D., discovered a gene-editing technology that...
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New ALS therapy in clinical trials—drug extends survival, reverses some neuromuscular damage in animals
About 20,000 people in the United States are living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The invariably fatal disease kills the nerve cells that control walking, eating and breathing. Few people survive more than three years after diagnosis. Robert Bucelli, MD, PhD, measures Gregory Easter’s neuromuscular function. Easter, who has...
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Potential DNA damage from CRISPR has been ‘seriously underestimated,’ study finds
From the earliest days of the CRISPR-Cas9 era, scientists have known that the first step in how it edits genomes — snipping DNA — creates an unholy mess: Cellular repairmen frantically try to fix the cuts by throwing random chunks of DNA into the breach and deleting other random bits. Research published on Monday suggests that’s only the tip...
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Neurodevelopmental Disorders Involving Epilepsy Include Some Distinct De Novo Variants
Jun 25, 2018, | staff reporter NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Members of an international team led by investigators at the University of Leipzig Hospitals and Clinics have started characterizing the distinct de novo variants (DNVs) involved in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) that cause epilepsy symptoms. Using the DNV profiles of the members of 6,753 parent-child trios affected by diverse NDDs,...
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Targeting one hormone may help treat bowel cancer
By Catharine Paddock PhD Fact checked by Jasmin Collier Scientists in Spain have discovered a mechanism that promotes inflammation-related bowel cancer and could offer new treatment targets. The finding concerns the activity of the signaling protein p38 in the myeloid cells of the immune system and that of IGF-1, which is a hormone triggered by p38. Researchers...