Findings have implications for treatment of a variety of fungal infections, including the main cause of meningitis UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND As a world-renowned expert using intravital microscopy to observe fungal infection progression in live samples, Meiqing Shi, associate professor with the University of Maryland Department of Veterinary Medicine, continues to make new breakthroughs in the...
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What Causes A Rare Disease That Paralyzes Kids? Researchers Home In On A Virus
ALLISON AUBREY The condition strikes young children. It can start with run-of-the-mill virus symptoms, like fever or sniffles. But, then the kids lose control of their limbs, may have trouble swallowing or breathing, or even end up paralyzed. This terrifying experience happened to more than 570 families since 2014, whose children were struck with an...
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Immune Cell Identity Crisis: What Makes a Liver Macrophage a Liver Macrophage?
Posted Today Every tissue in the human body has an immune cell in it called a macrophage. Macrophages play important roles in the immune system’s initial response to bacteria, viruses and wounds. But beyond that, each tissue macrophage also has specialized functions, tuned to the needs of that particular tissue. For example, macrophages in the brain, called microglia, help support normal brain development....
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New capsule can orally deliver drugs that usually have to be injected
Posted Today Many drugs, especially those made of proteins, cannot be taken orally because they are broken down in the gastrointestinal tract before they can take effect. One example is insulin, which patients with diabetes have to inject daily or even more frequently. In hopes of coming up with an alternative to those injections, MIT engineers, working with scientists from Novo Nordisk, have designed a new drug capsule that can carry...
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Red Light Activated Cancer Drug Improves Treatment in Mice
OCTOBER 7TH, 2019 SIAVASH PARKHIDEH MEDICINE, ONCOLOGY Researchers from the City University of Hong Kong have developed a new, controllable cancer drug called phorbiplatin that only becomes active and potent after red light stimulation. Their work demonstrates that in the dark the cancer drug does not have substantial toxicity, but the drug is able to...
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Team discovers surprise contributor to multiple sclerosis
Cells that scientists have largely ignored when studying multiple sclerosis are actually key contributors to MS development, new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine shows. The discovery suggests new avenues for devising treatments and is a vital step toward finding a cure. Understanding Multiple Sclerosis Scientists had assumed that these cells, known...
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Researchers discover critical process for how breast cancer spreads in bones
Once breast cancer spreads to bone, treatment becomes nearly impossible. Breast cancer cells can lie dormant in the bone, often undetectable and able to escape typical treatments. Unfortunately, these dormant cells can awaken at any time to generate tumors. All of this combined makes it difficult to understand how the cells proliferate and how to...
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New test for thyroid cancer could prevent unnecessary surgery
by University of Texas at Austin Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Baylor College of Medicine have developed a new preoperative test for thyroid cancer that is faster and about two-thirds more accurate than the diagnostic tests doctors use today. Although more validation will be necessary before it can be used clinically, the new metabolic thyroid test shows promise for preventing thousands of unnecessary thyroid removals each...
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Treatment for ‘low T’ could someday come from a single skin cell, research shows
by University of Southern California USC researchers have successfully grown human, testosterone-producing cells in the lab, paving the way to someday treat low testosterone with personalized replacement cells. In today’s Proceedings from the National Academy of Sciences, scientists describe how they transformed stem cells into functioning Leydig cells—the cells in the testes that produce the...
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Atopic dermatitis: How allergens get on our nerves
INSERM (INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANTÉ ET DE LA RECHERCHE MÉDICALE) Dry skin, pain, and itching… Atopic dermatitis affects the everyday lives of nearly 20% of children, and up to 5% of adults. The condition can have a significant impact on the quality of life of these patients. Several studies have shown that genetic factors are involved in...