Scientists at the University of Dundee have carried out one of the most comprehensive studies into how immune cells sense and respond to their environment to fight infection and destroy tumours. UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE Scientists at the University of Dundee have carried out one of the most comprehensive studies into how immune cells sense and...
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Secrets of lung cancer spread found in patients’ blood and biopsies
by Cancer Research UK Early signs that a patient’s lung cancer may spread and become untreatable can be picked up in samples of their blood and tumour, according to a trio of papers published in Nature Medicine today. The three studies are all part of Cancer Research UK’s £14million TRACERx project, which aims to understand...
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Gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy safely preserves muscle function
by Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania A gene therapy being developed at Penn Medicine to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) successfully and safely stopped the severe muscle deterioration associated with the rare, genetic disease in both small and large animal models, according to a first-of-its-kind study from Penn Medicine researchers. The...
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Common genetic variant explains why immunotherapy often fails in Crohn’s disease
By Lois Zoppi, BAReviewed by Kate Anderton, B.Sc. (Editor) The reason why a commonly used range of drugs is not effective in some patients living with Crohn’s disease has so far not been identified. However, a collaboration between the University of Exeter, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust and the Wellcome Sanger Institute has discovered a genetic marker...
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New metabolic discovery may inform heart disease, diabetes solutions
Posted Yesterday Science may be inching closer to thwarting obesity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, as Cornell biochemists have uncovered a key step in how the human body metabolizes sugar, according to new research published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Martha S. Field, assistant professor of nutritional sciences, has further characterized this human metabolic pathway, by identifying two enzymes called sorbitol dehydrogenase (SORD)...
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Delivery system can make RNA vaccines more powerful
Posted YesterdayThis news or article is intended for readers with certain scientific or professional knowledge in the field. Vaccines made from RNA hold great potential as a way to treat cancer or prevent a variety of infectious diseases. Many biotech companies are now working on such vaccines, and a few have gone into clinical trials....
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Fruit flies live longer with combination drug treatment
Posted Yesterday A triple drug combination has been used to extend the lifespan of fruit flies by 48 percent in a new study led by the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Cologne, Germany, and the UCL. The three drugs are all already in use as medical treatments: lithium as a mood stabiliser, trametinib...
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Young adults of South Asian descent face higher risk of prediabetes, diabetes: study
by University of Toronto Compared to long-term residents, immigrants to Canada have a 40 percent higher risk of developing prediabetes, which is an early predictor of an individual’s likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes and associated illnesses, like heart disease. Researchers from the University of Toronto’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation in the...
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Blocking a hormone’s action in immune cells may reduce heart disease risk
by American Physiological Society Blocking the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR)—a protein that helps maintain normal levels of salt and water in the body—in immune cells may help reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by improving blood vessel health. The study will be presented today at the American Physiological Society (APS) Aldosterone and ENaC in...
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Scientists have identified the presence of cancer-suppressing cells in pancreatic cancer
by Nagoya University A research team led by Nagoya University has revealed that cells containing a protein called Meflin have a role in restraining the progression of pancreatic cancer, a type of cancer that is hard to treat with traditional anti-cancer drugs. The team has also shown that cancer progression can be limited by artificially...