MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER A phase 3 clinical trial (research study) of a targeted therapy called nirogacestat has found that the drug significantly shrank desmoid tumors in 41% of patients. Desmoid tumors (also known as aggressive fibromatosis) are a rare type of soft tissue tumor, and MSK has a team of doctors who are dedicated to...
Month: <span>March 2023</span>
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New biosensor reveals activity of elusive metal that’s essential for life
PENN STATE IMAGE: NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SHOWS THE STRUCTURE OF A NATURAL PROTEIN CALLED LANMODULIN, WHICH BINDS RARE EARTH ELEMENTS WITH HIGH SELECTIVITY AND WAS DISCOVERED 5 YEARS AGO BY PENN STATE RESEARCHERS. RESEARCHERS RECENTLY GENETICALLY REPROGRAMED THE PROTEIN TO FAVOR MANGANESE OVER OTHER COMMON TRANSITION METALS LIKE IRON AND COPPER. CREDIT: COTRUVO LAB/PENN STATE...
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Engineered bacteria find tumors, then alert immune cells
by Alan Dove, Columbia University Irving Medical Center Combination of CXCL16 and CCL20 synergizes to promote antitumor immunity. (A) Schematic overview of the approach to recruit DCs to tumors via CCL20 production in probiotic bacteria to complement activated T cell recruitment via CXCL16 (B) Tumor growth curves from C57BL/6 mice (n = 5 per group) subcutaneously implanted...
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Scientists describe how iron helps drive tumor development in colorectal cancer
by Michael Haederle, University of New Mexico TFRC is increased in human CRC and is positively correlated with the CTNNB1 protein expression. Detection of TFRC expression in human normal (n = 5–8) and tumor (n = 8) colon tissues by A) qPCR analysis, B) immunoblotting analysis and (C) quantification, and D) immunofluorescence staining and E)...
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Exploring how the brain senses infection
by Harvard Medical School GABRA1 neurons provide an airway–brain communication route. a, NJP ganglia of Gabra1-IRES-cre mice were injected bilaterally with Cre-independent AAV-GFP and Cre-dependent AAV-flex-tdTomato, and fluorescent axons were visualized (green: all NJP sensory axons; red: GABRA1 NJP axons) by immunohistochemistry for tdTomato and GFP in fixed coronal cryosections of mouse brainstem. Scale bar, 200 μm. b, NJP ganglia...
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Naturally occurring peptide may tackle the ‘root cause’ of obesity-related conditions
by University of Birmingham Credit: CC0 Public Domain Research published today in Clinical and Experimental Immunology shows that a peptide (small protein) called PEPITEM could provide a revolutionary approach to reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and other obesity-related diseases such as hepatic steatosis (fatty liver). The researchers used an animal model of obesity to investigate whether...
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Researchers discover the role of intestinal fibrosis in inflammatory bowel disease
by Massachusetts General Hospital Micrograph showing inflammation of the large bowel in a case of inflammatory bowel disease. Colonic biopsy. Credit: Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 3.0 Intestinal fibrosis is a common feature of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the primary cause of end-stage organ failure. Traditionally considered a bystander of inflammation, with negligible involvement in disease pathogenesis,...
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A new class of drugs could prevent resistant COVID-19 variants, study finds
by Yale University Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The constant evolution of new COVID-19 variants makes it critical for clinicians to have multiple therapies in their arsenal for treating drug-resistant infections. Researchers have now discovered that a new class of oral drugs that acts directly on human cells can inhibit a diverse range of pathogenic SARS-CoV-2...
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Fresh understanding of aging in the brain offers hope for treating neurological diseases
by Trinity College Dublin Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Scientists from the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI) have shed new light on aging processes in the brain. By linking the increased presence of specialized immune cells to conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and traumatic brain injury for the first time, they have unearthed a possible new...
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Clinical trial: Investigational anti-amyloid treatment started before Alzheimer’s symptoms did not slow memory loss
by Brigham and Women’s Hospital Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Preliminary results from a landmark clinical trial to prevent Alzheimer’s disease (AD) symptoms show that an investigational anti-amyloid drug, solanezumab, did not demonstrate a statistically significant slowing of cognitive decline associated with AD when initiated prior to the stage of clinical impairment. The Anti-Amyloid Treatment in...