A new study suggests that T cells, which help the body’s immune system recognize friend from foe, may play an important role in Parkinson’s disease (PD). The study, published in the journal Nature, was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health. “This collaboration between...
Author: RMG
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Scientists regenerate retinal cells in mice
Scientists have successfully regenerated cells in the retina of adult mice at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. Their results raise the hope that someday it may be possible to repair retinas damaged by trauma, glaucoma and other eye diseases. Their efforts are part of the UW Medicine Institute for Stem Cell...
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Using CRISPR, scientists efficiently edit genome of viable human embryos
In a step that some of the nation’s leading scientists have long warned against and that has never before been accomplished, biologists in Oregon have edited the DNA of viable human embryos efficiently and apparently with few mistakes, according to a report in Technology Review. The experiment, using the revolutionary genome-editing technique CRISPR-Cas9, was led by Shoukhrat Mitalipov of Oregon...
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How genetically engineered viruses develop into effective vaccines
Lentiviral vectors are virus particles that can be used as a vaccine to stimulate the immune system to fight against specific pathogens. The vectors are derived from HIV, rendered non-pathogenic, and then engineered to carry genetic material into the body’s immune cells; the genes program the cells to fight specific pathogens. New research from the...
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Smart underwear proven to prevent back stress with just a tap
TV infomercials offer a world of potential solutions for back pain, but most of them have at least one of three problems — they’re unproven, unworkable or just plain unattractive. A team of Vanderbilt University engineers is changing that with a design that combines the science of biomechanics and advances in wearable tech to create...
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Over-the-counter devices hold their own against costly hearing aids
Hearing aids that can cost more than $2,000 apiece are only slightly more effective than some over-the-counter sound-amplification devices that sell for just a few hundred dollars, according to a recent study. The study bolsters legislation pending in Congress, which would have the Food and Drug Administration set regulations for cheaper over-the-counter products and is...
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This Is How We Will Reduce Anxiety In The Future
Stressed Out Every year, the world around us moves a little faster, and it’s easy to stumble and get stressed out as we try to catch up with it. Almost every fifth person in the United States has an anxiety disorder, costing the country more than $42 billion a year. Nearly half of those who suffer from...
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Increased α5β1 integrin could improve tumor cell-killing performance in geriatric patients
Research in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests increased α5β1 integrin can improve tumor-killing behavior by CAR-T therapy in the aging population A new report in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology describes an important step toward developing cancer treatments involving the body’s immune system. Specifically, chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy involves collecting white blood cells...
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Cell mechanism discovery could lead to ‘fundamental’ change in leukaemia treatment
Researchers have identified a new cell mechanism that could lead to a fundamental change in the diagnosis and treatment of leukaemia. A team in the University of Kent’s pharmacy school conducted a study that discovered that leukaemia cells release a protein, known as galctin-9, that prevents a patient’s own immune system from killing cancerous blood...
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Researchers release first draft of a genome-wide cancer ‘dependency map’
In one of the largest efforts to build a comprehensive catalog of genetic vulnerabilities in cancer, researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have identified more than 760 genes upon which cancer cells from multiple types are strongly dependent for their growth and survival. Many of these “dependencies,” the...