A stiff punishment for tumors In patients, tumor cells do not grow in isolation, and their behavior is regulated not only by their own biology but also by interactions with their microenvironment. A key part of the microenvironment is the extracellular matrix, which typically has a greater stiffness in tumors than in surrounding normal tissues....
Author: RMG
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Diffusion dynamics play an essential role in regulating stem cells and tissue development
Gradients of molecular signaling factors play an essential role in numerous events in embryonic development, from patterning limb and organ formation to the intricate shaping of the brain and neuroanatomical architecture. These gradients are a consequence of diffusion dynamics in tissues, and newly published work describes two vital aspects of these diffusion processes in tissue...
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Magic helps unmask how the brain works
Tricks and illusions, once the domain of magicians, are helping scientists unveil how the brain works. Here’s one you can try using a tabletop mirror. Place your left hand on the table in front of the mirror’s reflective surface and your right hand behind the mirror, about six inches away, where you can’t see it....
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Dementia: New substance improves brain function
The protein amyloid beta is believed to be the major cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Substances that reduce the production of amyloid beta, such as BACE inhibitors, are therefore promising candidates for new drug treatments. A team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has recently demonstrated that one such BACE inhibitor reduces the amount of...
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Trigeminal nerve stimulation shows promise for management of traumatic brain injury
Researchers at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and the department of neurosurgery at the Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, announced today that they have published a paper with research findings that could have implications for the treatment of many neurological conditions, including severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) traumatic brain injury (TBI) traumatic brain injury...
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A new insight into Parkinson’s disease protein
Abnormal clumps of certain proteins in the brain are a prominent feature of Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, but the role those same proteins might play in the normal brain has been unknown. Now, new research by UC San Francisco neuroscientist Robert Edwards, MD, has uncovered the role of one such protein, known as alpha-synuclein, which has...
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Negativity, be gone—new online tool can retrain your brain
Anxiety and depression can have devastating effects on people’s lives. In some cases, the mental disorders lead to isolation, poverty and poor physical health, things that often cascade to future generations. A new program at the University of Virginia is aiming to shift the rigid, negative thoughts that come with mental disorders. Take, for example, the...
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University of Colorado Cancer Center Paper Refutes the Idea that Mutations Cause Cancer
Writing today in the journal Cancer Research, James DeGregori, PhD, deputy director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center offers evidence that it is forces of evolution driven by natural selection acting in the ecosystem of the body that, in the presence of tissue damage, allow cells with dangerous mutations to thrive. James DeGregori, PhD,...
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Gold injections: Can they treat rheumatoid arthritis?
Gold treatments were one of the earliest treatments for rheumatoid arthritis going back at least 75 years. There is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Medications can slow down the disease, while complementary therapies can help people cope with the joint pain and stiffness, chronic fatigue, and other symptoms, such as low-grade fevers and dry skin and eyes. While gold...
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Dozens of US clinics are pushing dangerous unapproved stem cell therapy that promises to cure heart failure and costs thousands of dollars – but have no board-certified doctors
Researchers found 61 clinics are currently offering the treatment in the US They often charge thousands of dollars for procedures that are unapproved The procedures promise to cure heart failure, but only one center in the US has a board-certified cardiologist on staff Stem cell therapy isn’t approved to treat heart failure in the US,...