Is energy the key to Alzheimer’s disease?
A team of researchers at the University of Adelaide has found a link between the way that cells produce energy for brain function and the mutated genes found in Alzheimer’s disease. The discovery published in Disease Models and Mechanisms has prompted further examination of the link as a fundamental, early driver of Alzheimer’s disease in […]
Immune memory less durable after severe COVID-19, study suggests: Researchers compared results in less-severe and severe COVID-19 cases one and five months after symptom onset
Infection-fighting B cells retain better memory of the coronavirus spike protein in University Hospital patients who recover from less-severe cases of COVID-19 than in those recovering from severe COVID-19, a new study suggests. Findings by scientists from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio were published Wednesday (Dec. 22) in the journal […]
For children, young adults with recurrent AML, immunotherapy shows promise: Natural killer cells could help young patients with few treatment options
An immunotherapy harnessing the immune system’s “natural killer” cells has proven effective in treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in some adults whose cancers return. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown, in a small clinical trial, that the same natural killer cells also can help some children and young […]
Novel immune cell population may trigger inflammation in multiple sclerosis and other brain disorders
A group of immune cells that normally protect against inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract may have the opposite effect in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other brain inflammation-related conditions, according to a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian researchers. The results suggest that countering the activity of these cells could be a new therapeutic […]
Targeted drug found effective in thwarting pancreatic tumors
Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease in which malignant cells form in the tissues of the pancreas, a long and flat gland located behind the stomach that helps with digestion and blood sugar regulation. Because pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect early, it is associated with a low survival rate, accounting for just over 3% […]
New findings on the link between CRISPR gene-editing and mutated cancer cells
A protein that protects cells from DNA damage, p53, is activated during gene editing using the CRISPR technique. Consequently, cells with mutated p53 have a survival advantage, which can cause cancer. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have found new links between CRISPR, p53 and other cancer genes that could prevent the accumulation of mutated […]
Diet trumps drugs for anti-aging and good metabolic health
A study comparing the impact of diet versus drugs on the inner workings of our cells has found nutrition has a much stronger impact. The pre-clinical study by the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre suggests the makeup of our diet could be more powerful than drugs in keeping conditions like diabetes, stroke and heart […]
For stem cells, bigger doesn’t mean better
MIT biologists have answered an important biological question: Why do cells control their size? Cells of the same type are strikingly uniform in size, while cell size differs between different cell types. This raises the question of whether cell size is important for cellular physiology. The new study suggests that cellular enlargement drives a decline […]
Obesity raises the risk of gum disease by inflating growth of bone-destroying cells: Findings may improve understanding of chronic inflammatory, bone-related diseases that develop alongside obesity, such as gum disease, arthritis and osteoporosis
Chronic inflammation caused by obesity may trigger the development of cells that break down bone tissue, including the bone that holds teeth in place, according to new University at Buffalo research that sought to improve understanding of the connection between obesity and gum disease. The study, completed in an animal model and published in October […]
Fat-secreted molecule lowers response to common cancer treatment
Leptin, a molecule produced by fat cells, appears to cancel out the effects of the estrogen-blocking therapy tamoxifen, a drug commonly used to treat and prevent breast cancers, suggests a new study led by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. The findings, published online Aug. 13 in npj Breast Cancer, could help explain […]