Researchers take first-ever cryo-EM images of nitrogenase in action: Atomic-level-resolution images may provide new pathway to ammonia production
Previously, it has been impossible to capture the high-resolution images of nitrogenase, the only enzyme capable of reducing nitrogen into ammonia, during catalytic action. Now, for the first time, researchers at the University of California San Diego report near-atomic-resolution snapshots of nitrogenase during catalysis using cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM). The results were published in the […]
Another PARP Inhibitor Active in BRCA-Mutant Prostate Cancer
A third of patients with previously treated BRCA-mutant metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) responded to the PARP inhibitor niraparib (Zejula), a prospective phase II study showed. The results showed that 26 of 76 patients with measurable disease had objective responses, 35 of whom had at least a 30% decrease in tumor size. An exploratory analysis […]
Development of fatty liver disease under a healthy diet
A new study identifies two genes, previously reported to be involved in cancer, as regulators of the metabolic state of the liver. Alterations in these genes influence the likelihood of developing fatty liver disease. The epidemic of obesity worldwide has increased the risk of accumulating fat in the liver, a preamble to liver inflammation and […]
Soils in old-growth treetops can store more carbon than soils under our feet
New research reveals a previously underappreciated way old-growth forests have been recycling and storing carbon: treetop soils. Branches in forest canopies can hold caches of soil that may store substantially more carbon than soils on the ground beneath them, and scientists are just beginning to understand how much carbon canopy soils — which exist on […]
Researchers discover unknown childhood genetic condition and its potential cure: Findings point to the possibility of treating and preventing birth defects before birth
Describing a previously unknown genetic condition that affects children, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine say they also found a potential method to prevent the gene mutation by administering a drug during pregnancy. The findings publish in the September 30, 2021 issue of The […]
River research reveals scale of macroplastic pollution
Plastic pollution clogs river systems for considerably longer than previously thought, new research from the University of Leicester shows. Macroplastics — or plastic litter more than 5mm in size — travel much slower through river systems than previously believed, at an average speed of less than 0.01 km per hour, and can remain in place […]
Two Ulcerative Colitis Biologics: Same Clinical Difference?
While infliximab (Remicade) and vedolizumab (Entyvio) were comparable for clinical remission in previously biologic-naive ulcerative colitis patients, infliximab was more likely to result in corticosteroid-free clinical remission as well as endoscopic remission, a post-hoc analysis found. At 1 year, a similar percentage of ulcerative colitis patients reached clinical remission from infliximab and vedolizumab (39.9% vs […]
PD-1 Inhibitor Boosts Survival in Treated Esophageal Cancer
Overall survival (OS) in previously treated esophageal cancer improved significantly with the anti-PD-1 drug tislelizumab compared to chemotherapy, a phase III, randomized trial showed. Patients randomized to tislelizumab had a median OS of 8.6 months as compared with 6.3 months for patients who received chemotherapy alone. A prespecified subgroup analysis of patients from Europe and […]