Tuberculosis Skin Test (PPD Skin Test): Results, Treating & Risks
Tuberculosis skin test facts Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) Procedure for Detecting Tuberculosis by McGraw Hill The tuberculosis skin test is another name for the tuberculin test or PPD test. The PPD test determines if someone has developed an immune response to the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB). Blood tests for TB are also available, and […]
Could diet modification make chemotherapy drugs more effective for patients with pancreatic cancer? Laboratory experiments, testing a ketogenic diet, lead to nationwide clinical trial
The findings of a new study suggest that a ketogenic diet — which is low in carbohydrates and protein, but high in fat — helps to kill pancreatic cancer cells when combined with a triple-drug therapy developed by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope. In laboratory experiments, the ketogenic […]
Eating protein from a greater variety of sources may lower risk of high blood pressure
Eating a balanced diet including protein from a greater variety of sources may help adults lower the risk of developing high blood pressure, according to new research published today in Hypertension, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association. Nearly half of the U.S. population has hypertension, or high blood pressure — one of the […]
T-cell responses may help predict protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in individuals with and without cancer: Results may inform future COVID-19 vaccine development
T-cell responses directed against the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were associated with protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection in vaccinated individuals with or without cancer, with lower T-cell responses observed in patients with blood cancers, according to results from a study published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. […]
Discovery could enable broad coronavirus vaccine
The COVID-causing virus SARS-CoV-2 harbors a vulnerable site at the base of its spike protein that is found also on closely related coronaviruses, according to a new study from Scripps Research. The discovery, published Feb 8 in Science Translational Medicine, could inform the design of broad-acting vaccines and antibody therapies capable of stopping future coronavirus […]
High protein diet may harm polar bears
A high protein diet appears linked to kidney disease and shortened lifespans for captive polar bears, a relationship similarly suspected in humans, according to a review led by Washington State University wildlife biologist Charlie Robbins. The paper, published in Zoo Biology, takes careful look at what zoos have fed polar bears revealing they mostly offered […]
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 […]
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 […]
Bifunctional Protein Shows Promise in HPV-Related Cancers
A bifunctional fusion protein with immunotherapeutic activity proved active in advanced, difficult-to-treat cancers associated with human papillomavirus (HPV), according to pooled data from two prospective studies. Overall, 21 of 75 patients had confirmed responses with bintrafusp alfa, which inhibits tumor growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and PD-L1 interaction with its receptor. Responses were durable in many cases […]
Researchers uncover the biology and treatment behind a rare autoinflammatory disease
The absence of a protein that activates the body’s antiviral defenses can cause a rare rheumatoid-like autoinflammatory condition that is treatable with an FDA-approved class of drugs known as TNF (tumor necrosis factor) inhibitors, a global research team led by Mount Sinai has found. The condition, which is now termed TBK1 deficiency, was previously known […]