Related Science News

UCLA researchers have found that the extracellular matrix, the dense network of proteins and carbohydrates that surround a cell, can influence how cells move within the body by regulating their sugar consumption. The study shows that acute changes in a single component of the extracellular matrix can trigger a very […]

People with a form of heart disease called cardiomyopathy have abnormally short telomeres in heart muscle cells responsible for contraction, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. A telomere is a DNA sequence that serves as a protective cap on the ends of chromosomes. […]

A person’s brainstem controls some of the body’s most important functions, including heart beat, respiration, blood pressure and swallowing. Tumor growth in this part of the brain is therefore twice as devastating. Not only can such a growth disrupt vital functions, but operating in this area is so risky, many […]

A large genomic analysis has linked certain DNA mutations to a high risk of relapse in estrogen receptor positive breast cancer, while other mutations were associated with better outcomes, according to researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the Baylor College of Medicine and the University of […]

A natural plant compound exploits a newly identified Achilles’ heel in a cancer of the eye, uveal melanoma. In human cancer cells growing in the lab, the compound shuts down the overactive signaling that drives uveal melanoma cell growth, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. […]

research team led by USC scientists has developed a new way to identify molecular markers of breast cancer tumors, a potentially lifesaving breakthrough that could lead to better treatment for millions of women. Aided by machine learning, the researchers taught a computer to rapidly sort images of breast tumors to […]

New research by teams at UNSW and VIB-KU Leuven in Belgium shows that that in addition to its well-known role as a protein chaperone, heat-shock protein Hsp90 also stimulates exosome release. The findings – published in academic journal Molecular Cell – shed new light on treatment strategies for both cancer and neurodegenerative […]

For decades researchers have worked to shed light on the causes of neurodegenerative disorders, a group of devastating conditions, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, that involve the progressive loss of neurons and nervous system function. In recent years, numerous factors, from genetic mutations to viral infections, have been found to contribute to […]

A University of Virginia School of Medicine researcher is developing a two-fisted, antibody-based approach to destroying deadly ovarian cancer – an approach he believes could also be modified to kill breast, prostate and other solid tumors. The dual-pronged approach that Jogender Tushir-Singh is developing aims to overcome obstacles that have undermined otherwise-promising […]

A team of researchers from UZH and USZ has shown that in multiple sclerosis, it is not only specific T cells that cause inflammation and lesions in the brain. B cells, a different type of immune cell, also play a role. These cells activate T cells in the blood. This […]

To clump together and form living tissue, cells secrete molecules that create structure. But that structure isn’t always healthy, and understanding how it goes bad could reveal more about the way cancer develops. Those molecules, known as the extracellular matrix, do more than simply hold everything together. The extracellular matrix […]

Despite rapidly ageing, dominant animals live longer because their underlings are driven out of the group – becoming easy targets for predators. The secret of a long meerkat life is to be “ruler of your community… cracking down on would-be rivals,” say scientists. In many cooperative species, the dominant breeders […]

Researchers from UNSW Sydney and the California Institute of Biomedical Research (CALIBR) have demonstrated the success of a new, cell-based immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer. The treatment led to mice being completely cancer-free, including cancer cells that had already spread to the liver and lungs. The landmark study was published in […]

After an infected mosquito bite, malaria parasites travel from the bite site to the liver.  For that reason, the liver has become the target of numerous efforts to develop a potential vaccine. Currently there are no approved vaccines for people against any parasitic diseases, including malaria. Using a novel, liver-targeted […]

Dream-Kicker.com to offer donation-based, cryptocurrency support for cutting-edge regenerative medicine and medical equipment. NEGTEC, originator of the Sakura Bloom (SKB) cryptocurrency project, has announced a new donation-based crowdfunding service and SKB-based web portal to promote the introduction of cutting-edge regenerative medicine and medical equipment to hospitals. The portal, Dream-Kicker.com, will […]

Examining how the neonatal immune system changes has been difficult since the analyses are made from samples taken from the umbilical cord directly after delivery. Researchers have now exploited a new technique of immune cell analysis to monitor how babies develop for the first few weeks of life outside the […]

Clinical attention has long been paid to the fact that individuals with ADHD also demonstrate emotional problems, such as chaotic emotional responses, anxiety and depression. Yet the relationship between ADHD and impaired emotional regulation has not been identified, even if theories have been proposed that both conditions are rooted in […]

A new point-of-care rapid-sensing device can detect a key marker of eye injury in minutes – a time frame crucial to treating eye trauma. University of Illinois researchers developed a gel laden with gold nanoparticles that changes color when it reacts with a teardrop containing ascorbic acid, released from a […]

Heart failure is the most common reason for hospitalisation and causes much suffering. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, which is one of the two main types of heart failure, lacks scientifically proven treatments and more research is needed to understand how the disease develops and is to be treated. […]

Pathological heartburn and acid reflux affects 10-20 per cent of the adult population. Long and severe reflux is the strongest risk factor for cancer of the oesophagus (type adenocarcinoma), an aggressive cancer that is difficult to treat. Reflux is usually treated with medicine to make the stomach contents less acidic, […]

“Lego block” artificial cells that can kill bacteria have been created by researchers at the University of California, Davis Department of Biomedical Engineering. The work was reported in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. “We engineered artificial cells from the bottom-up – like Lego blocks – to destroy bacteria,” said Assistant […]

Clinicians should consider how the way we think can make us vulnerable to obesity, and how obesity is genetically intertwined with brain structure and mental performance, according to new research. The study, led by researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (The Neuro) and published in the Proceedings of […]

A previously ignored part of the intestine has turned into the key to its most crucial moment in embryonic development: the rotation that winds the small and large intestine into its familiar twisted form. Where and how this rotation is triggered is the subject of new research from Natasza Kurpios’ […]

The study, conducted by a team of scientists, including Professor Marcus Munafo and Dr Jorien Treur from Bristol's School of Psychological Science, who are part of the International Cannabis Consortium, is the largest to date genetic study to look at the use of cannabis. Researchers used data from the UK Biobank, association results from 23andMe […]

Hypoxia arises because tumours often grow faster than their blood supply, causing oxygen deprivation, which forces cancer cells to adapt — this makes their behaviour more aggressive and in turn leads to their spread around the body. The team sought to understand how cancer cells adapt to hypoxic conditions, with […]

It is well known that extended exposure to the sun’s UV rays can cause DNA mutations that lead to skin cancer. Now new research reveals that inflammation from chronic skin injury can trigger cancer-causing mutations as well by a totally distinct mechanism. The researchers – led by scientists at UC […]

Use of e-cigarettes every day can nearly double the odds of a heart attack, according to a new analysis of a survey of nearly 70,000 people, led by researchers at UC San Francisco. The research also found that dual use of e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes – the most common use […]

Early childhood seizures result from a rare disease that begin in the first months of life. Researchers at University of Utah Health have developed high-tech tools to uncover the genetic cause of the most difficult to diagnose cases. The results are available online in the journal Nature Genomic Medicine. “These tools […]

A drug called mogamulizumab significantly improved progression-free survival for patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, according to the results of a clinical trial published in The Lancet Oncology. The findings led to the FDA’s recent approval of the drug. “For patients affected by this debilitating disease, we can now offer a novel and effective treatment […]

It is a terrible situation when your life depends on others. But that is how a lot of people awaiting organ transplant are feeling. They are carrying a huge weight on their shoulders, waiting for a matching donor. A lot of people die before a suitable donor is found. But […]