Tag: new

Scientists test new cancer vaccine against melanoma

An experimental cancer vaccine that boosts the immune system’s ability to fight cancers could work in tandem with other cancer therapies to fight aggressive tumors, scientists reported recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers demonstrated that adding a molecule called Diprovocim to a vaccine can draw cancer-fighting cells to tumor

New mechanism activates bone-building cells in osteoperosis

The number of osteoporosis medications that promote bone formation are few compared to those that suppress bone resorption. A research group led by Kumamoto University scientists has discovered that the gene SIRT7 is important for bone formation, and has discovered a new mechanism to activate gene functions essential for bone formation. The researchers believe that

New clues found to understanding relapse in breast cancer

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 British Columbia. The knowledge could

New approach needed in the fight against superbugs

An international research team, led by Professor Peter Collignon from The Australian National University (ANU) Medical School, has found we need to take a much broader approach than simply focusing on antibiotic usage, when it comes to fighting the spread of “superbugs”. Superbugs—or strains of bacteria that have adapted after coming into contact with antibiotics—are

Mixed trends in teenage ‘new smoker’ rates in Europe

In most of Europe, the rates of smoking initiation among older teens have declined since the 1970s, while “new smoker” rates among younger teens have risen in recent years, according to a study published August 22, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by an international team of researchers involved in the Ageing Lungs in

UN warns of a possible new cholera epidemic in Yemen

The United Nations is warning of a possible “third wave” of the cholera epidemic in Yemen, which is already “the largest outbreak on record.” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Wednesday there have been more than 1.1 million suspected cases of cholera since April 2017, and the number is increasing. He said over 2,300 deaths have

New, Natural Pesticides Effective Against Mosquitoes: Study

MONDAY, Aug. 20, 2018 — A new class of natural-based mosquito repellents appears to be effective, researchers report. Each year, nearly 700 million people worldwide contract mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria, West Nile, Zika and dengue fever, resulting in more than 1 million deaths. Many mosquito species have become resistant to commonly used pyrethroid-based insecticides,

New imaging technique can spot tuberculosis infection in an hour

Guided by glowing bacteria, researchers have devised an imaging technique that can diagnose live tuberculosis in an hour and help monitor the efficacy of treatments. That’s particularly critical because many TB strains have evolved defenses against standard treatments. Jianghong Rao, PhD, a professor of radiology at Stanford who led the work, says that speedy TB

New information to understand regulation of muscle function in muscular dystrophy patients

Scientists from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, and from University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, have found new functions and structural details of muscle attachment structures. The research is important for the basic understanding of regulation of muscle function, for instance, in muscular dystrophy patients and for muscle adaptation in physical activity and sports. In multicellular

New approach to treating chronic itch

Researchers at the University of Zurich have discovered a new approach to suppressing itch by targeting two receptors in the spinal cord with the right experimental drug. In a series of experiments in mice and dogs, they successfully alleviated different forms of acute as well as chronic itch. For the chronic itch, current treatment options

Flip a switch and shut down seizures? New research suggests how to turn off out-of-control signaling in the brain

The brain is a precision instrument. Its function depends on finely calibrated electrical activity triggering the release of chemical messages between neurons. But sometimes the brain’s careful balance is knocked out of control, as in epilepsy. Electroencephalography, or EEG, visualizes a brain’s electrical activity and can reveal how an epileptic seizure diverges from the predictable

New 3D-printed device could help treat spinal cord injuries

Engineers and medical researchers at the University of Minnesota have teamed up to create a groundbreaking 3-D-printed device that could someday help patients with long-term spinal cord injuries regain some function. A 3-D-printed guide, made of silicone, serves as a platform for specialized cells that are then 3-D printed on top of it. The guide