Major progress in curing brain tumors by blocking certain functions in cells with a docked molecule

The researchers’ molecule Z4P inhibits one of the mechanisms that regulate protein production in a cancer cell. This inhibition causes the cancer cell to die. Three pictures show the spread of the tumor after 20 days of treatment on mice. Control: Untreated tumor. TMZ: Follow-up treatment solely with chemotherapy. Combo:...

Read more...

Scientists discover that metabolic sensor may play role in Alzheimer’s disease

It's well-known that people with type 2 diabetes are at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, but the reason why isn't fully understood and is an area of current research. Now, scientists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have uncovered a novel mechanism that shows increased sugar intakeand elevations in blood...

Read more...

Phase I trial demonstrates first pharmacological treatment able to improve cardiac function in stiff-heart syndrome

Transthyretin-related cardiac amyloidosis is a progressive disease characterized by the deposition of amyloid protein fibrils in the heart. Amyloid fibril deposition thickens and stiffens the heart walls, and the disease is also known as stiff-heart syndrome. The accumulation of amyloid fibrils causes heart failure, and patients suffer from fluid retention,...

Read more...

New study shows noninvasive brain imaging can distinguish among hand gestures

Researchers from University of California San Diego have found a way to distinguish among hand gestures that people are making by examining only data from noninvasive brain imaging, without information from the hands themselves. The results are an early step in developing a non-invasive brain-computer interface that may one day...

Read more...

Investigation raises questions over lack of ‘substantial evidence’ for FDA approved antibiotic

Drugs approved in the US require "substantial evidence" that they are effective. But an investigation by The BMJ into the recent approval of the antibiotic Recarbrio from Merck suggests that these standards are being bypassed. Peter Doshi, senior editor at The BMJ, describes how US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientists had serious doubts...

Read more...

Researchers identify 10 pesticides toxic to neurons involved in Parkinson’s

Researchers at UCLA Health and Harvard have identified 10 pesticides that significantly damaged neurons implicated in the development of Parkinson's disease, providing new clues about environmental toxins' role in the disease. While environmental factors such as pesticide exposure have long been linked to Parkinson's, it has been harder to pinpoint which pesticides may raise risk...

Read more...

How do combat-related injuries and their treatments affect bone health?

Combat-related injuries to bone are common in military personnel and can lead to pain and disability. Results from a new study in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research suggest that amputations for such injuries may negatively affect bone mass. In the study of 575 male adult UK military personnel with combat-related traumatic injuries and...

Read more...