Medical School News and Research

RSS

Scientists provide insights on immune evasion of metastatic cancer cells in lymph nodes

Lymph nodes are critical to the body's immune response against tumors but paradoxically, cancer cells that spread, or metastasize, to lymph nodes can often avoid being eliminated by immune cells.

20 Jul 2021

Specific subset of fibroblast cells could provide protection from debilitating lung disease

Single-cell RNA sequencing has revealed a subset of cells that could provide protection from a rare, but severely debilitating and fatal, lung disease.

16 Jul 2021

Brainless slime mold uses its body to sense mechanical cues in the environment

If you didn't have a brain, could you still figure out where you were and navigate your surroundings? Thanks to new research on slime molds, the answer may be "yes."

15 Jul 2021

Liver fibrosis might be treatable with selective immunotoxins

Chronic alcohol abuse and hepatitis can injure the liver and lead to fibrosis, the buildup of collagen and scar tissue. As a potential approach to treating liver fibrosis, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers and their collaborators are looking for ways to stop liver cells from producing collagen.

13 Jul 2021

Scientists are paving the way for cancer treatments with fewer side effects

In recent years, immunotherapy has revolutionized the field of cancer treatment. However, inflammatory reactions in healthy tissues frequently trigger side effects that can be serious and lead to the permanent discontinuation of treatment.

5 Jul 2021

Genetic treatment may provide a new approach to addressing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

For the first time, scientists have linked distinct patterns of genetic mutations with OCD in humans using genome-wide analysis.

29 Jun 2021

Researchers discover new way to improve absorption and brain delivery of medicinal cannabis

A team of researchers led by Curtin University has discovered a new way to improve the absorption rate of medicinal cannabis when taken orally, which could potentially be used to treat neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and traumatic brain injuries in the future.

21 Jun 2021

Gene therapy may be a safe and effective single-dose treatment for hypophosphatasia

A preclinical study led by scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys has established that AAV8-TNAP-D10--a gene therapy that replaces a key enzyme found in bone--may be a safe and effective single-dose treatment for hypophosphatasia (HPP).

8 Jun 2021

Consuming large amounts of daily caffeine may increase the risk of glaucoma

Consuming large amounts of daily caffeine may increase the risk of glaucoma more than three-fold for those with a genetic predisposition to higher eye pressure according to an international, multi-center study.

8 Jun 2021

Genetic editing tools stop the spread of Culex mosquitoes

Since the onset of the CRISPR genetic editing revolution, scientists have been working to leverage the technology in the development of gene drives that target pathogen-spreading mosquitoes such as Anopheles and Aedes species, which spread malaria, dengue and other life-threatening diseases.

From UC San Diego 31 May 2021

Study could help develop peptide siRNA carrier for human oral cancer

MUSC Hollings Cancer Center researchers are exploring the use of peptide carriers for the delivery of small RNA drugs as a novel treatment for cancer. The team's recent work, published online March 19 in the Molecular Therapy - Nucleic Acids journal, lays the foundation for developing a clinically relevant peptide carrier RNAi-based drug treatment strategy for human oral cancer.

25 May 2021

Gene expression signatures underlying microglia linked with amyloid plaque phagocytosis

Alzheimer’s disease is the most prevalent form of dementia distinguished by the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain.

24 May 2021

New projections can help support COVID-19 patients experiencing homelessness

A new study provides public health planning authorities with a method of calculating the number of COVID-19 isolation beds they would need for people experiencing homelessness based on level of infection in the city.

21 May 2021

Exposure to even low levels of lead can trigger epigenetic changes

A research team from Brazil and Portugal has identified a link between a microRNA (miRNA) and the presence of lead in an organism.

18 May 2021

Epigenetic changes drive the fate of a B cell

B cells are the immune cells responsible for creating antibodies, and most B cells produce antibodies in response to a pathogen or a vaccine, providing immunity.

14 May 2021

Food dyes may cause disease when the immune system is dysregulated

Artificial food colorants can cause disease when the immune system has become dysregulated, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai researchers report.

14 May 2021

New CAD technology may open up new frontiers in genome research

A new Computer Aided Design (CAD) platform for whole genome design is being launched by two pioneers in the world of biotech: Genome Project-write (GP-write) and Twist Bioscience.

13 May 2021

Phage display platform helps discover new antifreeze proteins

Mitigating and controlling the impact of ice growth is critical for infrastructure safety, preserving frozen cells, and improving the texture of frozen foods.

From The University of Warwick 13 May 2021

Access to nature increases people's physical activity and their overall health

Your local city park may be improving your health, according to a new paper led by Stanford University researchers. The research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, lays out how access to nature increases people's physical activity - and therefore overall health - in cities.

11 May 2021

Ulsan genome project reaches milestone of sequencing 10,000 whole genomes

UNIST and Ulsan City officially announced that their ambitious 10,000 Genome Project has finally reached the milestone of sequencing 10,000 whole genomes. On this day, they also held a declaration ceremony to commemorate the successful completion of the Ulsan 10,000 Genome Project, which was initiated in 2016 as part of the Genome Korea in Ulsan Project launched in 2015.

11 May 2021