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Genes involved in spinal cord repair of lamprey also present in mammals, study reveals

Many of the genes involved in natural repair of the injured spinal cord of the lamprey are also active in the repair of the peripheral nervous system in mammals, according to a study by a collaborative group of scientists at the Marine Biological Laboratory and other institutions.

16 Jan 2018

Early influenza testing is critical to prevent serious complications

Flu season began early in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York, with already 1,200 laboratory confirmed cases of the flu reported to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health since the start of October, compared with the 300 cases reported last year at this time.

16 Jan 2018

Lamprey genes provide clues to repair spinal cord damage, finds study

Researchers have found that several genes within an ancient species of fish can be used to provide clues in the treatment of spinal cord damage. The study titled, “Highly Conserved Molecular Pathways, Including Wnt Signaling, Promote Functional Recovery from Spinal Cord Injury in Lampreys,” appeared in the latest issue of the journal Scientific Reports.

15 Jan 2018

Scientists describe groundbreaking training effect on the innate immune system

"Training" of precursors of white blood cells leads to a sustained positive response of the hematopoietic system. This effect could help accelerate the formation of new white blood cells, which are vitally needed during chemotherapy, a process that can slow down hematopoiesis.

15 Jan 2018

Research sheds new light on genetic, environmental factors that promote prostate cancer metastasis

Prostate tumors tend to be what scientists call "indolent" - so slow-growing and self-contained that many affected men die with prostate cancer, not of it. But for the percentage of men whose prostate tumors metastasize, the disease is invariably fatal.

15 Jan 2018

Jotting down tasks may ease falling asleep, study says

A new study conducted at Baylor University suggests that writing a "to-do" list at bedtime may help people to fall asleep.

15 Jan 2018

Caltech researchers develop new method to see neural connections in living flies

The human brain is composed of billions of neurons wired together in intricate webs and communicating through electrical pulses and chemical signals.

12 Jan 2018

U.S. FDA approves first drug for patients with germline BRCA-mutated metastatic breast cancer

AstraZeneca and Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved LYNPARZA (olaparib) for use in patients with deleterious or suspected deleterious germline BRCA-mutated (gBRCAm), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative metastatic breast cancer who have been previously treated with chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant or metastatic setting.

12 Jan 2018

Discovery suggests new approach for targeting most-wanted molecular culprits in cancer

A discovery by scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center presents drug developers with an entirely new tack in targeting one of the most-wanted molecular culprits in cancer.

12 Jan 2018

Prostate cancer’s gene-determined ‘immune landscape’ dictates tumor progression

The field of immunotherapy - the harnessing of patients' own immune systems to fend off cancer - is revolutionizing cancer treatment today. However, clinical trials often show marked improvements in only small subsets of patients, suggesting that as-yet unidentified variations among tumors result in distinct paths of disease progression and response to therapy.

12 Jan 2018

New drug candidates may offer breakthrough in treatment of COPD

The study was a cooperative effort between the team headed by assistant professor Dr Jürgen Knobloch from the Medical Clinic III for Pneumology, Sleep and Respiratory Medicine at the Bergmannsheil University Hospital in Bochum, Germany, and Prof Dr Andrea Koch, member of the German Center for Lung Research, previously in Bochum, now at the Medical Clinic V for Pneumology at the LMU University Hospital in Munich, as well as a team from the company RespiVert Ltd, a subsidiary of Janssen Biotech Inc., and Prof Dr Erich Stoelben from the Lung Clinic in Köln-Merheim.

12 Jan 2018

Research provides insights into mechanisms governing healthy longevity

Keio University Global Research Institute, Tokyo publishes the January 2018 issue of KGRI Research Frontiers that includes researcher video profiles of Keio University researchers and research highlights from high impact publications including 'Regenerative medicine needs collaboration in and out of science in order to face current and future challenges; ‘Does eating fish protect you from depression?’; ‘Insights into the molecular mechanisms leading to kidney dysfunction in diabetic patients’; and ‘Ageing to 100 and beyond: Insights from demographic, phenotypic and genetic studies.

12 Jan 2018

Novel antifungal shows promise to stave off drug-resistant superbugs

Microscopic yeast have been wreaking havoc in hospitals around the world- creeping into catheters, ventilator tubes, and IV lines- and causing deadly invasive infection.

11 Jan 2018

Insilico Medicine develops new deep-learning based hematological human aging clock

Today, Insilico Medicine, Inc., a Baltimore-based company specializing in the application of artificial intelligence for drug discovery, biomarker development and aging research, announced a publication of a research paper titled "Population-specific biomarkers of human aging: a big data study using South Korean, Canadian and Eastern-European patient populations" in The Journal of Gerontology.

11 Jan 2018

Computer model based on AI improves analysis of kidney biopsies

The ability to quantify the extent of kidney damage and predict the life remaining in the kidney, using an image obtained at the time when a patient visits the hospital for a kidney biopsy, now is possible using a computer model based on artificial intelligence.

11 Jan 2018

CAP releases new guideline for HPV testing in patients with head and neck cancers

Certain head and neck cancers that are positive for high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) have a better prognosis and may need less aggressive treatment.

11 Jan 2018

Elevated levels of inflammation marker linked to lower muscle mass

Elevated levels of the inflammation marker CRP in the blood is an underlying cause of the loss of muscle mass in elderly persons, as shown by a new study from örebro University and University of Nottingham.

11 Jan 2018

Implanted robotic system stimulates tissue growth in stunted organs

An implanted, programmable medical robot can gradually lengthen tubular organs by applying traction forces -- stimulating tissue growth in stunted organs without interfering with organ function or causing apparent discomfort, report researchers at Boston Children's Hospital.

11 Jan 2018

Clinical study investigates lifestyle biomarkers in prostate cancer survivors

Advanced glycation end products, which have been linked to many chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, build up in the body from birth due to normal metabolism but are often higher in those eating the high-fat, high-sugar, highly processed foods characteristic of the Western diet.

11 Jan 2018