The enzyme serine palmitoyl-transferase can be used as a metabolically responsive “switch” that decreases tumor growth, according to a new study by a team of San Diego scientists, who published their findings Aug. 12 in the journal Nature. By restricting the dietary amino acids serine and glycine, or pharmacologically targeting…
Nanotubes in the eye that help us see
A new mechanism of blood redistribution that is essential for the proper functioning of the adult retina has just been discovered in vivo by researchers at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM). Their study was published today in Nature. “For the first time, we have identified a communication…
Ads for pre-exposure prophylaxis drug lawsuits hinder uptake and adherence, study suggests
Over the past year, there has been an influx of ads on social media seeking plaintiffs in lawsuits for harms and side-effects caused by the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drug tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/Emtricitabine (TDF/FTC or Truvada). The drug does have documented rare side-effects, but it remains the recommended drug for PrEP…
Retinitis pigmentosa patients can find cure through artificial vision, say researchers
Important findings that could potentially improve the performance of retinal prostheses creating an artificial vision for blind individuals have been reported by a team of Korean researchers. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announced that a research team led by Dr Maesoon Im of the Center for BioMicrosystems,…
Skin cancer symptoms: Three potential warning signs you may have developed the disease
When ultraviolet (UV) radiation, from the sun, repeatedly lands on unprotected skin, skin cancer can emerge. Here’s the three warning signs you may have the deadly condition. The Skin Cancer Foundation highlights the second most common type of skin cancer: squamous cells carcinoma (SCC). Squamous cells are found in the…
Corona-pandemic: WHO, reluctant at the Russian vaccine
The Corona-pandemic keeps the world in suspense: More than 20 million people have been infected so far worldwide, with the Coronavirus, 217.768 of them in Germany. The world health organization WHO has responded with restraint to the Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the approval of a Corona vaccine. The WHO…
Clinical trial focuses on reducing overactive immune response in COVID-19
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are investigating whether a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat rare diseases of an overactive immune system could help critically ill patients hospitalized with COVID-19. The drug blocks a specific protein of the immune system…
Russia vaccine claim faces scepticism as nations renew virus battle
Russia claimed Tuesday it has developed the world’s first vaccine offering “sustainable immunity” against the coronavirus, despite mounting scepticism about its effectiveness as fears grow over a second wave of infections across the globe. President Vladimir Putin said the vaccine was safe and that one of his own daughters had…
Scientists replace malfunctioning ‘vacuum cleaner’ cells linked to neurological disorders
Researchers at Fudan University in Shanghai, China have developed three different techniques that successfully replace almost all malfunctioning microglia—each technique with its own advantage in application. The researchers published their findings on Aug 11, 2020 in Cell Reports. Microglia are a specialized type of immune system cell that are found…
Racial, socioeconomic disparities fuel increased infant mortality rates in California
While infant mortality rates (IMR) decreased overall from 2007 to 2015 in California, disparities in infant death rates have increased in some groups, including among obese mothers, those who smoke and African American women, according to a new study published in PLOS One. The goal of this study was to…