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A new turning point in lung cancer treatment, inspired by mussels

Researchers from POSTECH and Kyungpook National University have developed a novel inhalable therapeutic delivery system for lung cancer, leveraging mucoadhesive protein nanoparticles inspired by the adhesive properties of marine mussels. This effort was spearheaded by Professor Hyung Joon Cha (Department of Chemical Engineering and Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology with a specialization in Medical Science) and Dr. Yeonsu Jeong (Department of Chemical Engineering) at POSTECH, in collaboration with

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Developing a CRISPR therapy for muscular dystrophy

Researchers at the Experimental and Clinical Research Center in Berlin are developing a targeted treatment for muscular dystrophy with the help of gene-editing. Preclinical research led by the Spuler Lab published in Nature Communications now paves the way for first-in-human clinical trials.

Researchers at the Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC), a joint institution of the Max Delbrück Center and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, have developed a promising gene-editing approach intended to restore the function of a protein that is essential to repair and regrow muscle in patients with muscular dystrophy diseases.

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A healthy diet is key to a healthy gut microbiome

A varied diet rich in vegetables is known to be healthy for one's well-being. Excessive consumption of meat, especially red meat, can lead to chronic and cardiovascular diseases. That is also because what we eat shapes the gut microbiome. At the same time, excluding certain foods, such as dairy or animal products, is not necessarily a general solution to achieve microbial balance. But can we find out which food products determine differences in the gut microbiome? Starting from this question, a group of researchers analyzed

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New study links millions of diabetes and heart disease cases globally to sugary drinks

A new study from researchers at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, which published in Nature Medicine on January 6, estimates that 2.2 million new cases of type 2 diabetes and 1.2 million new cases of cardiovascular disease occur each year globally due to consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.

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New method tracks the 'learning curve' of AI to decode complex genomic data

Introducing Annotatability - a powerful new framework to address a major challenge in biological research by examining how artificial neural networks learn to label genomic data. Genomic datasets often contain vast amounts of annotated samples, but many of these samples are annotated either incorrectly or ambiguously. Borrowing from recent advances in the fields of natural language processing and computer vision, the team used artificial neural networks (ANNs) in a non-conventional way:

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Major breakthrough for 'smart cell' design

Rice University bioengineers have developed a new construction kit for building custom sense-and-respond circuits in human cells. The research, published in the journal Science, represents a major breakthrough in the field of synthetic biology that could revolutionize therapies for complex conditions like autoimmune disease and cancer.

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Cancer-preventing topical immunotherapy trains the immune system to fight precancers

A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham uncovers how a novel immunotherapy prevents squamous cell carcinoma, with benefits lasting five years after treatment. This therapy is the first to activate specific components of the adaptive immune system, particularly CD4+ T helper cells, which are not known to be involved in traditional cancer treatments. This work highlights the potential for similar immunotherapies to prevent other cancers throughout the body. Results are published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

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Propranolol reduces tremors in Parkinson's disease

The standard medication levodopa does not always work against tremors in Parkinson's disease, especially in stressful situations. Propranolol, however, does work during stress, providing insight into the role of the stress system in tremors. MRI scans reveal that propranolol directly inhibits activity in the brain circuit that controls tremors. Doctors may consider this medication when levodopa is ineffective.

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New drug to prevent migraine may start working right away

A drug recently approved to prevent migraine may start working right away, according to a study published in the December 23, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study looked at the drug atogepant, which is a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist taken by mouth.

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Does coffee prevent head and neck cancer?

In a new analysis of data from more than a dozen studies, coffee and tea consumption was linked with lower risks of developing head and neck cancers, including cancers of the mouth and throat.

Cancers of the head and neck are the seventh most common forms of cancer worldwide, and rates are rising in low- and middle-income countries. Many studies have assessed whether drinking coffee or tea is associated with head and neck cancer, with inconsistent results.

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