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Protein MIIP suppresses colorectal cancer by regulating immune cell signaling

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Colorectal cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide, largely due to metastasis and limited responses to immunotherapy in most patients. Although immune checkpoint inhibitors have transformed treatment for certain tumor subtypes, the majority of colorectal cancers remain “immune-cold,” meaning they fail to trigger effective anti-tumor immunity. Increasing evidence suggests that tumor-associated … Read more

DNA origami vaccine platform shows promise against multiple infectious viruses

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The COVID-19 pandemic brought messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines to the forefront of global health care. After their clinical trial stages, the first COVID-19 mRNA vaccine was administered on 8 December 2020 and mathematical models suggest that mRNA vaccines prevented at least 14.4 million deaths from COVID-19 in the first year alone. Their extraordinary effectiveness in having … Read more

The winter dare that leaves kids’ tongues stuck to metal

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A review of more than 850 historical newspaper reports reveals that the childhood dare of licking frozen metal can sometimes lead to serious injury, offering rare insights into who is at risk and how these incidents should be managed.  Study: Demography and outcomes of frozen tongue: a scoping review of Scandinavian tundra tongue cases. Image … Read more

Corneal nerve function declines with age in aniridia patients

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Congenital aniridia is a rare disease caused, in most cases, by mutations in the PAX6 gene, which is essential for the development of ocular structures. Although the most visible feature is the total or partial absence of the iris, its effects go far beyond this, as those affected often experience focusing problems, photophobia, and various … Read more

Combination therapy may help overcome barrier in early-stage prostate cancer treatment

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A multi-institutional study led by Mayo Clinic and published in Cell Reports Medicine reports that pairing a next-generation immunotherapy with standard hormone therapy before surgery may help overcome a long-standing barrier in early-stage prostate cancer treatment.  Immunotherapy has been generally ineffective for prostate cancer because the tumors are considered immunologically “cold,” meaning they do not attract enough immune cells to mount a strong attack. Hormone therapy commonly used for prostate cancer, called androgen … Read more

Study identifies neural mechanism underlying chills during infection

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When running a fever during infection, we often feel chills, which prompt us to take action to warm ourselves, such as turning on a heater or adding layers of clothing. Increased body temperature helps inhibit pathogen growth and boosts immune cell activity. A recent rat study by a Nagoya University team identified the neural mechanism … Read more

Nervous system actively promotes pre-cancerous pancreatic lesions

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Pancreatic cancer has a lot of nerve. Notoriously tricky to detect, the disease also often resists traditional therapy. So, researchers are urgently looking for new ways to disrupt tumor formation. Though scientists know that the nervous system can help cancer spread, its role in the disease’s earliest stages remains unclear. “One phenomenon that is known … Read more

Ride Cincinnati grant funds research on immune activating wafer for glioblastoma treatment

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A multidisciplinary team of University of Cincinnati Cancer Center researchers has received a $40,000 Ride Cincinnati grant to study a delayed release preparation, or wafer, of an immunostimulatory molecule to stimulate the central nervous system (CNS) immune system after surgery to remove glioblastoma, a form of primary brain cancer. Jonathan Forbes, MD, the project’s principal … Read more

UVA Health scientists pioneer a new way to create vaccines far more quickly than ever before

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UVA Health scientists are reporting promising success as they pioneer a new way to create vaccines far more quickly, nimbly and inexpensively than ever before. The University of Virginia School of Medicine’s Steven L. Zeichner, MD, PhD, is optimizing a vaccine-development platform he has created to accelerate how quickly life-saving vaccines can be designed and … Read more