Often diagnosed when surgery is no longer an option, pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to treat and has one of the lowest rates of survival among major malignancies. Like many solid tumors, the most common type of pancreatic cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), is shielded by the desmoplastic matrix-a dense barrier … Read more
A new preclinical study shows that red blood cells can be tagged in vivo and used as long-lasting carriers for imaging agents and therapies, opening a new route for safer drug delivery and vascular imaging. Study: In vivo metabolic tagging and targeting of circulating red blood cells. Image Credit: The1969 Studio / Shutterstock In a … Read more
No matter the size or severity, wounds on human skin are difficult to monitor while they heal. Biopsies disrupt the wound site and are too invasive for routine, repeated monitoring, and most medical imaging devices that could do the job are large, expensive and booked up with more pressing diagnostics. Clinicians typically resort to visual … Read more
A new study in mice and humans suggests GLP-1 medicines drive weight loss primarily by reducing fat, while preserving muscle function and easing fears about harmful muscle wasting. Key takeaways Fat, not skeletal muscle, accounted for most of the weight loss. According to the study, GLP-1 medicines reduced body fat in obese mice much more … Read more
Clinically available KRAS inhibitors mainly target G12C, which is rare in PDAC and often acquires resistance. Oncogenic KRAS inactivates RB1 via CDK4/6, while RB1 mutation is rare. Thus, CDK4/6 inhibition offers an indirect strategy to counter KRAS-driven malignancy without direct KRAS targeting. Virtually all pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) are initiated by activating mutations in the … Read more
Baylor University researchers have published a novel approach to fight colorectal cancer, using modified bacteria as a courier to deliver potent cancer-killing proteins into tumor cells. Michael S. VanNieuwenhze, PhD, FRSC, University Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Biology, along with Baylor doctoral students and a colleague at Texas Tech University Health Sciences … Read more
Proteins long known to be essential for hearing have been hiding a talent: they also act as gatekeepers that shuffle fatty molecules across cell membranes. When this newly discovered function goes haywire-due to genetic mutations, noise-induced damage, or certain medications-it may be what kills the delicate sensory cells in our ears, causing permanent hearing loss. … Read more
A new type of brain implant may have implications for both brain research and future treatments of neurological diseases such as epilepsy. Researchers from DTU, the University of Copenhagen, University College London, and other institutions have developed a long, needle-thin brain electrode with channels—a so-called microfluidic Axialtrode (mAxialtrode), named for its ability to distribute functional … Read more
A simple blood test could revolutionize early Alzheimer’s detection, offering a less invasive and highly accurate tool to identify people at risk before symptoms appear. Study: A plasma biomarker panel for detecting early amyloid-β accumulation and its changes in middle-aged cognitively unimpaired individuals at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Image Credit: ART-ur / Shutterstock In a recent study … Read more
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) represents a significant health concern for women of reproductive age, manifesting as a complex endocrine disorder with diverse clinical presentations. Characterized by hyperandrogenism, ovulatory dysfunction, and polycystic ovarian morphology, PCOS affects 5% to 20% of women and stands as a leading cause of anovulatory infertility. The pathophysiology of PCOS involves abnormal … Read more