Sports playbook helps doctors predict cancer patient outcomes
In this season of global soccer competitions and hotly contested political primaries, bookies and pundits are scouring every evolving scrap of information and sifting through mountains of data in an effort to predict the outcome of the next game or election. These predictions can change on a dime, however, based on a player's poor pass or a candidate's stellar debate performance.
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New study showing drug prolongs life for patients with ovarian cancer
Women with ovarian cancer who have undergone four or more rounds of chemotherapy typically haven't had much hope that another treatment option will lengthen their lives in a meaningful way. However, a new research study shows tremendous promise for a drug called niraparib to extend life when all options have been exhausted.
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Artificial DNA can control release of active ingredients from drugs
A drug with three active ingredients that are released in sequence at specific times: Thanks to the work of a team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), what was once a pharmacologist's dream is now much closer to reality. With a combination of hydrogels and artificial DNA, nanoparticles can be released in sequence under conditions similar to those in the human body.
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How gastric stem cells fight bacteria
Stem cells are not only key players in tissue regeneration, they are also capable of taking direct action against bacteria. This is the finding of a study conducted by researchers from Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, which describes what happens during a Helicobacter pylori infection of the human stomach. By actively fighting the colonizing bacteria, gastric stem cells protect themselves against damage that can lead to cancer.
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Pathogen engineered to self-destruct underlies cancer vaccine platform
A team of investigators has developed a cancer vaccine technology using live, attenuated pathogens as vectors. A feature of the vaccine causes these bacteria to self-destruct once they've done their job, making it safe for use in humans. The research is published in Infection and Immunity, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
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Human-on-a-chip model tests cancer drug efficacy and toxicity for therapeutic index
A reconfigurable "body-on-a-chip" model could transform drug development by simultaneously measuring compound efficacy and toxicity, for both target cells and other organs, such as the heart and liver. These findings, published in Science Translational Medicine, demonstrate the ability of a body-on-a-chip model to truly revolutionize biomedical research and personalized medicine through more accurate and efficient preclinical testing without the use of animal studies.
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Vitamin D may not help your heart
While previous research has suggested a link between low levels of vitamin D in the blood and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, a new Michigan State University study has found that taking vitamin D supplements did not reduce that risk. The large-scale study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Cardiology, found that vitamin D supplements did not decrease the incidence of heart attacks, strokes or other major adverse cardiovascular events.
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