DNA can be damaged by toxins, radiation, or even normal cell division, but human cells must continually fix DNA breaks to survive. In cells that cannot repair DNA effectively, changes (mutations) can occur that lead to cancer.

Most cells rely on a system called homologous recombination or HR, which uses proteins called BRCA1 and BRCA2 for accurate DNA repair.

People who adhere to a Mediterranean lifestyle - which includes a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; healthy eating habits like limiting added salts and sugars; and habits promoting adequate rest, physical activity, and socialization - have a lower risk of all-cause and cancer mortality, according to a new study led by La Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Dr. Heather Sandison, a leading expert in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia (ADRD) care, has recently published a groundbreaking study in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, highlighting significant improvements in cognitive function among individuals with cognitive decline. The study is the second to employ a multimodal, individualized care plan and offers further hope for managing and potentially reversing cognitive impairment.

Equipping cancer-infecting, or oncolytic, viruses with tumor-inhibiting genetic cargo stimulates the immune system and helps immunotherapy to shrink or completely clear aggressive tumors in mice, according to a new study in the Journal of Experimental Medicine led by University of Pittsburgh and UPMC researchers. The results pave the way for clinical trials combining oncolytic viruses with immunotherapy.

A collaborative study undertaken by the Navarrabiomed Biomedical Research Center (Pamplona, ​​Navarre), the Institute of Neurosciences CSIC-UMH (Sant Joan d'Alacant, Valencian Community) and IRB Barcelona (Barcelona, ​​Catalonia) shows that the administration of ranolazine, a drug currently used to treat heart conditions, improves the efficacy of current therapies for melanoma, in mouse models of this disease.

In the ongoing search for a cure for Alzheimer's disease, a burgeoning branch of medicine is bringing new hope. Stem cell therapies are already being used to treat various cancers and disorders of the blood and immune system. In a new proof-of-concept study, scientists at University of California San Diego show stem cell transplants may also be a promising therapeutic against Alzheimer's.

An antibody in single-chain fragment variable (scFv) format that binds to the powerful opioid carfentanil was shown to reverse signs of carfentanil overdose in preclinical tests conducted by scientists at Scripps Research.

Carfentanil is a variant of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, and about 100 times as potent as its chemical cousin.