Antibiotic resistance rises in 'lonely' mutating microbes
A major study led by The University of Manchester has discovered that so called 'lonely' microbes, those living at low population densities, are more likely to mutate causing higher rates of antibiotic resistance. After analysing 70 years of data and nearly 500 different measurements of mutations, the study shows individual microbes - such as bacteria - found in denser microbial populations mutate much less than microbes in sparser groups.
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Gene therapy with BMP4 protects against weight gain and insulin resistance in mice
"By increasing BMP4, we can increase the metabolic rate, but we only see this in initially lean mice. Overweight mice proved to have a BMP4 resistance, which is also an important finding," says Jenny Hoffmann, first author of the article and active at the Lundberg Laboratory for Diabetes Research.
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Scientists uncover a deadly 'addiction' in esophageal cancer
Scientists have discovered a new way of attacking oesophageal cancer cells that could make use of an existing drug in a new approach to treatment. Their study discovered a genetic weakness or 'Achilles' heel' in oesophageal cancer cells that makes them particularly sensitive to a drug called ibrutinib which is already used to treat blood cancer.
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Data revealed under FOI shows benefits of MS drug currently blocked by regulators
A drug that is blocked by the EU regulatory system has now been found to improve the quality of life of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). The researchers gained access to previously unpublished clinical trial data through a Freedom of Information request to the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The European Commission is currently deciding whether to reverse its decision and grant a license for the oral preparation of the drug 'cladribine'.
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Researchers advise caution about recent US advice on aggressively lowering blood pressure
Medical researchers at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, are advising caution when treating blood pressure in some older people - after results from a study contrasted with recent advice from the US to attempt to aggressively lower blood pressure in all adults to targets of 120mmHg. Researchers from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) at Trinity College Dublin, in collaboration with Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, have recently published the findings in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA Internal Medicine).
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Diabetes drug shows potential as disease-modifying therapy for Parkinson's disease
A drug commonly used to treat diabetes may have disease-modifying potential to treat Parkinson's disease, a new UCL-led study suggests, paving the way for further research to define its efficacy and safety. The study, published in The Lancet and funded by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF), found that people with Parkinson's who injected themselves each week with exenatide for one year performed better in movement (motor) tests than those who injected a placebo.
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CAREFOR calls on EU to safeguard independent academic research
Three leading European organisations in the fight against cancer have called the EU to urgently increase its support for independent academic research for the benefit of cancer patients, in an article published in ESMO Open (1). CAREFOR (the Clinical Academic Cancer Research Forum) is a joint initiative by the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR), the European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO).
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