Researchers design a nano-carrier to release drugs into damaged cells
Senescent cells are damaged cells that do not perform their normal roles anymore but that are not dead -hence they are commonly known as zombi cells. These cells interfere with the functioning of the tissue in which they accumulate. Senescence is a cell program that is triggered by many types of damage and senescent cells are present in many diseases.
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New findings suggest allergic responses may protect against skin cancer
The components of the immune system that trigger allergic reactions may also help protect the skin against cancer, suggest new findings. The research, led by Imperial College London, highlights previously unknown skin defences - and could open avenues for developing new skin cancer treatments.
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Short-term improved vascular function after consuming red raspberries
A recent randomized controlled trial, published in the Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, provides insights on the promising outcomes of short-term improvements in blood vessel function among healthy males who consumed dietary achievable amounts of red raspberries. The subjects - ten healthy males aged 18 to 35 - consumed drinks prepared with 200g and 400g of frozen raspberries containing 201 or 403 mg of total polyphenols, or a matched control drink in terms of macro and micronutrient content, color, and taste.
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Researchers develop a new method for turning skin cells into pluripotent stem cells
Our bodies consist of many different kinds of cells, each with their own role. The Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka had made earlier the discovery, earning the Nobel Prize in 2012, that cells from adult skin can be converted to cells typical of early embryos, so-called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). This process is called reprogramming.
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Data-sharing website may speed the response to new illegal drugs
The drug overdose epidemic currently gripping the nation is so tenacious in part because it's being driven by fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that comes in many forms. Each form has a slightly different chemical structure, and clandestine chemists are constantly cooking up new ones. From a law-enforcement perspective, this makes fentanyl a moving target and very difficult to control.
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New small molecules pave the way for treating autoinflammatory disease
The innate immune system is the first line of defense, with cells that quickly identify "foreign" motifs from viruses and bacteria and mount up a counterattack to eliminate them. As a key strategy to sense the presence of pathogens, the cells of the innate immune system use receptors that can identify microbial DNA and in turn activate a protein called STING (STimulator of Interferon Genes). Once activated, STING turns on genes that help cells fight off the infecting pathogen.
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Poliovirus therapy for recurrent glioblastoma has three year survival rate of 21 percent
A genetically modified poliovirus therapy developed at Duke Cancer Institute shows significantly improved long-term survival for patients with recurrent glioblastoma, with a three-year survival rate of 21 percent in a phase 1 clinical trial. Comparatively, just 4 percent of patients at Duke with the same type of recurring brain tumors were alive at three years when undergoing the previously available standard treatment.
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