Anti-cancer drug gets a boost when combined with antirheumatic
Scientists at EPFL and NTU have discovered that combining an anticancer drug with an antirheumatic produces improved effects against tumors. The discovery opens a new path for drug-drug synergy. One of the goals in pharmacology is to increase the efficiency of drugs by minimizing their side effects. Recently, this effort has led to combining unrelated drugs to exploit their synergistic effects.
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LSTM reports on a new way of screening potential treatments for TB
Scientists from LSTM's Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics (RCDD) have described in a paper published today in Scientific Reports, a new way of screening potential treatments for Tuberculosis (TB) which may assist in the identification and prioritisation of new therapies which could potentially reduce the duration of current TB treatment. TB is a highly infectious disease, with one third of the world's population being latently infected and accounting for an estimated 1.5 million deaths in 2014.
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Alzheimer's disease linked to the metabolism of unsaturated fats
A new study published in PLOS Medicine's Special Issue on Dementia has found that the metabolism of omega-3 and omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids in the brain are associated with the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder, which causes impaired memory, executive function and language. It accounts for 60 - 80% of total dementia cases worldwide, with over 46 million people suffering from the disease worldwide.
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New 'gene silencer' drug reduce cholesterol by over 50 percent
The findings come from the largest trial yet to test the safety and effectiveness of this kind of therapy. The technique, known as RNA interference (RNAi) therapy, essentially 'switches off' one of the genes responsible for elevated cholesterol. Researchers from Imperial College London and their colleagues, who conducted the trial, say the twice-a-year treatment could be safely given with or without statins, depending on individual patient needs.
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1 in 5 breast cancer patients could benefit from existing treatment
Researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and their collaborators have discovered that a greater number of breast cancers are genetically similar to rarer cases with faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. The results published in Nature Medicine open up the possibility of up to 20 per cent of women being treated with PARP inhibitors, a class of drug previously only thought to be effective for women with an inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation.
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Physical inactivity and sedentary behaviors associated with cardiometabolic risk factors
The results are from the first investigation to be conducted with baseline data from the PREDIMED-PLUS study, an 8-year multicenter clinical trial based on a nutritional intervention involving an energy-restricted Mediterranean diet, the promotion of physical activity and behavioral support for primary cardiovascular prevention. The study is taking place nationwide across Spain and started in October 2013.
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Blueberry concentrate improves brain function in older people
Drinking concentrated blueberry juice improves brain function in older people, according to research by the University of Exeter. In the study, healthy people aged 65-77 who drank concentrated blueberry juice every day showed improvements in cognitive function, blood flow to the brain and activation of the brain while carrying out cognitive tests. There was also evidence suggesting improvement in working memory.
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