Microvesicles developed to targeted delivery of cancer drugs

Ming-Feng Hsueh et al discovered that proteins of cartilage in hip, knee and ankle in humans showed a pattern of regeneration similar to that of highly regenerative animals, such as axolotls. Turnover of insoluble collagen has been earlier suggested to be very limited in human adult cartilage. In this study, researchers could unmask a position-dependent […]

Jieun Kwon et al demonstrated reduced signs and symptoms of dry eye disease (DED) in afflicted patients in response to a new eye drop treatment made from pooled human antibodies. The immunoglobulin pool targets anti-citrullinated protein autoantibodies, or ACPAs-a specific type of antibody, found in human tear fluid. ACPAs were found to be involved in […]

Takara L Stanley et al found that the injectable synthetic growth-hormone-releasing hormone, tesamorelin, reduces liver fat and prevents liver fibrosis (scarring) in people living with HIV. About 43% of the enrolled participants had at least mild fibrosis, and 33% had a more severe subset of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Participants […]

Lin-Ping Wu et al developed a simplified technique using brain-specific phage-derived peptide to effectively transport medication into the brain. The method allows for minimally invasive combination delivery through an intravenous injection of various drugs, peptides and nucleic acid therapeutics to the brain. For the study, the researchers utilised a peptide component from a virus that […]

Siddarth Arumugam et al devised a rapid microfluidic test that could detect Lyme disease with similar performance as the standard 2-tiered (STT) algorithm recommended for the laboratory diagnosis of the disease, in a much shorter time of 15 minutes. The researchers used human serum characterized as acute and convalescent early Lyme disease, Lyme arthritis, and […]

Michael G. Stanford et al demonstrated a self-cleaning porous conductive graphene foam filter made of laser-induced graphene (LIG), that can trap pathogens out of the air and kill them with small pulses of electricity. LIG was formed through the photothermal conversion of a polyimide film by a commercial CO2 laser cutter. Through a periodic Joule-heating […]

Shyam Sunder Tummanapalli et al found that peripheral neuropathy, which is often the earliest sign of diabetes, could be traced in the tear film. Researchers found that people with type 1 diabetic peripheral neuropathy had reduced levels of a protein known as ‘substance P’ (SP) in their tear film. Scientists evaluated changes that occur in […]

Jesse A. Brown et al demonstrated that neurodegeneration spreads along connectional pathways in the brain. The researchers evaluated the transneuronal degeneration hypothesis by studying atrophy in a patient with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA). Researchers determined patient-specific “epicentres” at the baseline. They then located each patient’s epicentres in […]

Daniela K. Schlüter et al identified biomarkers for knee osteoarthritis (OA), based on high-frequency acoustic emission (AE) measurements generated from knees during movement. The researchers attached a tiny microphone to the knees which could record and analyse knee health based on the noise produced. The researchers analysed the noise produced by the knees of 89 […]

Senmao Zhang et al demonstrated a significant association between parental alcohol consumption and the risk of congenital heart diseases (CHDs) in offspring. The team found that consumption of alcohol three months before pregnancy or during the first trimester was associated with a 44% increased risk of CHD for fathers and 16% for mothers, compared to […]

Luca Zazzeron et al developed an extracorporeal membrane oxygenator for blood exposure to phototherapy to enhance the removal of carbon monoxide in CO poisoning. The researchers found that exposing blood to visible light enhanced the rate of CO elimination in vivo. They then developed a membrane oxygenator with optimal characteristics to facilitate exposure of blood […]

Yahia Al-Jebari et al evidenced a higher risk of prostate cancer in later life among men who have taken fertility treatment. The team looked at 1.2 million pregnancies in Sweden for over 20 years. Fathers were grouped according to fertility status by mode of conception of in vitro fertilisation (IVF), intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and […]

Abraham.S et al found the results of a novel chlamydia vaccine to be safe and effective in producing an immune response that could potentially protect against the infection. The vaccine was developed based on a recombinant protein subunit (CTH522). The team analysed the vaccine in 35 healthy women aged 19–45 years. The participants were divided […]

Buchrieser et al found that interferon, a molecule produced particularly in response to viral infection, may be responsible for abnormalities in placental development. Interferon-induced transmembrane proteins (IFITMs) were found to inhibit syncytin, restricting the fusion of trophoblast cells into a multi-nucleated syncytiotrophoblast layer (ST) and preventing the formation of the external layer of the placenta. […]

Reinier J. de Vries et al successfully developed a supercooling protocol that could preserve human livers at –4 °C to extend the ex-vivo life of the organ by upto 27 hours. The team had previously shown that supercooled ice-free storage at –6 °C could extend viable preservation of rat livers. They were able to do this by adding […]

Caroline I. Le Roy et al found that moderate red wine consumption was associated with a healthier gut microbiota among red wine drinkers. Researchers also explored the effect of beer, cider, white wine and spirits on the gut microbiome (GM) and subsequent health benefits. They found that the GM of red wine drinkers was more […]

Pinato.J et al showed evidence suggesting that antibiotic therapy may be associated with a reduced response to immunotherapy in routine practice, irrespective of tumour site. The researchers recruited 196 patients (137 men and 59 women) with non–small cell lung cancer (n = 119), melanoma (n = 38), and other tumour types (n = 39) who received immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy (ICIs), […]

Qingli Niu et al have discovered a novel potential medication that works by utilising the HIV-infected person’s own body to further suppress the HIV virus. Although the drug could complement the current HIV anti-retroviral therapy (ART) medications, it may also be possible that it could lead to HIV remission without a lifetime of taking ART […]

Kanada et al developed a therapeutic approach to deliver enzyme-producing genes that can convert certain drugs to target and kill tumour cells. The researchers used extracellular vesicles (EVs) as delivery vehicles to transfer the genetic material that carries cancer treatments. The delivery vehicle comprised microvesicles loaded with engineered minicircle (MC) DNA that encoded prodrug converting […]

Lo JJ, et al evidenced a potential risk of invasive breast cancer with increased consumption of red meat. The researchers examined the association between the consumption of different types of meat, meat mutagens and incident invasive breast cancer. 42,012 participants were involved in the study. Exposure to meat type and meat mutagens was calculated, and […]

Behary P et al demonstrated a hormone infusion therapy that could improve glycemia and reduce body weight in obese patients. The researchers utilised previously identified three specific hormones, found to be released in the bowel in higher levels after gastric bypass surgery. These hormones involving glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), oxyntomodulin and peptide termed as GOP was […]

Bastidas et al found the herpes zoster vaccine (Shingrix) to be effective in patients who underwent autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The phase III zoster efficacy trial tested a 2-dose course of the recombinant zoster vaccine in the HSC recipients. The study showed that during a median 21 months of follow-up, there was at […]

Sliz et al discovered a remarkable association between risk for placenta accreta in pregnant women with a gene mutation that prevents the healthy formation of “natural killer” cells (NK). The researchers found that the mice which carried a mutation in a protein called Grb2-associated binding protein 3 (Gab3) was responsible for preventing normal NK cell […]

Elnabawi YA, et al demonstrated that anti-inflammatory biologic therapies used to treat psoriasis can significantly reduce coronary inflammation in the patients. Scientists utilised a novel imaging biomarker, the perivascular fat attenuation index (FAI), to measure the effect of the therapy in reducing the inflammation. Perivascular FAI assessed coronary inflammation by mapping spatial changes of perivascular […]

Crank et al reported promising results of a novel experimental respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine from a Phase 1 clinical trial. The vaccine contained stabilised prefusion DS-Cav1 molecule developed from a structure-based RSV fusion glycoprotein. The study analysed data from 40 healthy adult volunteers enrolled in the trial. The volunteers received a dose of either […]

Jodi L Ford et al examined the concentration of the stress hormone cortisol in the hair to predict depressive symptoms in adolescents. The study included 432 adolescents between 11 to 17 years of age. The researchers measured depression with a nine-item questionnaire that the participants filled out and evaluated a 3-centimeter hair sample to assess […]

Conniot et al developed a novel dendritic cell-targeted mannosylated nanovaccine for melanoma, the most aggressive type of skin cancer. The study showed that the use of nanovaccine with immunotherapy could potentiate the efficacy of melanoma therapy. Researchers used anti-PD-1 antibody (αPD-1) for immunosuppression blockade and an anti-OX40 antibody (αOX40) for effector T-cell stimulation, expansion and […]

Amar Singh, et al have found a way that would achieve immune tolerance to allografts eliminating the need for anti-rejection drugs. The researchers could maintain long-term survival and function of pancreatic islet transplants despite complete discontinuation of all anti-rejection drugs on day 21 after the transplant. The researchers infused modified donor white blood cells into […]

Kerlikowske et al showed in their recent study that breast density status should not be used as a stand-alone risk factor to refer women for supplemental imaging discussions. The researchers found that a combined approach using both BI-RADS breast density and BCSC 5-year risk score would identify those women at the highest risk for advanced […]

6-year-old Nishant (name changed) presented to a local hospital with acute onset fever and abdominal pain. He had had blunt trauma to the abdomen in the school a couple of days earlier.

Sepideh Saadatmand et al reported MRI screening to detect cancer at an earlier stage compared to mammography in women with a familial risk of breast cancer.

Natasha van Zyl et al successfully performed nerve transfers, restoring hand function and elbow extension among patients suffering from traumatic spinal cord injury.

William C. Black et al reported continued benefit related to lung cancer mortality with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening on extended follow-up of participants in the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST).

Ravi Savarirayan et al demonstrated a sustained increase in the annualized growth velocity in children with achondroplasia on treatment with vosoritide for up to 42 months.

Hubert Fleury et al have developed a two-step combination therapy to destroy ovarian cancer, by manipulating the state of cellular aging.

Arie Levine et al demonstrated that Crohn’s disease exclusion diet (CDED) may be used as an effective and well-tolerated, first-line therapy for children with mild-to-moderate Crohn’s disease (CD).

Dmitry Shungin et al found evidence suggesting the role of hereditary traits and factors including obesity, education and personality in tooth decay and gum disease.

Pan L et al investigated how circulating tumour cell phenotypes (CTC) were associated with the clinicopathological features of patients with early cervical cancer.

Amreen Ahmad et al have identified a genetic sequence in the body of malaria parasite that may help develop a more sensitive diagnostic test for the disease.

Richard B. Lipton et al found that the drug rimegepant could eliminate pain and bothersome symptoms on treating patients with migraine in a large-scale phase 3 trial.

Alisse Hauspurg et al found that an increase in blood pressure between the first and second trimester also increased the risk of a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy like preeclampsia. 

Odile Sheehy et al have found that incidence of exposure to any benzodiazepines or specific benzodiazepine agents during early pregnancy could lead to an increased risk of spontaneous abortion (SA).

Eirini Vagena et al have identified a molecular pathway that reveals how obesity acts as a causative factor in the development of depression.

Olli Patrakka et al demonstrated the presence of oral bacterial DNA in thrombus aspirates of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) suggesting a possible role for poor dental care in the cause of cerebrovascular disease.

Border R et al found evidence suggesting that early hypotheses about depression candidate genes were incorrect.

Natan M Bornstein et al have found that acute ischaemic stroke patients ineligible for thrombolytic therapy and with confirmed cortical involvement (CCI) may benefit from an injectable neurostimulator implant that acts on the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG).

Nicko Jackson et al have successfully demonstrated a non-invasive method to detect Parkinson’s disease (PD) using electroencephalography (EEG) to measure waveform shape of beta waves.

Deva Prasad Gopal et al found evidence emphasizing lack of awareness on timely screening of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in preterm babies.

Amanda Ardain et al demonstrated an early protective role for innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in immunity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection.

Tracey-Lea Laba et al surveyed to find high rates of cost-related underuse of asthma medicines among adults and parents of children with asthma, even in the context of national medicines subsidies.

J-M Leyva-Castillo et al have found evidence suggesting the skin-gut communication, which explains a link between food allergy and atopic dermatitis

Chang-Yi Wang et al discovered that treating HIV patients with an antibody that can prevent the virus from binding to human immune cells could suppress levels of HIV in the absence of anti-retroviral therapy

E Mamcarz et al could successfully restore immunity in infants born with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID-X1) through experimental gene therapy

Yu-Heng Cheng et al have developed a new device that allows the capture of pure circulating tumour cells (CTCs) from the blood and the extraction of genetic information without any contamination from other blood cells

Gabriela Pinget et al have found that commonly used food additive titanium dioxide (TiO2) may alter gut homeostasis, promoting biofilm formation

Lin Gao et al showed evidence revealing the biological changes in the brain that drive foetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Gopala K. Anumanchipalli et al have developed a speech decoding device that can transform brain signals into speech

Justin Chan et al developed a smartphone system that could act as a screening tool to help in the diagnosis of ear infections

Elsa Sanchez-Lopez et al have discovered that eliminating damaged mitochondria before they trigger excessive inflammation may help alleviate chronic inflammatory diseases.

Silvia De Santis et al show evidence in the progression of damage within the white matter of the brain during the initial period of alcohol cessation

Elisa Manieri et al discovered that a decrease in a hormone secreted by fat cells is responsible for an increased risk of liver cancer in males.

Dae-Wook Kang et al have demonstrated long-term beneficial effects of microbiota transfer therapy (MTT) in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Robert M. G. Reinhart et al demonstrated that electrostimulation can improve the working memory of older adults by temporarily reversing the age-related cognitive decline.

Brendan J. Tunstall et al demonstrated that administration of neuropeptide oxytocin may help normalize the alcohol use disorder and thereby help reduce alcohol addiction.

Nadav Noor et al have successfully printed the first 3D vascularised engineered heart using a patient’s own cells and biological materials.

Ravindra K Gupta and others remarkably unveiled the possibility for achieving HIV-1 remission through a less aggressive approach using hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT).

Isabell S von Loga et al developed a new vaccine which demonstrates therapeutic efficiency of anti-nerve growth factor (NGF) antibodies in helping alleviate pain in osteoarthritis (OA) patients. NGF is a validated drug target for pain in osteoarthritis.

Ali Barandov et al developed a novel magnetic resonance image (MRI) based sensor that can detect calcium activity within neurons, allowing them to closely track brain activity.

Donna M. Small et al unveiled the importance of enzyme cathepsin S (CatS) in the pathogenesis of chronic lung diseases like cystic fibrosis (CF), highlighting its role as a therapeutic target.

Felipe J. Nunez et al demonstrated in a study that low grade gliomas found to be frequently associated with mutation in isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH1) genes may be effectively treated with a combination of radio and chemotherapy.

Stephen P. Yoon et al brings forth evidence suggesting that analysing changes in retinal microvasculature may help in detecting cerebrovascular changes related to Alzheimer’s disease.

Muralgia et al demonstrated that an antifungal agent amphotericin B, which is capable of forming ion channels in the cellular membrane of airway epithelial cells, could restore ion transport and antibacterial defences in cystic fibrosis models.

Mario Merlini et al unveiled the role of the blood-clotting protein fibrinogen in blood in causing the characteristic cognitive decline of Alzheimer’s disease.

Wouter Froyman et al shows evidence promoting a watchful waiting approach towards non-cancerous ovarian cyst.

Abramson et al. developed an ingestible drug delivery vehicle that can be used for oral administration of insulin.

Peng Zheng et al have found that people with schizophrenia have a significant difference in their gut microbiomes compared to people without the disorder which may be linked to the altered neurologic function.

Hae-Ryung Park et al found evidence suggesting the potentially harmful effect of two chemicals used to flavour e-cigarettes on human lungs.

Long H Nguyen et al shows sedentary behavior as a contributory factor to the dramatic rise in colorectal cancer (CRC) among people under the age of 50.

Leonardo Velazco-Cruz et al demonstrated a breakthrough study by converting human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into stem cell-derived β cells (SC-β cells) as a promising alternative source for diabetes cell replacement therapy.

Niculescu et al open door towards precision medicine for pain, with the objective to determine the severity of a patient’s suffering.

Yang et al. showed a significant role for sex difference among patients of aggressive brain tumour glioblastoma, marking the need to optimise the therapeutic regimen for each patient

Aaron D. Mickle et al have developed a miniaturized, implantable device that could potentially help people with bladder problems in providing chronic stability by stimulating specific cell types

The common yeast Candida albicans could cross the blood-brain barrier to trigger inflammatory response leading to the formation of granulomatous structures and mild memory impairment.

Asha Kumari Patel et al developed an effective method for nebulized delivery of in vitro mRNA providing a clinically relevant delivery system to lung epithelium

Andy Zhou et al demonstrated a wireless artefact-free neuromodulation device -WAND that could help treat various neurological disorders

Rao et al unveiled an effective target in the brain for electrical stimulation to improve mood in people suffering from depression.

Karen Drukker et al developed a novel technology that uses mammography to determine the biological tissue composition of a tumour that could help reduce unnecessary breast biopsies.

Abu Ali Ibn Sina et al have found a novel method for detecting cancer by exploiting the methylscape biomarker found in cancer types, which allows higher DNA-gold affinity compared to the normal genome.

Laura A. Hancock et al found evidence suggesting that impaired clearance of mucus in lungs due to overexpression of MUC5B gene may lead to pulmonary fibrosis, identifying it as a potential therapeutic target.

Konstantinos Tzelepis et al demonstrated a plausible therapeutic potential of splicing kinase gene (SRPK1) in treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

F.B. Wagner et al demonstrated a technological framework called epidural electrical stimulation (EES) to help restore walking ability in individuals with spinal cord injury.

Killinger et al reported that the removal of the appendix at an early age may delay or reduce the occurrence risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in those individuals.

Sangtae Ahn et al reported that targeting a specific part of the brain with a weak alternating current of electricity significantly decreased chronic lower back pain (CLBP) in all participants of a small clinical trial.

Ross S. Mancini et al found evidence revealing the neuroprotective role of coffee against developing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease by reducing the aggregation of misfolded proteins involved in it.

Researchers from University College London (UCL) have found that a five-minute scan of blood vessels in the neck could predict the potential onset of dementia a decade before the appearance of any apparent symptoms.

Zhang et al outlined a new approach in restoring hearing loss by activating ERBB2 pathway, which could enable the regeneration of sensory hair cells found in the cochlea of the inner ear.

Wei et al demonstrate electric field-induced release and measurement (EFIRM) as a novel platform for liquid biopsy (LB) which enables the diagnosis of early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) when surgical cure is still possible.

Panditharatna E. et al shows early evidence in proper monitoring of paediatric diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) using liquid biopsy. The researchers indicate the study to be the first to focus on the clinical utility of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) for longitudinal surveillance of DMGs in children.

Payam A. Gammage et al reported the first in vivo successes in using zinc finger nucleases (ZFN) for selectively editing away pathogenic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNAs) in a heteroplasmic mammalian mitochondrial population.

A.C. Rossidis et al performed the first prenatal gene editing to prevent a lethal metabolic disorder in mice models, offering the potential to treat human congenital diseases before birth.

E. Borgen et al identified a protein marker that can indicate the chances of reoccurrence and lethality of metastatic cancer in breast cancer patients.

A novel anti-cancer drug, ML246 (metarrestin), reveals its ability to attenuate the growth and progression of ovarian cancer. The study conducted by Kanis et al reports for the first time on the effects of ML246, an inhibitor of the perinucleolar compartment (PNC), in ovarian cancer cells.

A recent research shows causal link between senescent cells and neurodegenerative disease, suggesting that targeting the former may provide a therapeutic avenue for the treatment of these pathologies.

A recent study provides new insights into the effect of grass pollen exposure, at birth and shortly after, being responsible for possible allergic respiratory diseases.

A recent study unveils new gene areas conferring blood pressure traits, helping understand the biological pathway for blood pressure regulation and thereby controlling the major risk factors like heart attack or stroke associated with it.

A new medical breakthrough, which could diagnose millions via a completely portable home kit, has been designed to detect how likely a person is to suffer from grave diseases like cancer and other ailments.

Regulation of miRNA becomes a potential target for therapeutic interventions towards the treatment of type-2 diabetes and obesity-associated metabolic syndrome. miRNA has been increasingly known to play an important role in the regulation of various cellular and metabolic processes. Based on this aspect, a team of scientists from CSIR-CDRI, Lucknow, CSIR-IHBT, Palampur and CSIR-IGIB, New […]

Astaxanthin (AST) is a natural compound found in seafoods with antioxidant properties several fold higher than vitamin C. It has already been approved as a dietary supplement and could be a potential treatment for inflammation and oxidative stress in cardiovascular diseases.

Dimitrios Tsiantoulas et al have found that anti- B cell activating factor (BAFF) antibody treatment increased atherosclerosis in mice, despite efficient depletion of mature B-2 cells. Genomic data showed that the BAFF receptor pathway is a key driver of coronary heart disease. Deletion or antibody

Ilker Karacan et al reports study data confirming Laccase (multicopper oxidoreductase) domain-containing 1 (LACC1) variants can be responsible for the recessive form of juvenile arthritis. Multipoint linkage analysis using high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)

Mari Rossi LPhil et al found evidence supporting the importance of diagnostic exome sequencing for patients with autism spectrum disorder or autistic features traditional sequential or panel testing.

Identifying new roles for pituitary hormones, Mone Zaidi et al have landed upon the action of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) on bone.

Asier Garcia-Ikhlaq Hussain Kana et al reports the occurrence of naturally acquired immunity (NAI) against Plasmodium falciparum malaria in a tribal population in a malaria endemic area of India. The clinical trial assessed the quantity and functionality of immunoglobulin

Aruna D. Pradhan et al has evaluated residual inflammatory risk among 9,738 patients participating in the Studies of proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (PCSK9) Inhibition and the Reduction of Vascular Events (SPIRE)-1 and -2 cardiovascular outcomes trials who were receiving both statin therapy and bococizumab.