A single infusion of an experimental CRISPR-Cas9 therapy was reported to safely lower LDL cholesterol by 52.5% and triglycerides by 47.8%, as measured 12 months after treatment. What if one infusion could keep cholesterol down for a year? An experimental gene-editing treatment called CTX310 has shown early promise in people whose cholesterol and other [...]
A virus may cripple a cell’s power supply simply by producing too much of a molecule the cell needs to survive. New research from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) suggests that an overload of RNA can directly impair mitochondria, the microscopic power generators that supply cells with usable [...]
LOME, Togo (AP) — West African laboratory scientists called on governments Friday to strengthen capacity to detect disease outbreaks to avoid another major outbreak, saying health systems across the region are becoming weaker. Participants listen during during a regional congress focused on strengthening laboratory capacity and preparedness following lessons from Ebola and COVID-19, in [...]
A study suggests that increasing SORLA protein levels could help treat Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders involving tau protein. Increasing SORLA, a protein with a protective role in the brain, helped mice withstand damage from tau tangles, the toxic protein clumps associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The findings suggest that boosting SORLA could offer a [...]
Blocking an antioxidant protein that tumors use to suppress immune attacks improved cancer immunotherapy responses in mice. Cancer cells can release antioxidants that interfere with the immune cells trying to kill them. Researchers have discovered how this chemical defense works, raising the possibility of switching it off to make cancer immunotherapy more effective. The [...]
Pterostilbene, a compound found naturally in some foods, affects how skeletal muscles process fats by stabilizing a protein called PPARδ and increasing its signaling activity. Pterostilbene, a natural compound found in blueberries, grapes, and other berries, may help muscle cells clear excess fat by protecting a protein that regulates how they use it. Researchers [...]
Scientists have uncovered two surprising forces that help guide how the human brain forms before birth. Before birth, the human brain is shaped in large part by an unusual class of stem cells known as radial glia. These cells help determine which brain cells are produced, when they appear, and how the cerebral cortex, [...]
The findings offer new insights that could help guide the development of future therapies. A protein called human resistin may help flip on one of the immune system’s most powerful inflammatory switches. Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine found that resistin can activate Human resistin is a signaling protein associated with inflammation and immune activity. [...]
The most abundant microbes on your skin may not be the ones doing most of the work. Human skin supports vast communities of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that can influence its protective barrier, immune defenses, and overall health. Yet simply cataloging these organisms cannot reveal which ones are active, how they respond to their [...]
Scientists found compounds in a Brazilian tree that hit SARS-CoV-2 on multiple fronts, revealing a promising new lead in the search for COVID-19 treatments. Researchers have found that galloylquinic acids extracted from the leaves of Copaifera lucens Dwyer, a tree native to Brazil and found mainly in the Atlantic Forest, can act against SARS-CoV-2 [...]
