Nanoplastics—particles smaller than a human hair—can pass through cell walls and enter the food web. New research suggest 27 million metric tons of nanoplastics are spread across just the top layer of the North Atlantic By Katharine Sanderson & Nature magazine Pollution Marine plastic litter tends to grab headlines, with images of suffocating seabirds [...]
An international study led by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has identified a promising strategy to enhance the safety of nanomedicines, advanced therapies often used in cancer and vaccine treatments, by using drugs already approved by the FDA for unrelated conditions. Their research suggests that repurposing existing medications can reduce [...]
A recent article in Engineering describes the development of a protein-based nanocomposite hydrogel designed to deliver two therapeutic agents—dexamethasone (Dex) and kartogenin (KGN)—to support cartilage repair. The hydrogel is engineered to modulate immune responses and promote the formation of cartilage tissue through controlled drug release. Background Cartilage has a limited ability to repair itself due [...]
A new drug targets RAS-PI3Kα pathways without harmful side effects. It was developed using high-performance computing and AI. A new cancer drug candidate, developed through a collaboration between Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics (BBOT), and the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR), has shown the ability to inhibit tumor growth without [...]
For 400 million years, a leading hypothesis claims, Earth was an “RNA World,” meaning that life must’ve first replicated from RNA before the arrival of proteins and DNA. Unfortunately, scientists have failed to find evidence of this “first replicator” or recreate the replication process in the lab under the conditions that conceivably would have [...]
An insidious illness is taking hold among a growing proportion of young people. Little known to the general public, peniaphobia—the fear of becoming poor—is gaining ground among teens and young adults. Discover the causes and implications of this phenomenon. A generation under constant pressure Behind this still little-publicized term lies a very real, often [...]
The COVID pandemic illustrated how urgently we need antiviral medications capable of treating coronavirus infections. To aid this effort, researchers quickly homed in on part of SARS-CoV-2's molecular structure known as the NiRAN domain—an enzyme region essential to viral replication that's common to many coronaviruses. A drug targeting the NiRAN domain would likely work [...]
Summary: A new study shows that coating neural prosthetic implants with the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone helps reduce the body’s immune response and scar tissue formation. This strategy enhances the long-term performance and stability of electrodes used to connect prosthetic limbs to the nervous system. Researchers chemically modified the surface of polyimide electrodes to enable a [...]
A family of healthy bacteria may help 'soak up' toxic forever chemicals in the body, warding off their cancerous effects. Forever chemicals, also known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), are toxic chemicals that have been linked cancer, infertility and birth defects. They're named because they don't naturally break down in the environment or [...]
A new study reveals that blocking ribosomal RNA production rewires cancer cell behavior and could help treat genetically unstable tumors. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences have identified a tumor-suppressive response that could lead to new treatments for cancers that are difficult to treat. [...]
