Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: biotech/medical

Key driver of pancreatic cancer spread identified

A Cornell-led study has revealed how a deadly form of pancreatic cancer enters the bloodstream, solving a long-standing mystery of how the disease spreads and identifying a promising target for therapy.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is among the most lethal cancers, with fewer than 10% of patients surviving five years after diagnosis. Its microenvironment is a dense, fibrotic tissue that acts like armor around the tumor. This barrier makes difficult and should, in theory, prevent the tumor from spreading. Yet the cancer metastasizes with striking efficiency—a paradox that has puzzled scientists.

New research published in the journal Molecular Cancer reveals that a biological receptor called ALK7 is responsible, by activating two interconnected pathways that work in tandem. One makes cancer cells more mobile through a process called , and the other produces enzymes that physically break down the .

Enhanced CAR T cells emerge from genetic screening

CAR T cells are patient-derived, genetically engineered immune cells. They are “living drugs” and constitute a milestone in modern medicine. Equipping T cells, a key cell type of the immune system, with a “chimeric antigen receptor” (CAR) enables them to specifically recognize and attack cancer cells.

CAR T cell therapy has demonstrated its potential by curing patients with otherwise untreatable blood cancers. But it still fails for most patients, often due to T cell intrinsic dysfunction. To address their current limitations and to make CAR T cells intrinsically stronger, scientists at the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Medical University of Vienna have developed a new method for systematic discovery of genetic boosters of CAR T cell function.

The new study, published in Nature, introduces CELLFIE, a CAR T cell engineering and high-content CRISPR screening platform, enabling researchers to systematically modify CAR T cells and evaluate their therapeutic potential.

Oral bacteria linked to Parkinson’s via the gut-brain axis

Korean researchers have uncovered compelling evidence that oral bacteria, once colonized in the gut, can affect neurons in the brain and potentially trigger Parkinson’s disease.

The joint research team, led by Professor Ara Koh and doctoral candidate Hyunji Park of POSTECH’s Department of Life Sciences, together with Professor Yunjong Lee and doctoral candidate Jiwon Cheon of Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, collaborated with Professor Han-Joon Kim of Seoul National University College of Medicine.

They have identified the mechanism by which metabolites produced by in the gut may trigger the development of Parkinson’s disease. The findings were published online in Nature Communications.

Nectandrin B (Found In Nutmeg) Extends Lifespan As Much As Rapamycin

Join us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/MichaelLustgartenPhD

Discount Links/Affiliates:
Blood testing (where I get the majority of my labs): https://www.ultalabtests.com/partners/michaellustgarten.

At-Home Metabolomics: https://www.iollo.com?ref=michael-lustgarten.
Use Code: CONQUERAGING At Checkout.

Clearly Filtered Water Filter: https://get.aspr.app/SHoPY

Epigenetic, Telomere Testing: https://trudiagnostic.com/?irclickid=U-s3Ii2r7xyIU-LSYLyQdQ6…M0&irgwc=1
Use Code: CONQUERAGING

NAD+ Quantification: https://www.jinfiniti.com/intracellular-nad-test/

Continue reading “Nectandrin B (Found In Nutmeg) Extends Lifespan As Much As Rapamycin” | >

Some patients could use special eyedrops instead of reading glasses as they age, researcher says

Everybody develops presbyopia as they age—a difficulty in focusing on near objects and text—and often must resort to reading glasses. However, the solution might be as simple as using special eye drops two or three times a day.

A retrospective study of 766 patients presented at the 43rd Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) has found that the majority could read an extra two, three or more lines on the eye chart used for testing near visual acuity (the Jaeger chart) after using specially formulated eye drops. This improvement was sustained for up to two years.

Dr. Giovanna Benozzi, director of the Center for Advanced Research for Presbyopia, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, said, We conducted this research due to the significant unmet medical need in presbyopia management. Current solutions such as reading glasses or surgical interventions have limitations, including inconvenience, social discomfort, and potential risks or complications.

Unlocking the immune system’s instruction manual: How T follicular helper cells mount a flexible response

Scientists have uncovered how a key type of immune cell adapts its behavior depending on the type of infection, paving the way for better vaccines and advancing research into immune-related diseases.

In their study published in Nature Immunology, a WEHI-led research team has revealed how T follicular helper (Tfh) cells tailor their instructions to the depending on the pathogen they encounter.

The findings shed light on the molecular “instruction manual” that guides and long-term immunity, offering new tools to improve vaccine design and develop targeted therapies for immune-related conditions and other major health challenges, including cancer.

Visualization of blood flow sharpens artificial heart design

Using magnetic cameras, researchers at Linköping University have examined blood flow in an artificial heart in real time. The results make it possible to design the heart in a way to reduce the risk of blood clots and red blood cell breakdown, a common problem in today’s artificial hearts.

The study, published in Scientific Reports, was done in collaboration with the company Scandinavian Real Heart AB, which is developing an .

“The heart is a muscle that never rests. It can never rest. The heart can beat for a hundred years without being serviced or stopping even once. But constructing a pump that can function in the same way—that’s a challenge,” says Tino Ebbers, professor of physiology at Linköping University.

Home high-intensity aerobic training outperforms balance training for cerebellar ataxias

Columbia University Medical Center-led research reports that home high-intensity aerobic training improved ataxia symptoms, fatigue, and aerobic fitness more than dose-matched home balance training in individuals with cerebellar ataxias.

Cerebellar ataxias are a group of different disorders marked by progressive loss of coordination that leads to disability. About 150,000 people in the US live with these conditions, with mean annual health care costs above $18,000 per person. Ongoing trials are searching for treatments that slow disease progression and improve functional abilities. Clinical practice guidelines advise balance training for .

Previous work in ataxia has centered on balance-focused programs that can improve Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) scores by 1.0 to 2.8 points when exercises are sufficiently challenging, a range that meets or exceeds the minimal clinically significant difference of 1.0 point.

/* */