Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: biotech/medical – Page 24

Brain’s immune response linked to olfactory problems associated with Alzheimer’s

A fading sense of smell can be one of the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s disease even before cognitive impairments manifest. Research by scientists at DZNE and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) sheds new light on this phenomenon, pointing to a significant role for the brain’s immune response, which seems to fatally attack neuronal fibers crucial for the perception of odors.

The study, published in Nature Communications, is based on observations in mice and humans, including analysis of brain tissue and so-called PET scanning. These findings may help to devise ways for and, consequently, early treatment.

The researchers came to the conclusion that these olfactory dysfunctions arise because immune cells of the brain called “microglia” remove connections between two brain regions, namely the olfactory bulb and the .

Space mice babies: Stem cells cryopreserved in space produce healthy offspring

Features of spaceflight such as gravitational changes and circadian rhythm disruption—not to mention radiation—take a toll on the body, including muscle wasting and decreased bone density. These may even affect the ability to produce healthy offspring.

Studying the impact of spaceflight on —egg and sperm precursor cells—is particularly important because they directly influence the next generation, and any irreversible damage done to these will likely be transmitted to offspring. Previous examinations of embryonic that have undergone spaceflight have revealed abnormalities, but the exact cause of the damage has remained unknown.

This inspired a team of researchers at Kyoto University to test the potential damage to spermatogonial stem cells during spaceflight and the resulting offspring. The team utilized stem cells from , which have a much shorter reproductive life span than humans.

BioNxt advances chemotherapy delivery platform to revolutionise cancer treatment

Hugh Rogers, CEO of BioNxt Solutions, commented: Our team is dedicated to advancing targeted chemotherapy delivery technology to help improve the standard of care for cancer patients.

We look forward to sharing further updates as the programme moves forward.

Unlike conventional chemotherapy, which circulates toxic agents system-wide, BioNxt’s proprietary targeted drug delivery system (TDDS) uses a dual-action mechanism that zeroes in on tumours while safeguarding healthy cells.

Once the drug reaches the tumour environment, it becomes activated and begins releasing its chemotherapeutic payload. Meanwhile, any drug molecules that stray beyond the tumour are rapidly neutralised, only to be reactivated if they re-enter the tumour zone.

BioNxt Solutions unveils a revolutionary chemotherapy delivery platform that targets tumours directly, boosting treatment effectiveness.

Biologists identify targets for new pancreatic cancer treatments

Researchers from MIT and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have discovered that a class of peptides expressed in pancreatic cancer cells could be a promising target for T-cell therapies and other approaches that attack pancreatic tumors.

Known as cryptic peptides, these molecules are produced from sequences in the genome that were not thought to encode proteins. Such peptides can also be found in some healthy cells, but in this study, the researchers identified about 500 that appear to be found only in pancreatic tumors.

Cryptic peptides, which are expressed in pancreatic cancer cells, could be promising targets for T-cell therapies that attack pancreatic tumors, according to a study from MIT and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Northeastern researchers identify proteins receptive to treating ovarian cancer

Researchers at Northeastern University have identified two proteins abundant on drug-resistant ovarian cancer cells that become receptive to chemotherapy when treated with light.

Published in the journal Photochemistry and Photobiology, the research findings represent promising progress in the treatment of one of the most deadly forms of cancer. By targeting cancer cells with photo-sensitive antibodies and then shining light on them, researchers have made previously untreatable tumors receptive to drugs.

(This may be a repost, but still cool. Reposts are cool because it is a sign of something to pay attention to.)

Researchers have developed a light-based ovarian cancer therapy that makes tumors more receptive to chemotherapy.

Study finds viruses rely on diverse RNA traits to pack their genomes with precision

Researchers at San Diego State University and Michigan State University are shedding new light on how viruses meticulously pack their genetic material — a breakthrough that could help researchers engineer antivirals and gene therapies.

The future of AI is human: Rice, Baylor College of Medicine to lead Center for Humanities-based Health AI Innovation

CHHAIN, supported by a $500,000 NEH grant, will serve as a central hub for exploring how humanities-based insights, particularly those grounded in ethics, history and patient narratives, can shape the future of responsible AI in health care.

Exercise and the Organ-Brain Axis: Regulation of Neurological Disorders by Emerging Exerkines

Research on exercise and brain disorders has traditionally focused on its direct regulatory effects on neurons and synapses, neglecting peripheral organ-mediated pathways. To address this gap, this review proposes the novel concept of the “multi-organ-brain axis.” This concept posits that during brain disorders, functional alterations in peripheral organs such as skeletal muscle, heart, liver, adipose tissue, and spleen can disrupt metabolic and immune homeostasis, thereby bidirectionally modulating brain function via signaling molecules and metabolites.

/* */