Lifeboat Foundation

Scientists have long thought of the fluid-filled sac around our lungs merely as a cushion from external damage. Turns out, it also houses potent virus-eating cells that rush into the lungs during flu infections.

Not to be confused with phages, which are viruses that infect bacteria, these cells are macrophages, immune cells produced in the body.

“The name macrophage means ‘big eater.’ They gobble up bacteria, viruses, cancer cells, and dying cells. Really, anything that looks foreign, they take it up and destroy it,” said UC Riverside virologist Juliet Morrison, who led the discovery team. “We were surprised to find them in the lungs because nobody has seen this before, that these cells go into the lung when there’s an infection.”

A research paper published in Nature Cancer details new insights into the role of efferocytosis—the burying of dead cells—in pancreatic cancer that spreads to the liver.

Liver metastasis occurs in 40–50% of people with pancreatic ductal adenosarcoma (PDAC), and there are currently no effective therapies to cure pancreatic cancer patients that have liver metastasis.

Led by University of Liverpool’s Professor Michael Schmid and colleagues, this study found PDAC metastases to show high levels of immunosuppressive macrophages, a type of white blood cell that promotes tumor growth.

As the opioid crisis worsens, one Boston-based pharmaceutical company has used some impressive biology to create what it says amounts to a non-addictive, non-opioid painkiller.

As the New York Times reports, Vertex Pharmaceuticals seems to have shown some promising results in Phase 3 clinical trials, announced earlier this week in a statement, for patients who experienced “moderate-to-severe acute pain” after getting surgery.

Whereas opioids generally target both the brain and the body, which ultimately leads to their addictiveness, non-opioid drugs like Vertex’s VX-548 focus on peripheral nerves, or those outside of the brain and spine, the NYT explains. By blocking pain at the source, the logic goes, it can be averted before reaching the brain and developing the kind of feedback loop that lends itself to dependency.

The ability to extract trace bits of DNA from soil, water, and even air is revolutionizing science. But it’s not foolproof.

The short lifespan of conventional batteries means they either cannot be used or have significant drawbacks in situations where it is not feasible to charge or replace them. For example, pacemakers, satellites, high-altitude drones or even spacecraft are low-power electrical devices where long life of the energy source is needed.

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A new laser-based approach has been introduced to produce artificial cartilage using 3D printing technology.

In this approach, researchers from TU Wien printed living cells within tiny football-like spheroids.

The team hopes this technique could be used to cultivate lab-grown tissue capable of replacing damaged cartilage in humans. It is a strong connective tissue found in various parts of the body that protects our joints and bones.

New research from UBC Okanagan could make monitoring gut health easier and less painful by tapping into a common—yet often overlooked—source of information: the mucus in our digestive system that eventually becomes part of fecal matter.

Researcher Dr. Kirk Bergstrom and post-graduate student Noah Fancy of UBCO’s Biology department have discovered a non-invasive technique to study MUC2, a critical gut protein, from what we leave behind in the bathroom.

Theie findings are published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

A meta-analysis of 39 studies showed that circulating tumor DNA presence is a prognosis factor for solid tumors after curative therapy. ctDNA has high specificity but low sensitivity. It had better accuracy in surveillance compared to landmark analyses.

Results from phase two clinical trials at UT Southwestern Medical Center showed that a suspension of gold nanocrystals taken daily by patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) significantly reversed deficits of metabolites linked to energy activity in the brain and resulted in functional improvements.

The findings, published in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology (“Evidence of brain target engagement in Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis by the investigational nanomedicine, CNM-Au8, in the REPAIR phase 2 clinical trials”), could eventually help bring this treatment to patients with these and other neurodegenerative diseases, according to the authors.

Gold nanocrystals suspended in a water buffer represent a novel therapeutic agent developed by Clene Nanomedicine for neurodegenerative conditions. This nanomedicine, called CNM-Au8, is being investigated to treat patients with multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease in clinical trials at UT Southwestern. (Illustration: Random 42/Source: Clene Nanomedicine)