Blood test picks out cancers likely to benefit from targeted drugs

A simple and inexpensive blood test could pick out patients with stomach or oesophageal cancer who are likely to benefit from targeted treatment, a new study shows. The test, known as a liquid biopsy, detects cancer DNA in the bloodstream to reveal if stomach and oesophageal cancers are being driven by the presence of too […]

Trial shows no benefits of dairy foods for blood sugar regulation

Results from a new trial published by a team led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center suggests lower dairy intake may be beneficial for people with metabolic syndrome. In a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Dr. Mario Kratz, an associate professor in Fred Hutch’s Public Health Sciences Division, […]

Possible cause of COVID-19 blood clots found

One of the many dangers of COVID-19 is the disease’s mysterious ability to promote blood clots throughout the body. Now, a new study may explain why — the disease appears to spur the production of special antibodies known to trigger blot clots.  These so-called “autoimmune antibodies” or “autoantibodies” attack a person’s own tissues. Specific types […]

Blood test predicts ovarian cancer better than previously thought

A blood test already available to GPs in the UK is more predictive of ovarian cancer than previously thought and could also help pick up other forms of cancer, according to new research published in PLOS Medicine today (Wednesday) and funded by Cancer Research UK and NIHR. This study involving the University of Exeter was […]

Method to derive blood vessel cells from skin cells suggests ways to slow aging

Salk scientists have used skin cells called fibroblasts from young and old patients to successfully create blood vessels cells that retain their molecular markers of age. The team’s approach, described in the journal eLife on September 8, 2020, revealed clues as to why blood vessels tend to become leaky and hardened with aging, and lets […]

Chemicals in e-cigarettes 'damage cells in lungs and blood vessels'

Chemicals in e-cigarettes mix to form entirely new combinations that are toxic to lung cells and blood vessels, scientists discover Researchers tested the effects of vaping chemicals on human cells in lab tests They found when the chemicals mixed they became unstable and harmful Study adds to growing evidence that e-cigarettes are not safe or […]

World-first study on blood hormone could reduce cardiovascular deaths

A simple blood test could identify seemingly-healthy people with a high hidden risk of heart disease thanks to a world-first discovery by University of Otago, Christchurch researchers. Researchers from the University’s Christchurch Heart Institute studied the blood samples and cardiology scans of 665 healthy young and middle-aged people with no previous heart conditions. They found […]

New AI strategies automate assessments of stored blood, remove human subjectivity

Each year, nearly 120 million units of donated blood flow from donor veins into storage bags at collection centers around the world. The fluid is packed, processed and reserved for later use. But once outside the body, stored red blood cells (RBCs) undergo continuous deterioration. By day 42 in most countries, the products are no […]