Researchers at the University of Utah School of Medicine have identified a new therapeutic target to treat patients with type 1 diabetes. The study, which will be published December 9 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), reveals that inhibiting a protein called OCA-B protects mice from type 1 diabetes by limiting the activity of immune […]
Stem cell transplant benefits older adults with MDS
(HealthDay)—Among older patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), survival rates are better for those undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, held virtually from Dec. 5 to 8. Ryotaro Nakamura, M.D., from the City of Hope in Duarte, California, and colleagues conducted […]
Immunogenic ferroptotic cancer cell death: A new approach in cancer immunotherapy
The interdisciplinary team of scientists from three different countries (Belgium, Italy, and Russia) under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Dmitri V. Krysko (Ghent University, Belgium) unravels the immunogenicity of ferroptotic cancer cells. Cell death is an essential biological process that plays an active role both during human embryonic development and in the onset of various […]
Common mutation in Parkinson’s disease increases cell calcium, may cause brain cell death
Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have mapped out the cellular pathway that connects the most common genetic mutation associated with Parkinson’s disease to brain cell death. In a new study, they show that the mutation initiates a biological pathway that could target brain cells most susceptible to the patterns of cell death leading to Parkinson’s disease […]
A small T cell switch with a big impact
T cells play a key role in the human immune system. They are capable of distinguishing diseased or foreign tissue from the body’s own, healthy tissue with great accuracy; they are capable of triggering the actions necessary to fight off the troublemakers. The details of this immune response are manifold and the individual steps are […]
Prototype graft, designed to replace damaged heart vessels, shows promise in cell study
In a proof-of-concept study, North Carolina State University researchers reported promising preclinical findings for a prototype of a vascular graft designed as a replacement for a damaged or blocked coronary artery, which supplies blood to the heart. The findings, which were made in partnership with researchers from Case Western Reserve University, are part of an […]
Brain cell death in ALS, dementia tied to loss of key biochemical transport structure in nucleus
Researchers have long sought to explain precisely how the most common genetic mutation linked to both amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia causes the death of nerve cells. Now, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report new evidence that the mutation slowly disrupts the vital transport system of proteins, enzymes and other material in and out […]
How picornaviruses enter the host cell
Picornaviruses comprise a family of viruses that can cause a number of diseases, including polio, meningitis, and in rare cases, myocarditis, encephalitis and paralysis. In a new biomedical science dissertation from Linnaeus University, Helena Vandesande has studied, among other things, how picornaviruses infect the host cell and take over its machinery to replicate more virus […]
Immune cell steroids help tumours suppress the immune system, offering new immunotherapy targets
A study has revealed that tumors can evade the immune system by telling immune cells to produce immunosuppressive steroids. Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, and MRC Cancer Unit, discovered that immune T cells from mouse skin and breast tumors secrete steroids, and that preventing this steroid production reduced […]
Fat cell hormone boosts potential of stem cell therapy
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the potential to differentiate into a range of different cell types, including bone, fat and muscle cells. But it’s their ability to stimulate the repair of damaged tissue that has captured the interest of researchers worldwide, with MSCs demonstrating therapeutic effects in the treatment of conditions such as heart disease, […]