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Numerous studies have shown that men are more susceptible to cancer than women; however, the reason for this difference remains poorly understood. A new study by researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) has identified a key biological mechanism that puts men at higher risk of cancer: loss of function in certain genes of the sex-determining Y chromosome. […]
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Cancer-promoting genes MYC and TWIST1 co-opt immune system cells to enable cancer cells to spread, but blocking a key step in this process can help prevent the disease from developing. These findings, published today in eLife, may help clinicians to identify cancer patients at risk of metastasis, a process where cancer cells spread to other parts of the body. They […]
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An international team of scientists have confirmed that both rare and common mutations of our genes are linked to the development of breast cancer, including tumour characteristics and corresponding deadliness. Interestingly, they discovered that the rare mutations were linked to more aggressive tumours, while the common mutations were associated with less aggressive tumour characteristics. The study was led by Dr. […]
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A research team led by Fergus Couch, Ph.D., a geneticist at Mayo Clinic, has identified specific genes associated with an increased risk for developing triple-negative breast cancer. Their research was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. “Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive type of cancer that cannot be treated using targeted therapies,” says Dr. Couch. “It accounts […]
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A new approach to killing C. difficile that silences key bacterial genes while sparing other bacteria may provide a new way to treat the most common hospital-acquired bacterial infection in the United States, according to researchers. While conventional antibiotics treat bacterial infections, they can also cause a condition in the colon called C. difficile infection, due to the drug killing […]
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Erythropoietin (EPO) helps to protect and repair vulnerable brains though it remains a mystery how the anemia drug does so. Genetic analyses conducted by a multi-institutional research team finds that EPO may work its neuroprotective magic by modifying genes essential for regulating growth and development of nervous tissue as well as genes that respond to inflammation and hypoxia. Findings from […]
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High blood pressure—or hypertension—is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke that affects as many as 100 million Americans and 1 billion people worldwide. Decades of research have demonstrated that the relaxation response—the physiological and psychological opposite of the well-known fight-or-flight stress response that can be achieved through relaxation techniques like yoga or mediation – can reduce blood […]
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