Researchers 3-D bio-print a model that could lead to improved anticancer drugs and treatments

University of Minnesota researchers have developed a way to study cancer cells which could lead to new and improved treatment. They have developed a new way to study these cells in a 3-D in vitro model (i.e. in a culture dish rather than in a human or animal). In a paper recently published in Advanced Materials, Angela Panoskaltsis-Mortari, Ph.D., Vice […]

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Long-term prognosis of Chagas patients improved with anti-parasite drug

Researchers have found that the anti-parasite drug benznidazole may improve the long-term prognoses of patients with chronic Chagas disease, according to a study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, by Clareci Silva Cardoso at the Federal University of São João del-Rei, Divinópolis, Brazil, and colleagues from the SaMi-Trop study, a project funded by NIAID/NIH. Caused by exposure to the protozoa […]

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Low/no calorie soft drinks linked to improved outcomes in advanced colon cancer patients

Drinking artificially-sweetened beverages is associated with a significantly lower risk of colon cancer recurrence and cancer death, a team of investigators led by a Yale Cancer Center scientist has found. The study was published today in the journal PLOS ONE. “Artificially sweetened drinks have a checkered reputation in the public because of purported health risks that have never really been […]

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Study results may lead to improved diagnostics for breast cancer

A study in Molecular Oncology indicates that examining the protein and RNA in leftover materials from routine diagnostic tests for breast cancer may lead to more accurate diagnoses. Using samples from fine needle aspiration from 25 patients with breast cancer and 33 patients with benign lesions, investigators found that such a strategy could distinguish all cancer patient samples from all […]

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Newly-approved therapy provides improved quality of life for midgut neuroendocrine tumor patients

Midgut neuroendocrine tumors are a rare type of cancer that develops in the small intestine and colon. Roughly 12,000 people are diagnosed with this disease each year. In January, the United Stated Food and Drug Administration approved Lutathera, a first-of-its-kind peptide receptor radionuclide therapy. The injection consists of a somatostatin analog combined with a radioactive isotope that directly targets neuroendocrine […]

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For stroke victims, brain magnetic stimulation leads to improved walking speed

A technique of magnetic stimulation of the brain can increase walking speed in patients who are undergoing rehabilitation after a stroke, reports a research update in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, the official journal of the Association of Academic Physiatrists. Noninvasive repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) – especially high-frequency stimulation on the same side of the brain […]

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HCV-related liver transplantation and post-transplant survival rates in Europe have improved rapidly

HCV-related liver transplantation rates in Europe have declined dramatically since the availability of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs and survival rates after transplantation have reached an all-time high. A study presented today at The International Liver Congress 2018 in Paris, France, has found that the percentage of liver transplants performed as a result of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has more […]

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Treating women subsistence farmers for intestinal worms improved fitness and could boost food production

A new study in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) found that treating women subsistence farmers with just a single dose of a cheap deworming medication significantly improved their physical stamina for the grueling agriculture work needed for their family’s survival. The results of treatment could be twofold: improved health for farming women and increased food production by women who […]

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