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When antigens such as a virus or bacteria invade our body, the immune system springs into action: it creates antibodies that stick to the antigens so that they can identify and destroy the intruders. Did you know that these Y-shaped proteins, AKA antibodies, have been revolutionizing the treatment of cancer, inflammatory disease and autoimmune disease, and many others? Therapeutic antibodies […]
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Researchers at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center have discovered a hyperactive cell signal that contributes to tumor growth in an aggressive blood cancer. They also developed an experimental therapeutic to block the signal and slow tumor growth. The researchers reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences they identified a novel therapeutic target for primary effusion […]
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A reconfigurable “body-on-a-chip” model could transform drug development by simultaneously measuring compound efficacy and toxicity, for both target cells and other organs, such as the heart and liver. These findings, published in Science Translational Medicine, demonstrate the ability of a body-on-a-chip model to truly revolutionize biomedical research and personalized medicine through more accurate and efficient preclinical testing without the use […]
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A clot in the retinal vein can lead to severe and irreversible loss of vision. In a report in the American Journal of Pathology investigators utilize a newly developed model of central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) in mice that mimics many of the clinical features of CRVO in humans to study the pathologic effects of retinal occlusion and demonstrate the […]
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Researchers at the University of Tsukuba and Kansai Medical University in Japan reveal matricellular protein Thrombospondin-1 (Thbs1) contributes to the development of aortic aneurysm in mice and humans. The thoracic aorta is constantly exposed to mechanical forces generated by heart contraction and blood flow. Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) are life-threatening diseases defined as a permanent abnormal dilatation of the thoracic […]
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Status epilepticus, a dangerous condition in which epileptic seizures follow one another for a duration of five or more minutes without the victim’s regaining consciousness between them, is the second most common neurological emergency in the United States, with a recorded maximum of around 150,000-plus cases per year. In 60-70 percent of cases, the patient responds to antiepileptic medications and […]
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UMBC researchers report novel method to quickly make therapeutic proteins from human blood Personalized medicine has incredible potential, but current approaches are still too expensive and time-consuming to have a big impact. A new paper in Scientific Reports looks at how to extract cellular protein synthesis machinery from human blood, and, by adding recombinant DNA to the extract, to produce […]
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