Tag: cancer
New hope for accurate prognosis of prostate and blood cancers using 3D telomeric imaging and Lamin A/C
Professor Sabine Mai of the University of Manitoba, Canada, has been examining the links between genomic instability and cancer using 3D imaging of the genome. She has also collaborated on cutting-edge research, utilising a potential biomarker called Lamin A/C for determining the aggressiveness of Hodgkin’s lymphoma and the severity of Multiple Myeloma. This research is a first step toward circumventing […]
Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund: Cutting-edge regenerative medicine
The Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MCSRF) is devoted to developing and supporting innovative research into all aspects of stem-cell-based technologies. Through its diverse program structure, the MSCRF is intimately involved in every stage of the stem cell journey – from pre-clinical lab discovery to clinical patient trials. Importantly, it remains forward thinking, ensuring the next generation of researchers have […]
Asbestos and bile duct cancer
Professor Giovanni Brandi and Dr Simona Tavolari, from the University of Bologna, study the association between asbestos exposure and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Case-control analyses in Italy and four Nordic countries found strong associations between occupational exposure to asbestos and ICC. Therefore, asbestos is suggested as a risk factor for ICC development. This could be due to asbestos fibres becoming trapped […]
Is it possible to train medical experts using Artificial Intelligence (AI) training methods?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly gaining traction in all walks of human life. Today, apps that recognise and respond to human speech and self-driving cars are no longer the stuff of science fiction but facts of life. But what if AI – more specifically, a method called deep learning that is used for training smart computers – were used to […]
Novel cancer therapeutics could target ion channels
Although gynaecological cancers are amongst the most lethal cancers in women, treatments for the advanced stages of these cancers are scarce. Dr Saverio Gentile at the University of Illinois Cancer Center has been researching potassium ion channels as a potential target for novel cancer therapeutics. He has found that the use of potassium channel activators greatly reduced cell motility, tumour […]
The role of extra chromosomal circular DNA in rapid adaption to glyphosate resistance in pigweed
Plants, like other living organisms, have genetic stress-avoidance mechanisms that allow them to become resistant to specific chemicals when continuously exposed to them. Dr Christopher Saski from Clemson University and Dr William Molin from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are researching the extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) structure known as the replicon of pigweed, which contains the EPSPS gene, the gene […]
Quality of life for family caregivers is impacted by satisfaction with care
Cancer has an emotional and physical impact on caregivers as well as patients. If relatives are not happy with the care they are able to provide for the patient, this can impair their quality of life. Dr Miki Morishita-Kawahara at the Tokyo Women’s Medical University aims to understand better the factors that influence the quality of life of family caregivers […]
Capturing three-dimensional cell structure with X-ray tomography
Seeing cells is no easy task. Most cells are smaller than a tenth of the size of a human hair, making them impossible to see by eye. Optical microscopes, with the help of cell-staining to colour cells, can help us peer into the invisible world of cells. However, they only show us a 2D image of a very thin slice […]
Identifying the mitochondrial DNA mutations that cause cancer
Mutations that affect the mitochondrial DNA may play a key role in cancers. However, the exact mutations that are involved in cancer are still unknown. Dr Fatimata Mbaye and collaborators, from the University of Dakar in Senegal examined the sequences of two regions of the mitochondrial genome to identify and compare the mutations occurring in different cancers. Understanding the relationship […]
Overcoming resistance to cancer immunotherapy
Immunotherapy, which uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer, is a great step forward in cancer treatment. Unfortunately, however, it is currently ineffective in most patients. This resistance can be caused by a type of cell called a cancer-associated fibroblast, which builds protective defences around tumours. In a recent study, Professor Gareth Thomas and his team at the […]