New discoveries about cancer-causing genetic mutations may lead to improved ways of predicting and treating the disease. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the world, including in the United States. In fact, according to the CDC 1.7 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer and 600,000 people die from it each year. Moreover, [...]
UC Davis researchers seek to develop a non-addictive, monthly painkiller. During the pandemic, doctors employed infusions of monoclonal antibodies (lab-made antibodies) to help patients fight COVID-19 infections. University of California, Davis researchers are now attempting to develop monoclonal antibodies that may aid in the treatment of chronic pain. The objective is to create a monthly non-addictive pain medication [...]
Cancer cells are incredibly adaptable, much like stem cells. Researchers from the University of Basel have discovered substances that artificially mature breast cancer cells of the very aggressive triple-negative subtype and transform them into a state that is similar to normal cells. Cancer occurs when cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other organs. Cancer [...]
Across the tree of life, ribosomes, the tiny protein-producing factories within cells, are ubiquitous and look largely identical. Ribosomes that keep bacteria chugging along are, structurally, not much different from those churning out proteins in our own human cells. But even two organisms with similar ribosomes may display significant structural differences in the RNA and protein [...]
Scientists at Scripps Research have reported success in initial tests of a new, nanotech-based strategy against autoimmune diseases. The scientists, who reported their results in ACS Nano, engineered cell-like "nanoparticles" that target only the immune cells driving an autoimmune reaction, leaving the rest of the immune system intact and healthy. The nanoparticles greatly delayed, [...]
Nearly three years into the pandemic, many of us now carry antibodies against the virus—due to an infection or two, a few doses of mRNA vaccine, or a round of monoclonal-antibody treatment. But not all immune responses are created equal, and how we first developed our antibodies may influence the character of our body's [...]
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) recently announced that plants could be used to produce nanobodies that quickly block emerging pathogens in human medicine and agriculture. These nanobodies represent a promising new way to treat viral diseases, including SARS-CoV-2. Nanobodies are small antibody proteins naturally produced in specific [...]
This major scientific advance has implications for many fields, including energy-efficient computers and quantum technology. Until recently, physicists widely believed that it was impossible to compress light below the so-called diffraction limit, except when utilizing metal nanoparticles, which also absorb light. As a result, it seemed to be impossible to compress light strongly in dielectric [...]
By and large, patients today receive a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s only after they exhibit well-known signs of the disease, such as memory loss. By that point, the best treatment options simply slow further progression of symptoms. However, research has shown that the seeds of Alzheimer’s disease are planted years — even decades — earlier, long before [...]
A device that applies sound waves to divide and sort minute particles located in the blood within minutes has been developed by Engineers at Duke University. The technology is established on a concept referred to as “virtual pillars” and could be advantageous to scientific research and for medical applications. Minute biological nanoparticles known as “small extracellular vesicles” [...]
