Clinical Trials & Research

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers explored the crystalline structure of the monkeypox (MPX) virus (MPXV) and the complex of VP39, a 2′-O-RNA methyltransferase (MTase) and sinefungin, a pan-MTase inhibitor. Study: The structure of monkeypox virus 2’-O-ribose methyltransferase VP39 in complex with sinefungin provides the foundation for inhibitor design. Image

Scientists are still trying to understand why many breast cancer survivors experience troubling cognitive problems for years after treatment. Inflammation is one possible culprit. A new long-term study of older breast cancer survivors published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and co-led by UCLA researchers adds important evidence to that potential link. Higher levels

Elimination of transformed cells that can initiate cancer is necessary to maintain tissue integrity. In a new study, scientists from Tokyo University of Science show how this mechanism is regulated by the cellular process “autophagy.” They found that intact autophagic vacuoles are indispensable in mediating competitive elimination of cancer cells. Conversely, perturbation of autophagy prevents

A research team led by faculty at the Florida State University College of Medicine found the COVID-19 pandemic appeared to cause personality changes, especially in younger adults. The research, published in PLOS ONE, found that the population-wide stressor of the pandemic made younger adults moodier, more prone to stress, less cooperative and trusting and less

Nutrition intake during intervention To reduce the impact of daily dietary intake on gut microbiota, all participants were required to repast at a specific dining hall and record their food for calculating the daily intake of energy, protein, fat, and carbohydrate at the sampling weeks (week 0 and week 8), for which there were no

Numerous gastrointestinal diseases result in sideropenia (iron deficiency), which, when untreated, can lead to iron deficiency anemia. Sideropenia is observed in a wide range (36–76%) of individuals with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), whereas iron deficiency is found in 10–15% of celiac disease patients and escalates to 50% of patients after bariatric surgery. Image Credit: PharmaNutra

Expectant mothers in South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula and northern regions will benefit from greater access to specialist midwifery care, as the University of South Australia introduces the Bachelor of Midwifery at its Whyalla campus from 2023. Image Credit: University of South Australia The new offering will significantly bolster the regional midwifery workforce, providing much-needed local

In a recent study posted to bioRxiv*, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, demonstrated that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine booster elicits robust germinal center (GC) B cell responses. Several studies have reported that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine boosters enhance immune responses to ancestral SARS-CoV-2 and emergent variants

In a recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, researchers in the United States used mice models to understand how sleep fragmentation affects immunological responses and the epigenetic modifications of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). They also conducted a sleep restriction trial in humans to determine HPSC programming and hematopoiesis. Study: Sleep

New UMBC-led research in Frontiers in Microbiology suggests that viruses are using information from their environment to “decide” when to sit tight inside their hosts and when to multiply and burst out, killing the host cell. The work has implications for antiviral drug development. A virus’s ability to sense its environment, including elements produced by

Campbell BC, De Silva DA, Macleod MR, Coutts SB, Schwamm LH, Davis SM, et al. Ischaemic stroke. Nat Rev Dis Prim. 2019;5:1–22. Article  Google Scholar  Krishnamurthi RV, Ikeda T, Feigin VL. Global, regional and country-specific burden of ischaemic stroke, intracerebral haemorrhage and subarachnoid haemorrhage: a systematic analysis of the global burden of disease study 2017.

Model animals, such as mice and fruit flies, have provided scientists with powerful insights into how cellular biology works. However, model animals are really just a guide, and it can be risky to generalize findings across animals from studying a selection of model organisms. Cysteine is an important amino acid used in multiple biological processes,

Best fish for humans and Earth This graphic shows which types of seafood are both nutritious and better for the planet than eating meat. Looking at 41 seafood species, researchers established a nutritional score that accounted for essential nutrients, such as certain fats and vitamins. They then compared the species’ nutrient density with the greenhouse-gas

Cleveland Clinic received a $7.9 million five-year grant from the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health to form one of three national centers as part of the newly established Radiation Oncology-Biology Integration Network (ROBIN). Timothy Chan, M.D., Ph.D., Chair of the Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology, will serve as the primary

Study population The Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study (JPHC Study) is a prospective study performed using a population-based sample of 140,420 Japanese adults (68,722 men and 71,698 women) in two cohorts based on public health centre (PHC) areas: Cohort I (started in 1990, five PHC areas) and Cohort II (started in 1993, six PHC

For women and men, the risk factors for cardiovascular disease are largely the same, an extensive global study involving University of Gothenburg shows. The study, now published in The Lancet, includes participants in both high-income and medium- and low-income countries. Cardiovascular disease is more widespread in the latter. The data were taken from the Prospective

A nurse prepares to administer a malaria vaccine in Kenya.Credit: Baz Ratner/Reuters Malaria vaccine booster prolongs protection A promising malaria vaccine was up to 80% effective at preventing the disease in young children who received a booster shot one year after their initial dose, exceeding a World Health Organization (WHO) target of 75% efficacy. The

The pharmaceutical sector is constantly up against new challenges. Pharma manufacturing businesses are under constant pressure to deliver consistently excellent quality at cheaper prices owing to high research expenses, high productivity, and reliability. Additionally, as seen with COVID, businesses now need to accelerate their time to market. Due to all of this, creative solutions are

The National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center (NPDPSC) at Case Western Reserve University will receive up to $20 million in funding as part of a grant renewal from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to better understand how and why prion diseases––degenerative brain conditions found in both humans and animals-;develop and spread. The

In the lab, various phases of drug development occur in life sciences as new drugs and therapies are discovered and developed through extensive research. Labs are then used to ensure quality control monitoring as potential drugs move through process development on a pilot scale, followed by non-GMP and then GMP manufacturing. Analytical development happens extensively throughout

UC San Diego Health is the first hospital system in San Diego to offer a new, highly targeted and precisely placed radiation therapy that delays tumor regrowth while protecting healthy tissue in patients with brain cancer. As the only academic medical center in the region, UC San Diego Health is committed to offering patients with

FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020. Transforming Food Systems For Affordable Healthy Diets (FAO, 2020). FAO. Food balance sheets: a handbook. FAO http://www.fao.org/3/X9892E/X9892E00.htm (2001). Thar, C.-M. et al. A review of the uses and reliability of food balance sheets in health research. Nutr. Rev.