Body

The evolution of resistance to diseases, from infectious illnesses to cancers, poses a formidable challenge. Despite the expectation that resistance-conferring mutations would dwindle in the absence of treatment due to a reduced growth rate, preexisting resistance is pervasive across diseases that evolve -- like cancer and pathogens -- defying conventional wisdom. The evolution of resistance

Our immune system is always on alert, detecting and eliminating pathogens and cancer cells. Cellular control mechanisms cause diseased cells to present antigens on their surface like signs for the immune system. For analysis of the necessary complex antigen processing and transport processes in real time, researchers have developed a 'cage' that is opened with

Researchers have found that two of the most frequently administered stem cell therapies, which are often used interchangeably, actually contain completely different types of cells. Researchers from University of California San Diego have found that two of the most frequently administered stem cell therapies, which are often used interchangeably, actually contain completely different types of

In order for immune cells to effectively kill cancer cells, a triad of three cells are necessary -- a dendritic cell, a cytotoxic 'killer' T cell, and a helper T cell, researchers have found. The discovery could alter the way doctors administer immunotherapies. There's a frustrating fact about today's immunotherapies for cancer. While sometimes they

Bioengineering researchers developed ultrasmall, stable gas-filled protein nanostructures that could revolutionize ultrasound imaging and drug delivery for cancers and infectious diseases. Bioengineering researchers at Rice University have developed ultrasmall, stable gas-filled protein nanostructures that could revolutionize ultrasound imaging and drug delivery. Unlike current microbubbles or nanobubbles that are too large to cross biological barriers effectively

Switching from a diet high in saturated animal fats to one rich in plant-based unsaturated fats affects the fat composition in the blood, which in turn influences long-term disease risk. A study shows that it is possible to accurately measure diet-related fat changes in the blood and directly link them to the risk of developing

A new study finds four in 10 cancer cases and about one-half of all cancer deaths in adults 30 years old and older in the United States (or 713,340 cancer cases and 262,120 cancer deaths in 2019) could be attributed to modifiable risk factors, including cigarette smoking, excess body weight, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, diet

The American Journal of Human Genetics recently published a perspective piece on the need for an equitable and inclusive future for DNA and ancient DNA (aDNA) research in Africa. The paper highlights the fact that, while DNA from ancient and living African peoples is increasingly critical to the study of human evolution, African scientists remain

A method to screen a wide variety of drug candidates without laborious purification steps could advance the fight against drug-resistant bacteria. A method to screen a wide variety of drug candidates without laborious purification steps could advance the fight against drug-resistant bacteria. Efforts to combat the increasing threat of drug-resistant bacteria are being assisted by

Using genomes from 2,000 living humans as well as three Neanderthals and one Denisovan, an international team mapped the gene flow between the hominin groups over the past quarter-million years. Ever since the first Neanderthal bones were discovered in 1856, people have wondered about these ancient hominins. How are they different from us? How much

As many as half of all patients admitted to hospital and other healthcare facilities are malnourished. This has serious consequences for the individual in terms of unnecessary suffering, poorer quality of life and mortality. Providing nutrients can alleviate these problems, but not enough attention is paid to this knowledge, according to researchers in a new

Researchers have developed a simple way to bring bacteriophage therapy into much closer reach for clinicians struggling to save patients with antimicrobial-resistant infections. The technology makes it possible to sort through hundreds or even thousands of phages in less than two hours to identify which will respond to a particular infection. The great promise of