news 2024

VUB Research Team Presents Innovative Local Treatment for Osteolytic Bone Disease in Multiple Myeloma A team of researchers from the Translational Oncology Research Centre (TORC) of Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), in collaboration with leading German universities, has developed a new biomaterial with high potential in in the treatment of bone lesions or minimal residual disease in multiple myeloma patients.

Antibody that Neutralizes Inhibitory Factors Involved in Nerve Regeneration Leads to Enhanced Motor Function Antibodies can improve the rehabilitation of people with acute spinal cord injury. Researchers at 13 clinics in Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Spain have investigated this with promising results.

A MedUni Vienna study has identified a new approach to the drug treatment of metabolic liver diseases. In an experimental study, pharmacological inhibition of an enzyme that plays a central role in fat metabolism promoted liver health reduced liver fat, inflammation and fibrotic remodeling (connective tissue scarring).

Scientists at EPFL have developed "lymphomoids," a pioneering cancer model that preserves the structure and multicellular composition of lymphoma tumors in the lab. Lymphomoids offer an innovative way to test the efficacy of lymphoma treatments and better predict individual responses. Cancer is notoriously complex, with each tumor responding to different therapies.

Scientists have identified strains of one of the world's most dangerous fungal pathogens, already resistant to our most effective antifungal drugs, which are also 5-times more likely to acquire resistance to desperately needed new treatments in development. The study - led by two University of Manchester researchers and published in Nature Communications - significantly advances our understanding of how Aspergillus fumigatus rapidly develops drug resistance.

Preclinical study suggests the compound could restore lost muscle for patients with the rare degenerative disorder A novel drug holds promise for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a rare genetic disorder that causes severe muscle degeneration. McGill researchers have discovered that an experimental compound called K884 can boost the natural repair abilities of muscle stem cells.

As much as targeted therapy using so-called EGFR inhibitors has proven its worth for various types of tumours, possible side effects can be very stressful for patients. Scarring alopecia - permanent hair loss that can only be delayed but not reversed - is particularly cause for concern. Researchers at MedUni Vienna have now identified JAK inhibitors as active substances that can reactivate hair growth.

These small particles are reminiscent of paper flowers or desert roses. Physicians can use them to guide medicines to a precise destination within the body. Better yet, the particles can easily be tracked using ultrasound as they scatter sound waves. How can medicines be directed to the precise location within the body where they need to act? Scientists have been researching this question for a long time.

MASH is a growing pandemic worldwide, with obesity and diabetes on the rise. It is also an area of significant unmet medical need. François Pattou Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly referred to as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), impacts roughly 30% of the global adult population.

An MRI-based imaging technique developed at the University of Cambridge predicts the response of ovarian cancer tumours to treatment, and rapidly reveals how well treatment is working, in patient-derived cell models. We can image a tumour pre-treatment to predict how likely it is to respond, and then we can image again immediately after treatment to confirm whether it has indeed responded Kevin Brindle The technique, called hyperpolarised carbon-13 imaging, can increase the detected signal in an MRI scanner by more than 10,000 times.

Cambridge scientists have developed a urine test for early detection of lung cancer. The test, the first of its kind, detects 'zombie' cells that could indicate the first signs of the disease. Researchers hope that early detection, through the simple urine test, could enable earlier treatment interventions, significantly improving patient outcomes and prognosis.

University of Queensland research has found antimicrobial usage is significantly higher in affluent communities in Australia. Samples have been collected from 50 wastewater treatment plants in locations across Australia servicing about 11.3 million people. Dr Jake O'Brien from UQ's Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences said the team screened samples for approximately 100 antimicrobial compounds and compared the findings with socioeconomic factors linked to the locations.

MIT chemical engineers designed an environmentally friendly alternative to the microbeads used in some health and beauty products. Microplastics are an environmental hazard found nearly everywhere on Earth, released by the breakdown of tires, clothing, and plastic packaging. Another significant source of microplastics is tiny beads that are added to some cleansers, cosmetics, and other beauty products.

A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Waterloo analyzed data from nearly 500,000 Canadian patients who lived in nursing homes across Canada between 2000 and 2022. It found that residents who were given antipsychotic medications showed a significant worsening of their behaviours. In fact, nearly 68 per cent of residents who used antipsychotics had more problems with their behaviour during follow-up checks.

Advanced liver disease is the second most common cause of lost working years, as it disproportionately affects young patients. Possible complications of these diseases can often be traced back to high blood pressure in the blood circulation of the liver - portal hypertension. Under the leadership of Mattias Mandorfer from the Clinical Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna, the NICER model has now been developed, which can calculate the percentage probability of the presence of portal hypertension without an invasive procedure.

A new generation of wearable sensors will fundamentally change medicine. Researchers at ETH Zurich have now published an overview showing what is possible with such sensors and what questions their developers should consider to ensure their successful future use. Using a smartwatch to measure pulse, and a smartphone app to monitor blood pressure: wearable sensors already track some of the body's vital functions fairly reliably, and some of these devices can already be used in clinical diagnostics.

Researchers have uncovered a serious side effect of using the CRISPR-Cas gene scissors. A molecule designed to make the process more efficient destroys parts of the genome. Genome editing with various CRISPR-Cas molecule complexes has progressed rapidly in recent years. Hundreds of labs around the world are now working to put these tools to clinical use and are continuously advancing them.

Around 32% of people who have had prior damage from lung diseases will die after five years if they also get a common fungal infection, a major global review has found. The review also finds that 15% of people with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) die in the first year following other lung diseases.

An affordable and effective nutritional approach to help reduce inflammation and prevent Type 2 diabetes. The team led by May Faraj, Professor of Nutrition at Université de Montréal and Director of the Nutrition, Lipoproteins and Cardiometabolic Diseases Research Unit at the Montréal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM), sheds new light on the role of marine-source omega-3 supplementation in treating adipose tissue inflammation and reducing the risk for cardiometabolic diseases like Type 2 diabetes.

The first computer algorithm capable of identifying which tumour cells are driving aggressive cancer growth has been developed by Cancer Research scientists from UCL and The Francis Crick Institute. The innovative algorithm, called SPRINTER*, analyses individual cells within a tumour to identify those that are growing the most rapidly.