Health & Fitness

A study has determined the role that fibroblasts, the cells that contribute to tissue formation, play in a tumor's ability to generate resistance to the most common biological treatment for HER2. The paper demonstrates the ability of a new therapy, currently undergoing clinical trials, to promote a potent immune response by binding to the fibroblasts, enabling it to overcome resistance to anti-HER2 therapy in tumors with this cancer cell protection mechanism.

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Diseases that affect mitochondria -- specialized compartments within cells that contain their own DNA and convert the food we eat into energy needed to sustain life -- typically interfere with mitochondrial function, but in these two patients, mitochondria were hyperactive.

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A new study compares the effectiveness of two antisepsis aqueous solutions in reducing the risk of infection in patients requiring surgery for open fractures. The research team found that contrary to current international recommendations, chlorhexidine gluconate was not superior to povidone-iodine in an alcohol or aqueous solution in preventing surgical site infection. The results suggest health care practitioners can select either aqueous-based antisepsis solution when treating open fractures on the basis of solution availability, patient contraindications, or product cost.

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Individuals with Down syndrome have less-frequent viral infections, but when present, these infections lead to more severe disease. New findings show that this is caused by increased expression of an antiviral cytokine type I interferon (IFN-I), which is partially coded for by chromosome 21. Elevated IFN-I levels lead to hyperactivity of the immune response initially, but the body overcorrects for this to reduce inflammation, leading to increased vulnerability later in the viral attack.

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The classic view of pain is that it protects by detecting and signaling the presence of harmful agents, but new research shows pain can shield the gut more directly.

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Scientists have created a novel thermoresponsive polymer by adding divalent cations to polymers and water solvents. They also succeeded in controlling thermoresponsive properties by changing the type and mixing ratio of ionic species. This new polymer type is expected to be applied as an analytical reagent for ion-sensing devices and as a material for drug delivery systems.

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Watch any episode of 'CSI,' and a character will use forensic DNA profiling to identify a criminal. A new study suggests that these forensic profiles may indirectly reveal medical information -- perhaps even those of crime victims -- contrary to what the legal field has believed for nearly 30 years. The findings could have ethical and legal implications.

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