Author: Tom Patriot

Compound that Prevents Breast Cancer Cells From Activating in the Brain Identified

Tom Patriot

Researchers at Houston Methodist used computer modeling to find an existing investigational drug compound for leukemia patients to treat triple negative breast cancer once it spreads to the brain. The Houston Methodist researchers culled through thousands of existing drugs to see if they could identify a compound that would prevent cancer cells from spreading, or metastasizing. They discovered edelfosine, which has been FDA-approved as an investigational leukemia treatment, and has also been used in clinical research for primary brain tumors. In the March 22 online issue of Cancer Research, scientists explained…

Read More

Modern Family’s Sarah Hyland Is Frustrated with ‘Doctors Not Listening’ to Her Health Struggles

Tom Patriot

Sarah Hyland is on the mend. The Modern Family star, 27, addressed her health struggles on social media Wednesday as she reached out to her fans and followers about her frustrations with some medical professionals. “For those who are chronically ill and in chronic pain: Have you had the experience of doctors not listening to you? If so, how do you not tear their heads off with your bare hands?” Hyland tweeted. Though the actress did not specifically state what caused her pain, she did share on Instagram that she will be taking…

Read More

Daily Dose of Violent Video Games Has No Long Term Effect on Adult Aggression

Tom Patriot

Playing violent action adventure games for prolonged periods does not make adults more aggressive say researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and the University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany. A new study led by Simone Kühn looked at the influence long-term violent video game play has on aggression levels, and compared this with playing a life simulation game or not playing a video game at all. The research is published in the Springer Nature journal Molecular Psychiatry. Previous experimental studies have shown that a few minutes’ worth of violent…

Read More

How Stephen Hawking Was Able to Live for So Long With ALS

Tom Patriot

Physicist, professor, and author Stephen Hawking died Wednesday at age 76, some five decades after being diagnosed at age 21 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. “ALS is a subset of a group of diseases called motor neuron diseases,” explains neurologist Heather A. Lau, MD, assistant professor in the department of neurology and director of the Lysosomal Storage Disease Program at NYU Langone Health. “ALS is typically a rapidly progressive neurologic disorder, progressing to death within a few years. Over time, you have progressive muscle weakness, which can include the muscles for swallowing and…

Read More

Autism’s Social Deficits Are Reversed By An Anti-Cancer Drug

Tom Patriot

Of all the challenges that come with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the social difficulties are among the most devastating. Currently, there is no treatment for this primary symptom of ASD. New research at the University at Buffalo reveals the first evidence that it may be possible to use a single compound to alleviate the behavioral symptoms by targeting sets of genes involved in the disease. The research, published today in Nature Neuroscience, demonstrated that brief treatment with a very low dose of romidepsin, a Food and Drug Administration-approved…

Read More