Patriotic Right

How skin cells protect themselves against stress

February 1, 2019 Tom Patriot

The skin is our largest organ, and, among other things, it provides protection against mechanical impacts. To ensure this protection, skin cells have to be connected to one another especially closely. Exactly how this mechanical stability is provided on the molecular level was unclear for a long time. Researchers in the team led by Prof. Carsten Grashoff from the Institute of Molecular Cell Biology at the University of Münster and the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry have been collaborating with colleagues at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and Stanford University…

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Defeating Glioblastoma

January 31, 2019 Tom Patriot

In cancer therapeutics research, microRNAs — tiny strings of nucleotides that get churned out inside cells — have been a source of both excitement and disappointment. While preclinical studies have found that microRNAs play an important role in cancer and other diseases, two cancer clinical trials to date using microRNAs showed little response and significant toxicity. A team of investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School has begun looking at these molecules in an entirely new way. Rather than modulating just one, they grouped together multiple microRNAs…

Want healthier eating habits? Start with a workout.

January 31, 2019 Tom Patriot

In the latest evidence that it’s worth sticking to your health-focused New Year’s resolutions, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have found that exercising regularly is linked to better eating habits. The new study, published this week in the International Journal of Obesity, looked at 2,680 young adults who were not exercising regularly or dieting. Scientists found that after exercising for several weeks, formerly sedentary study participants were more likely to choose foods like lean meats, fruits and vegetables, while preferences for fried foods, sodas and other unhealthy options…

How To Get Your Feet Ready For Sandal Season

January 31, 2019 Tom Patriot

We know it can be a little daunting to let your feet see the light of day ― or to let other people see your feet ― especially after they’ve been confined to thick socks and heavy boots, accumulating dead skin and forming calluses. It happens to all of us. (Neve Campbell, who once reportedly said she had “the ugliest feet in the world,” would understand.) If you ask us, prepping your feet for sandals is really just another form of self-care. If you spend time taking care of your…

Targeted Treatment Shrinks Deadly Pediatric Brain Cancer Tumors

January 30, 2019 Tom Patriot

Chemotherapy and radiation are effective cancer treatments because they kill rapidly dividing cells, including tumor cells. But for children — whose tiny bodies are still growing — these treatments can cause lifelong damage. This is particularly true for children with brain cancer, and researchers are working hard to find treatments that reduce side effects while remaining effective. Now, scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) have reported that a targeted therapy that blocks a protein called LSD1 was able to shrink tumors in mice with a form of…