Lifeboat Foundation

A large team of cancer researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in Germany, working with a colleague from the U.S., has discovered some of the ways gut bacteria can positively impact treatments for cancer. In their study, published in the journal Nature, the group studied the impact of gut microbiota on chemotherapy given to patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Le Li and Florencia McAllister with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, have published a News and Views piece in the same journal issue, outlining the work done by the team in Germany.

Prior research has shown that chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer that has metastasized sometimes works well but is sometimes ineffective, and this difference may be tied to dietary resistance, though its source is not known. In this new study, the team in Germany looked at the possibility that certain microorganisms in the gut microbiome play a role in the process.

The team began their work by looking at samples of the gut microbiome of pancreatic cancer patients and found differences between those responding to treatment and those who were not. They also found that mice with sterilized guts who received biome samples from mice responding to chemotherapy also responded well.

A new study of 30 million people found that even small amounts of exercise could lower risk for heart disease, certain cancers and early death.

Patients with a large cerebral infarction have better functional recovery when they receive endovascular therapy early on in addition to usual medical management, a new study shows.

The trial was stopped early because a planned interim analysis showed efficacy of endovascular therapy in this patient population. #Stroke

A new study provides evidence for better functional recovery after endovascular therapy from a population of large-infarction strokes that could contribute to changing clinical practice.

Bruce Willis has FTD. I always wondered if gene therapy could help. Apparently so did Passage Bio, and they are doing clinical trials.

FTD is a disorder that affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, areas that control personality, executive function, and language. FTD is a form of early onset dementia and currently has no approved disease-modifying therapies. In approximately 5–10% of individuals with FTD, the disease occurs because of mutations in the GRN gene. These mutations cause a deficiency of progranulin that helps regulate cellular processes.

Continue reading “Gene Therapy Clinical Trial for Frontotemporal Dementia Has Begun” »

Thinks he now has the answer to time travel — but you thankfully won’t be needing a DeLorean like the hit 8’0s movie Back to the Future A scientist believes he has finally cracked the code to enable time travel after having a big ‘eureka’ moment as he lay in hospital.

An ongoing study led by Cedars-Sinai has demonstrated that certain gut bacteria may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes while others may provide protection against it. These are early results from a prospective study.

According to the study, which was published in the journal Diabetes, higher levels of the bacterium Coprococcus are associated with improved insulin.

Insulin is a hormone that regulates the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood. It is produced by the pancreas and released into the bloodstream when the level of glucose in the blood rises, such as after a meal. Insulin helps to transport glucose from the bloodstream into the cells, where it can be used for energy or stored for later use. Insulin also helps to regulate the metabolism of fat and protein. In individuals with diabetes, their body doesn’t produce enough insulin or doesn’t respond properly to insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels, which can lead to serious health problems if left untreated.

Over 1 million researchers have used the AI breakthrough that helps scientists better understand diseases. Here’s how AlphaFold came to be.

Inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis have complex disease mechanisms that can differ from patient to patient with the same diagnosis. This means that currently available drugs have little effect on many patients. Using so-called digital twins, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have now obtained a deeper understanding of the “off and on” proteins that control these diseases. The study, which is published in Cell Reports Medicine, can lead to more personalized drug therapies.

Many patients with inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, never feel fully healthy despite being on medication. It is a problem that causes significant suffering and expense.

In an inflammatory disease, thousands of genes alter the way they interact in different organs and cell types. Moreover, the pathological process varies from one patient to another with the same diagnosis, and even within the same patient at different times.

An on-going, worldwide shortage of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) means that many patients with a common and serious type of bladder cancer have limited access to this effective standard of care treatment. But for the first time in almost 50 years, there appears to be a viable treatment alternative.

A new study from the University of Iowa finds that a safe, inexpensive combo-chemotherapy is better tolerated than BCG and is better at preventing high-grade cancer recurrence in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

Bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the U.S., and NMIBC accounts for about 75% of bladder cancer cases. High-risk NMIBC has a significant risk of both recurrence and progression. Typical treatment for high-risk NMIBC involves surgical removal of the tumor followed by treatment with BCG.