Science Trends

The device gives treatments for tumors a boost in lab animals. Solid tumors, such as those formed in breast cancer (SEM image of breast cancer cells shown), can be low-oxygen environments. A new battery wraps around tumors and further deprives them of oxygen. STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images It’s not great when a person sucks all the oxygen out of a room. When a battery does it to a tumor, though, it could be a good thing. A tiny self-charging battery wrapped around a tumor removes oxygen from the cancer cells’ environment, boosting the power of some cancer therapies, a study in mice shows. Mice that had small batteries wrapped around their breast cancer tumors, combined with cancer therapy, showed a  90 percent decrease in tumor volume  in two weeks, researchers report March 31 in  Science Advances .  Solid tumors, such as  those that can develop in breast cancer , often grow rapidly — so rapidly that the tumor’s growth is faster than its b...

A variant of the gene  PCSK9   may spur breast cancer’s spread. An approved antibody might stop it. A commonly inherited version of the  PCSK9  gene may spur breast cancer cells to migrate to other parts of the body (metastasis illustrated). The gene is known for its role in raising cholesterol, and there's already a lab-made antibody for treating it that may also stop the cancer spread. Wildpixel/iStock/Getty Images Plus A gene involved in setting cholesterol levels may also determine whether breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body. A variant of the  PCSK9  gene  drives the spread of breast cancer , but a lab-made antibody already approved to treat high cholesterol may help stop the exodus, researchers report December 9 in  Cell . For years, researchers have been examining normal tissue and breast cancer tumors that had spread to other parts of the body trying — and failing — to find mutations that spur the migration, says oncologist and...

Timolina/Shutterstock I have been on a vegetarian diet (no eggs as well) since several months now and to be honest, I love it. Okay, let me rephrase that. My mind loves it. I have an intense sense of clarity, my daily meditation sessions are deep and intense and my mind feels lighter. But my body disagrees strongly. Since focusing on a plant-based diet, I am tired, constantly. No matter how much I eat or how well, I am sleepy and pooped. But it didn’t start off like this. The first few months I was bursting with physical and mental energy and it was amazing! But then the phase ended and my body plummeted into a deep state of exhaustion and I am trying to recover to the best of my ability. And because of this constant fatigue, I am craving sugar, a lot so I am trying to beat my exhaustion with anything sweet: fruits, candy, dark chocolates. But that’s not the end of it. I am also feeling a persistent and annoying lower back pain. It nagging, irritating and very uncomf...

Laurence Zitvogel,   Nicola Segata,   Jonathan Peled  and  Maria Rescigno   Abstract Simple Summary The microbiome in cancer immunotherapy: Diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies Cancer immunotherapy is a treatment modality that involves the stimulation of the patient’s immune system to fight off tumors. Although efficient in limiting the disease progression of several solid tumors, including lung cancer and melanoma, some patients may have poor outcomes. This review focuses on the role of the gut microbiota (the microbial community residing in the gastrointestinal tract) in immunity and cancer immunotherapy. Manipulation of the gut microbiota with dietary interventions or fecal microbiota transplantation to enhance response to immunotherapy could pave the way for personalized therapies with improved efficacy. Chaired by  Luca Danelli The microbiota can influence the immune system and modulate response to cancer immunotherapy. In this webinar, our spe...

  Picture: A Heart, Source:  Magic Design™: Free Online AI Design Tool New Insights into the Heart's Circadian Mechanism Scientists have uncovered a new cellular mechanism that allows the mammalian heart to align with circadian rhythms, shedding light on why some individuals may face increased cardiac risks. Circadian rhythms, biological processes that operate on a 24-hour cycle, govern crucial bodily functions such as sleep-wake cycles, metabolism, and cognition. The heart, long known to follow this biological clock, experiences changes like elevated heart rates in the morning and reduced rates at night. However, the precise cellular processes driving these fluctuations have remained elusive. Discovery of an Ion Transport System Researchers at the MRC Laboratory for Molecular Biology at the University of Cambridge, led by circadian biologist Alessandra Stangherlin, have identified an ion transport system in mouse heart cells that plays a pivotal role. This system enables h...