Category Biology/Biotechnology

Signpost of cancer linked to wound-healing properties

Graphic illustration of a person's upper torso, as seen from the back, with red color and white dots and lines centered on an area to indicate pain.
ASU researchers Jordan Yaron and Kaushal Rege have found that the previously mysterious protein SerpinB3 plays a vital role in the body’s natural wound-healing process. Their findings could lead to better treatments for hard-to-heal wounds and open new avenues for tackling cancer and other diseases. Graphic by Jason Drees/ASU

SerpinB3 turns out to be both a healing powerhouse and a cancer accomplice—revealing new possibilities for medicine. Researchers have uncovered that SerpinB3, typically linked to severe cancers, is also a key player in natural wound healing. The protein drives skin cell movement and tissue rebuilding, especially when paired with next-generation biomaterial dressings...

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Hidden household toxin triples liver disease risk, study finds

Household Toxin Triples Liver Disease Risk
Exposure to PCE can significantly raise the risk of liver fibrosis, regardless of traditional liver disease factors. Scientists warn that environmental toxins like PCE may explain unexplained cases of liver damage. Credit: Shutterstock

PCE, a dry-cleaning chemical found in many everyday products, has been linked to tripled risk of serious liver damage. Scientists have uncovered a new environmental culprit behind liver disease: tetrachloroethylene (PCE), a chemical used in dry cleaning and household products. The study found that people with PCE exposure were three times more likely to develop severe liver scarring, even when traditional risk factors like alcohol or obesity were absent...

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Hidden weakness makes prostate cancer self-destruct

Hidden Weak Spot May Help Defeat Prostate Cancer
Scientists have identified a major weakness in prostate cancer cells by uncovering two enzymes, PDIA1 and PDIA5, that help the disease survive and resist treatment. Blocking these enzymes destabilizes the androgen receptor, the main driver of prostate cancer, causing tumor shrinkage and cell death. Credit: Shutterstock

Scientists found a hidden flaw in prostate cancer’s survival system. Researchers have discovered that prostate cancer depends on two key enzymes, PDIA1 and PDIA5, to survive and resist therapy. When blocked, these enzymes cause the androgen receptor to collapse, killing cancer cells and enhancing the effects of drugs like enzalutamide. They also disrupt the cancer’s energy system, striking it on multiple fronts...

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Turning the gut microbiome into a longevity factory

New research finds that low doses of the antibiotic cephalordine induces the cps operon in bacteria, visualized in red. This operon is responsible for synthesizing colanic acids, resulting in attenuation of age-related metabolic changes. Credit: Meng Wang

A team of researchers has found a way to turn the bacteria living in the digestive tracts of animals into factories that can produce compounds that promote longevity in their hosts—showing a potential new drug development strategy.

Janelia Senior Group Leader Meng Wang and her team study longevity and were interested in seeing how they could transfer their research findings about longevity-promoting compounds into practical applications.

One idea they had was to induce the body’s gut microbiota—a collection of bacteria in th...

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