Category Biology/Biotechnology

As far as healthy foods go, berries make the top of the list. They contain potent antioxidants, which decrease or reverse the effects of free radicals. Unsurprisingly, the benefits of berries are extoled in one study after another. It is usually the exotic Goji, Acerola or Acai berries that make the headlines as Superfoods, but for the health-savvy European consumer the native homegrown species could be even more alluring.The research suggests that black raspberries grown in Central Europe show greater health benefits than their better known cousins – raspberries or blackberries.

A group of researchers led by Anna Małgorzata Kostecka-Gugała measured the content of phenolics and anthocyanins in black raspberries, red raspberries and blackberries, assessing their antioxidant potential ...

Bexarotene prodrug in nanobubble form is inserted directly into the tumor using a flexible catheter. Ultrasound ablation therapy to ‘pop’ the bubbles to release the agent. Credit: University of Illinois

A novel method for repositioning an FDA-approved anti-cancer compound has been discovered, which allows it to specifically target liver cancer tumors. A ‘triple attack’ technique combining chemotherapy, thermal ablation, and hyperthermia provided a highly targeted, yet minimally invasive approach.

“In this study, we re-purposed the topical agent bexarotene (Targretin®) – currently in limited use for cutaneous manifestations of T-cell lymphomas – and re-engineered it for use in solid tumor applications by forming self-assembling nanobubbles,” explained Assistant Prof. Dipanjan Pan...

Father feeding child (stock image). Credit: © YakobchukOlena / Fotolia

A new study sheds light on how. Researchers in Associate Professor Romain Barrès’ laboratory compared sperm cells from 13 lean men and 10 obese men and discovered that the sperm cells in lean and obese men, respectively, possess different epigenetic marks that could alter the next generation’s appetite, as reported in the medical journal Cell Metabolism.

A second major discovery was made as researchers followed 6 men before and 1 year after gastric-bypass surgery to find out how the surgery affected the epigenetic information contained in their sperm cells. The researchers observed an average of 4,000 structural changes to sperm cell DNA from the time before surgery, directly after, and 1 year later.

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Clockwise from top left: A tumor (blue arrows) is heated with ultrasound (red dashed line); heat map of tumor during treatment; PET scan shows nanoparticles in surviving tumor margin; bright contrast agent shows area damaged by heat. Credit: Andrew Wong/UC Davis

Thermal ablation with magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS) is a noninvasive technique for treating fibroids and cancer. New research from UC Davis shows that combining the technique with chemotherapy can allow complete destruction of tumors in mice. MRgFUS combines an ultrasound beam that heats and destroys tissue with a magnetic resonance imaging to guide the beam and monitor the effects of treatment...