Category Health/Medical

Scientists discover key to a Potential Natural Cancer Treatment’s Potency

The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute is home to one of the world's largest and most historic collections of microbial natural products.
Within the glass vials of the Natural Products Discovery Center at The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, scientists have discovered two useful new enzymes which may help them create medicines for cancer and other conditions.

Natural products collection reveals novel enzymes with surprising properties. Scientists have discovered two enzymes that enable bacteria to target and break up DNA. This chemical defense likely evolved to help the organism fight off germs. The chemical riches were found within the institute’s one-of-a-kind Natural Products Discovery Center collection.

Slumbering among thousands of bacterial strains in a collection of natural specimens at The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology,...

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New Medication given every 1-3 months may Slash Stubborn High Cholesterol

Organs in the body - transparent illustration
Organs in the body – transparent illustration
Heart disease is the Number 1 killer in the United States.
Brain, right lung, left lung, heart, right kidney, left kidney.
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While currently available PCSK9 inhibitor medications to lower cholesterol must be administered every few weeks by injection, a new, investigational PCSK9 inhibitor called recaticimab safely lowered bad cholesterol more than 50% when injected every 1-3 months, depending on dose.

A new PCSK9 inhibitor (recaticimab) injected every one to three months may work safely and provide more flexible dosing to lower cholesterol, according to late-breaking science presented today at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2023. The meeting, Nov...

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Scientists use Quantum Biology, AI to Sharpen Genome Editing Tool

ORNL scientists developed a method that improves the accuracy of the CRISPR Cas9 gene editing tool used to modify microbes for renewable fuels and chemicals production. This research draws on the lab’s expertise in quantum biology, artificial intelligence and synthetic biology. Credit: Philip Gray/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy
ORNL scientists developed a method that improves the accuracy of the CRISPR Cas9 gene editing tool used to modify microbes for renewable fuels and chemicals production. This research draws on the lab’s expertise in quantum biology, artificial intelligence and synthetic biology. Credit: Philip Gray/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory used their expertise in quantum biology, artificial intelligence and bioengineering to improve how CRISPR Cas9 genome editing tools work on organisms like microbes that can be modified to produce renewable fuels and chemicals.

CRISPR is a powerful tool for bioengineering, used to modify genetic code to improve an organism’s performance or to correct mutations...

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Team Creates Synthetic Enzymes to Unravel Molecular Mysteries

Dr. P.C. Dave P. Dingal uses zebrafish to understand how developmental signaling is coordinated in animal embryos. Zebrafish are ideal models for observing signaling proteins because of their similarity with the human genome and their size.

A University of Texas at Dallas bioengineer has developed synthetic enzymes that can control the behavior of the signaling protein Vg1, which plays a key role in the development of muscle, bone and blood in vertebrate embryos.

The team of researchers is using a new approach, called the Synthetic Processing (SynPro) system, in zebrafish to study how Vg1 is formed...

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