Category Health/Medical

Kidney glomeruli — constituent microscopic parts of the organ- were generated from human embryonic stem cells grown in plastic laboratory culture dishes. Credit: Image courtesy of University of Manchester

Scientists have successfully produced human kidney tissue within a living organism which is able to produce urine, a first for medical science. It signifies a significant milestone in the development of treatment for kidney disease. Kidney glomeruli – constituent microscopic parts of the organ- were generated from human embryonic stem cells grown in plastic laboratory culture dishes containing a nutrient broth known as culture medium, containing molecules to promote kidney development...

A schematic illustration of the strategy for overcoming cancer drug resistance.

Researchers ‘turn off’ multi-drug resistance capabilities in cancer cells. The ability for cancer cells to develop resistance to chemotherapy drugs – known as multi-drug resistance – remains a leading cause for tumor recurrence and cancer metastasis, but recent findings offer hope that oncologists could one day direct cancer cells to “turn off” their resistance capabilities...

Extracellular asparagine availability drives invasion and metastasis.

A single protein building block commonly found in food may hold a key to preventing the spread of an often-deadly type of breast cancer, according to a new multicenter study published today in the medical journal Nature. Investigators found that by limiting an amino acid called asparagine in laboratory mice with triple-negative breast cancer, they could dramatically reduce the ability of the cancer to travel to distant sites in the body. Among other techniques, the team used dietary restrictions to limit asparagine.

Foods rich in asparagine include dairy, whey, beef, poultry, eggs, fish, seafood, asparagus, potatoes, legumes, nuts, seeds, soy and whole grains. Foods low in asparagine include most fruits and vegetables...

Screenshot from video showing blood cells streaming through a “wound” and a clot forming. The red-stained cells are actually white blood cells. A green extracellular glue can be seen at the top of the wound; this is fibrin, which holds the clot together. See the full video at: https://youtu.be/l7k1dGfKG0g Credit: Yumiko Sakurai, Emory/Georgia Tech

System responds to drugs; endothelium promotes clotting. Biomedical engineers have developed a miniature self-sealing model system for studying bleeding and the clotting of wounds. The researchers envision the device as a drug discovery platform and potential diagnostic tool...