Category Health/Medical

In 27 of 29 participants whose responses were evaluated a few weeks after the infusion, a high-sensitivity test could detect no trace of their cancer in their bone marrow. The CAR T cells eliminated cancers anywhere in the body they appeared. Credit: © kukhunthod / Fotolia

‘Extraordinary’ but short-term results from early-stage trial of engineered immune cells.27 of29 patients with an advanced type of leukemia that had proved resistant to multiple other forms of therapy went into remission after their T cells were genetically engineered with a synthetic receptor molecule called a CAR (for chimeric antigen receptor) that empowers the T cells to recognize and kill cancer cells with marker CD19.

This trial was designed to evaluate the safety of administering the engineered cells and to lay t...

This is Martin Gibala, Professor of Kinesiology, McMaster University. Credit: McMaster University

Just 1 minute of intense exercise produces significant health benefits. The findings put to rest the common excuse for not getting in shape: there is not enough time. “This is a very time-efficient workout strategy,” says Martin Gibala, a professor of kinesiology at McMaster. “Brief bursts of intense exercise are remarkably effective.”

Scientists set out to determine how sprint interval training (SIT) compared to moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT), as recommended in public health guidelines. They examined key health indicators including cardiorespiratory fitness and insulin sensitivity, a measure of how the body regulates blood sugar.

Effect of SIT and MICT on insulin sensitivity.

A...

The Neuropsychiatric Disease-Associated Gene cacna1c Mediates Survival of Young Hippocampal Neurons

A new study shows the death of newborn brain cells may be linked to a genetic risk factor for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism, ADHD, and depression, and at the same time shows a compound currently being developed for use in humans may have therapeutic value for these diseases by preventing the cells from dying.

In 2013, the largest genetic study of psychiatric illness to date implicated mutations in the gene called CACNA1C as a risk factor in 5 major forms of neuropsychiatric disease. All the conditions also share the common clinical feature of high anxiety...