Category Health/Medical

A study led by Professor Chng Wee Joo from the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore at the National University of Singapore has demonstrated the efficiency of a small molecule drug, PRIMA-1met, in inhibiting the growth of colorectal cancer cells. Credit: Image courtesy of National University of Singapore

A small molecule drug combined with chemotherapy may deliver a synergistic benefit for colorectal cancer patients has demonstrated the efficiency of a small molecule drug, PRIMA-1met, in inhibiting the growth of colorectal cancer cells.

PRIMA-1met is a compound that has been shown in previous studies to activate mutant p53, a tumour suppressor gene, and promotes death of cancer cells...

Highlights •A triple-target CRISPR method achieved almost perfect knockout efficiency •SSS achieved non-invasive fully automated high-performance sleep phenotyping •Genetics without crossing revealed Nr3a as a short-sleeper gene

You may have wondered why some people seem to need less sleep. A number of so called short-sleeper genes, which are associated with little need for sleep, have recently been identified. RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center (QBiC) researchers have advanced sleep genetics research by developing a new method for monitoring mouse sleep cycles. The Snappy Sleep Stager is a non-invasive, automated sleep cycle monitoring system based on mouse respiration, or breathing...

Coffee flour. Credit: Image courtesy of Brandeis University

Biophysicist Perlman is developing the flour milled from parbaked beans both as a food ingredient and a nutritional supplement. “It’s a world of difference” from the traditional coffee bean, Perlman says. Research has shown that drinking coffee is good for you. A recent Harvard study found that people who drank three to five cups a day had a 15% lower chance of prematurely dying than non-drinkers.

Nobody knows for certain what causes coffee to be salutary, but one leading explanation involves a natural chemical compound called chlorogenic acid (CGA). An antioxidant, CGA is thought to be beneficial in modulating sugar metabolism, controlling BP and possibly treating heart disease and cancer.

Unfortunately, when coffee is roasted th...

Highlights • Genetic loss of PHD1 provides substantial protection against brain ischemic injury • PHD1 loss reprograms glucose metabolism without vascular changes • Increased oxPPP flux, at the expense of glycolysis, enhances redox balance in neurons • Intracerebroventricular delivery of anti-PHD1 oligos protects against stroke

Despite (minor) improvements in stroke treatment, stroke remains the 4th leading cause of death and the most common reason of severe disability. Research led by Prof. Peter Carmeliet and Dr. Annelies Quaegebeur (VIB/KU Leuven) indicates inhibition of PHD1 offers protection against stroke, via an unexpected mechanism, raising hope for future stroke treatment.

Brain cells rely on oxygen and glucose to generate energy, necessary to function normally...