Tobacco smoking is linked to “stop-gain mutations” (SGMs) that interfere with the formation of tumor suppressor genes, which help keep abnormal cells in check, new research suggests. An analysis of DNA from more than 12,000 tumor samples across 18 different cancer types showed how tobacco smoking truncates tumor suppressors, effectively deactivating them. Dr Jüri Reimand “Our study shows that tobacco […]

A novel assay that detects a unique molecular marker in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) may revolutionize the way this disease is detected and treated according to a new report in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics. This assay may improve the detection of AML driven by KMT2A gene fusions and may affect treatment decision-making, assessing response to therapy, and […]

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) overall, as well as Crohn disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) individually, have an increased risk for developing later arrhythmias, according to a study published online Oct. 19 in PLOS Medicine. Jiangwei Sun, Ph.D., from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues explored the long-term risk for arrhythmias in patients with IBD. The analysis […]

Reviewed The burning of sugarcane and rice husks may be releasing a toxicant causing a mysterious kidney disease in agricultural workers, according to a paper out today in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases. An ongoing epidemic of chronic kidney disease has been observed among manual laborers in hot agricultural communities throughout the world, including along the Pacific coast of […]

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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an expanded indication for abatacept (Orencia) for treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in pediatric patients 2 years of age and older. Juvenile psoriatic arthritis (JPsA) is a form of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). It is a rare condition, and it is estimated that as many as 5% of children with JIA […]

Scientists affiliated with the Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience at Wu Tsai Neuro have discovered a surprising connection between brain cells involved in producing the insulation around nerve fibers, our sleep patterns, and neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The cells studied are a type of glial cell known as oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). As the name implies, these […]

DALLAS, TEXAS — Researchers identified behavioral, psychological, and environmental predictors of continued weight loss maintenance vs weight regain in a large cohort of members of Weight Watchers who had successful long-term weight loss. On average, the participants had lost 25.5 kg (56 lb) and kept it off for 3.5 years, when they entered the 1-year study. At study entry and […]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, genomic surveillance proved vital in helping us understand the evolution and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Now, an international group of researchers is calling for its potential to be harnessed to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a major global challenge that could ultimately result in many more deaths than the coronavirus pandemic. AMR already causes substantial sickness […]

Post COVID-19 condition does not appear to be linked to direct viral invasion of the brain or active brain damage. This has been shown in a study by researchers at the University of Gothenburg. Searching for abnormal biomarkers among the participants yielded no hits in either blood or cerebrospinal fluid samples. The condition that can follow the acute phase of […]