Body

Mechanisms & therapeutic targets of microRNA-associated chemoresistance in epithelial ovarian cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most lethal disease among gynecologic malignancies. Patients with an advanced disease often relapse due to the development of chemoresistance. Chemotherapy failure is a consequence of acquired drug resistance which may potentially be due to multiple mechanisms including miRNA-mediated gene regulation. This review provides an overview of current therapeutic targets of miRNA-associated chemoresistance in EOC and illustrates the therapeutic potential and molecular mechanisms by which miRNAs influence the development and reversal of chemoresistance.

Electric fields weaker in slow-healing diabetic wounds

People with diabetes often suffer from wounds that are slow to heal and can lead to ulcers, gangrene and amputation. New research from an international group led by Min Zhao, professor of ophthalmology and of dermatology at the University of California, Davis, shows that, in animal models of diabetes, slow healing is associated with weaker electrical currents in wounds. The results could ultimately open up new approaches for managing diabetic patients.

Innovative device allows 3-D imaging of the breast with less radiation

Preliminary tests have demonstrated that a new device may enable existing breast cancer imagers to provide up to six times better contrast of tumors in the breast, while maintaining the same or better image quality and halving the radiation dose to patients. The advance is made possible by a new device developed for 3D imaging of the breast by researchers at the Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Dilon Technologies and the University of Florida Department of Biomedical Engineering.

How red-eyed treefrog embryos hatch in seconds

Enclosed in a case of moist jelly, most minute frog embryos take their time emerging from the protective coating; but not the spawn of tree dwelling Agalychnis callidryas (red-eyed treefrogs). When the eggs find themselves under attack by predatory snakes, the tiny embryos can burst out of their eggs in as little as 6s before dropping to safety in water below. 'This escape hatching is a mechanism for running away from a really important predator', says Karen Warkentin from Boston University, USA. But she was unsure how the tiny animals made their escape.

Male banana fiddler crabs may coerce mating by trapping females in tight burrows

While male banana fiddler crabs (Uca mjoebergi) in Australia typically court females, some may coerce mating by waiting for females to enter their burrows and then trapping them there, according a study published June 15, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Christina Painting from The Australian National University, Canberra, and colleagues.

A male-killing bacterium results in female-biased sex ratios in green lacewings

A maternally transmitted Spiroplasma bacterium is the likely cause of the green lacewing's female-biased sex ratio, according to a study published June 15, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Masayuki Hayashi from Chiba University, Japan, and colleagues.

Why people help distant kin

SALT LAKE CITY, June 15, 2016 - It's easy to understand why natural selection favors people who help close kin at their own expense: It can increase the odds the family's genes are passed to future generations. But why assist distant relatives? Mathematical simulations by a University of Utah anthropologist suggest "socially enforced nepotism" encourages helping far-flung kin.

Gene required for sperm production in blood flukes identified

Scientists can interfere with sperm production in the parasitic blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni by blocking expression of the Nuclear Factor Y-B gene (NF-YB). The new study by Harini Iyer and Phillip A. Newmark of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and University of Illinois and James Collins (now at UT Southwestern) appears on June 15 in PLOS Genetics.

Study reveals impact of antibiotic treatment, other factors on the infant gut microbiome

A comprehensive analysis of changes in the intestinal microbial population during the first three years of life has revealed some of the impacts of factors such as mode of birth - vaginal versus cesarean section - and antibiotic exposure, including the effects of multiple antibiotic treatments.

New TSRI method opens door to development of many new medicines

LA JOLLA, CA--June 15, 2016--Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have developed a powerful new method for finding drug candidates that bind to specific proteins.

High rate of patient factors linked to hospital readmissions following general surgery

An analysis of risk factors for hospital readmission following general surgery finds that a large number of readmissions were not caused by suboptimal medical care or deterioration of medical conditions but by issues related to mental health, substance abuse, or homelessness, according to a study published online by JAMA Surgery.

For tropical mayflies, mountain passes are higher indeed

FORT COLLINS, COLO. - In tropical climes, animals and plants aren't adapted to surviving freezing temperatures - and why would they be? It's never all that cold near the Equator, even at altitude. But in places like the Rocky Mountains, where temperatures can climb into the 100s and dip below freezing, species are hardier and more equipped to deal with such fluctuations.

These divergent climate tolerances play crucial roles in how species evolve. Colorado State University research offers new insight into this long-held understanding of species diversity.

Antibiotics increase availability of nutrients in the gut, enabling growth of pathogens

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) -- Research led by Andreas Bäumler, professor of medical immunology and microbiology at UC Davis Health System, has identified a new mechanism explaining how antibiotics change the gut microbiota, increasing nutrients that benefit the growth of pathogens, like Salmonella.

Defining the consequences of genetic variation on a proteome-wide scale

Combining two emerging large-scale technologies for the first time -- multiplexed mass spectrometry and a mouse population with a high level of natural genetic diversity --researchers at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) can crack an outstanding question in biology and medicine: how genetic variants affect protein levels.

PET/CT imaging of prostate cancer proves accurate biopsy guide

San Diego, Calif. - Prostate cancer is the leading cancer among men, second only to skin cancer. With surgical removal at the frontline of defense, oncologists are considering prostate-specific molecular imaging at the point of initial biopsy and pre-operative planning to root out the full extent of disease, researchers revealed at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI).