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The overabundance of growth factors has been implicated in the development and spread of many cancers, most famously the up-regulation of EGF and EGFR receptors in lung cancer, which is now successfully targeted by anti-EGFR therapies including erlotinib and gefitinib. A University of Colorado Cancer Center study recently published in the journal Molecular Carcinogenesis points to a new, related target, namely epiregulin, an under-studied EGF-like growth factor.

Toronto, Canada - With Canadian Government funding, a team of innovators from Canada and Mexico have successfully tested a low cost, environmentally-friendly way of destroying the eggs of the mosquito genus that spreads dengue, and likely spreading the Zika virus.

The development of type 2 diabetes is linked to persistent inflammation as a consequence of metabolic stress. Prolonged exposure to the proinflammatory molecule IL-1β is associated with reduced insulin secretion by pancreatic β cells, while short-term exposure to IL-1β has been shown to increase insulin levels. Reducing IL-1 signaling in patients with type 2 diabetes has had mixed success in clinical studies, suggesting multiple effects of IL-1β in insulin secretion.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutations in the chloride channel CFTR, which disrupts fluid transport in the lungs. CF patients have a variety of complications, including airway obstruction, infection, and pathological tissue remodeling. Alterations in airway smooth muscle have been observed in CF patients but it is not clear if these abnormalities are directly due to loss of CFTR in airway smooth muscle cells.

According to an Emnid survey, four fifths of people who originate from Syria and who have been in Germany for quite some time appreciate the country's open policy towards refugees. However, half of the respondents advocate an admission ceiling. Three quarters of those surveyed show solidarity with the newcomers from Syria.

Adsorption refers to the process by which molecules of a gas collect on the surface of a solid. Metal-organic frameworks are highly porous materials which are widely used for adsorptive applications such as in the reduction of pollutant emissions. The scientists from Dresden, Berlin and France have now succeeded in demonstrating that these materials can dynamically change their structures.

HUNTSVILLE, TX (4/7/16) -- Victims of domestic violence are hindered from leaving their abusers by internal and external factors, including the response of the criminal justice system, fear, perceived control, and self-esteem, according to the latest report from the Crime Victims' Institute.

A new study by University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus researchers confirms the success of a new patient-engagement method called Boot Camp Translation, which turns complex medical screening guidelines into locally relevant health messages. Multiple studies show that use of the process has improved cancer testing, asthma management and hypertension control.

Griffith's Institute for Glycomics have made a promising discovery in the treatment and prevention of human parainfluenza virus.

Institute Director Professor Mark von Itzstein and his team have shown that two existing drugs readily available on the market can work together to more effectively treat the virus.

Currently no therapies or vaccines are available to treat or prevent human parainfluenza virus (hPIV), the second most prevalent cause of acute respiratory tract infection in infants in the world.

Scientists have identified a protein that may be the cause of tissue damage in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), which affects as many as 56 of every 100,000 people in the United States. EoE is a food allergy-related disease in which white blood cells called eosinophils accumulate in the esophagus, often causing difficult or painful swallowing, nausea, vomiting and poor growth in children and adults.

Eosinophilic esophagitis is a chronic inflammatory condition that has been linked to food allergies. Recent genome-wide association studies have identified variations of the gene encoding calpain 14 (CAPN14) that are prevalent in EoE. However, the contribution of CAPN14 to disease development is not known. In the latest issue of JCI Insight, Marc Rothenberg and colleagues at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center demonstrate that CAPN14 mediates inflammation-induced remodeling of the cells lining the esophagus.

Sustained pathological remodeling of the heart after injury is associated with increased risk of heart failure and death. Several recent studies have shown that strategies to reduce heart failure are associated with a reversal of adverse remodeling. The mechanisms of this reverse remodeling are not fully understood and have potential to guide the development of future interventions.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a common form of adult leukemia that results in the progressive expansion of abnormal lymphocytes. The cell type that gives rise to CLL is still unclear, though evidence suggests that a subset of immature B cell lymphocytes is transformed during development. Because of the heterogeneity of this cancer, it has not been possible to create a mouse model that faithfully recapitulates all aspects of this disease.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, fatal disease characterized by lung fibrosis and declining lung function. There are currently few effective treatments for IPF, and the median survival following diagnosis is between 2 and 5 years. In this issue of JCI Insight, Maureen Horton and colleagues at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine report that intranasal administration of a vaccine for vaccinia, the virus that causes small pox, improved lung function in a mouse model of IPF.

In everyday conversation, bilingual speakers often switch between languages mid-sentence with apparent ease, despite the fact that many studies suggest that language-switching should slow them down. New research suggests that consistency may allow bilingual speakers to avoid the costs that come with switching between languages, essentially allowing them to use two languages for the price of one.

The research is published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.