Medical news (first one is the most important):
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New compound advances into Phase 1 trial for pancreatic cancer
August 21, 2018, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-08-compound-advances-phase-trial-pancreatic.html
Solid tumors, such as pancreatic cancer, are difficult to treat. The tumor cells are often surrounded by thick fibrotic walls, making it hard for treatments to get access to the tumor cells. As a result, many solid tumors are also some of the deadliest cancers, including brain, ovarian and pancreatic cancer. Only 8.5 percent of people with pancreatic cancer live more than five years.
CEND-1 overcomes this barrier to allow cancer treatments to penetrate further into the tumor. The compound harnesses a transport pathway that appears to be designed to ferry nutrients to a tissue that is nutrient deficient. The SBP team named it the CendR pathway.
Research in mouse models of cancer shows that if a drug is given at the same time as CEND-1, it is swept into the transport pathway and eventually engulfed by the tumor cells. As a result, the drug is able to bypass the tumor's barrier, travel deep into the tumor and poison it—leaving healthy tissues unaffected.
"While this initial study focuses on pancreatic cancer, mouse experiments show that it works for many different kinds of solid tumors—including breast, brain, lung and ovarian cancers and melanoma," says Ruoslahti. "We expect that CEND-1 will be used with the anti-cancer drugs patients already receive. CEND-1 doesn't modify drugs—but it can streamline their deep penetration into tumors."
The trial, called CEND1-001, is an open-label, multi-center study. Patients will receive CEND-1 and the chemotherapy drugs Gemzar (gemcitabine) and Abraxane (nab-paclitaxel) intravenously. The study is designed to evaluate safety and ideal drug dosage in people with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma. For more information about the clinical trial, visit clinicaltrials.gov and use the identifier NCT03517176.
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Sitting for long hours found to reduce blood flow to the brain
August 20, 2018 by Bob Yirka, Medical Xpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-08-hours-blood-brain.html
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New type 1 diabetes therapy shows promise for long-term reversal in both humans, dogs
August 21, 2018 by Kayla Wiles, Purdue University
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-08-diabetes-therapy-long-term-reversal-humans.html
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Largest brain study of 62,454 scans identifies drivers of brain aging
August 21, 2018, IOS Press
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-08-largest-brain-scans-drivers-aging.html
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Probiotics Prevent Cholera in Animal Models
Two different types of bacteria—one genetically engineered and one from cheese—defend animal intestines from Vibrio cholerae infection.
Jun 13, 2018
Ruth Williams
https://www.the-scientist.com/daily-news/probiotics-prevent-cholera-in-animal-models-64318
Reasoning that live bacteria produce the strongest and most long-lasting immune responses, Waldor’s team used genetic engineering techniques to create a safe version of the V. cholerae strain responsible for the 2010 outbreak in Haiti.
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Clay fights MRSA, other superbugs in wounds
August 21, 2018 by Cheryl Dybas, National Science Foundation
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-08-clay-mrsa-superbugs-wounds.html
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Scientists discover how blue and green clays kill bacteria
January 8, 2016 by Cheryl Dybas, National Science Foundation
https://phys.org/news/2016-01-scientists-blue-green-clays-bacteria.html