Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disease that causes paralysis and ultimately death when the nerves enervating the lungs cease to carry the signals needed for breathing. The disease has what is called a “focal onset,” where paralysis starts with an arm or a leg and spreads throughout the body as motor […]
Eye research targets scar tissue that forms after surgery
Today’s cataract surgery is often described as a marvel of modern medicine, a one-hour outpatient procedure that has spared millions from blindness, especially in developed countries. But nothing is perfect. “Modern cataract surgery is one of the most miraculous human health innovations,” said Melinda Duncan, professor of biological sciences at the University of Delaware. “It […]
Genetics of cholesterol point to possible drug targets for heart disease, diabetes
From the DNA of nearly 300,000 veterans, scientists have singled out a handful of genetic mutations that not only govern levels of cholesterol, but may also inform the development and use of drugs for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Palo Alto Veteran Affairs Health […]
Canine melanoma study identifies genetic basis of disease, potential drug targets
As a veterinarian, Dr. Carolyn Duregger is familiar with the telltale signs of canine melanoma. So when she gave her own dog, Parker, a routine oral examination, the 1-centimeter-diameter discolored lump in the pup’s upper right gums took her breath away. “It’s an aggressive cancer with poor prognosis that I’ve seen many times. My stomach […]
‘Hijacked’ cell response to stress reveals promising drug targets for blood cancer
A signaling pathway that helps promote normal cell growth worsens a form of leukemia by taking control of another pathway better known for protecting cells from biological stress, a new study shows. The discovery that the NOTCH1 pathway takes control of heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1) signaling in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or […]
New targets found to reduce blood vessel damage in diabetes
In diabetes, both the tightly woven endothelial cells that line our blood vessels and the powerhouses that drive those cells start to come apart as early steps in the destruction of our vasculature. Now scientists have evidence that these breakups occur as another relationship falls apart. Levels of the enzyme PDIA1, which enables a healthy […]