Press monitoring
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Light-activated photoimmunotherapy kills brain cancer, reduces relapse
20.6.2022 | Press monitoring
Scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research in London have developed a new light-activated “photoimmunotherapy” that could help treat brain cancer. The key is a compound that glows under light to guide surgeons to the tumor, while near-infrared light activates a cancer-killing mechanism. The new study builds on a common technique called...
Ancient DNA traces origin of Black Death
17.6.2022 | Press monitoring
A Silk Road stopover might have been the epicentre of one of humanity’s most destructive pandemics. People who died in a fourteenth-century outbreak in what is now Kyrgyzstan were killed by strains of the plague-causing bacterium Yersinia pestis that gave rise to the pathogens responsible several years later for the Black Death, shows a study of...
Protein linked to alcoholism relapse offers novel target for treatment
15.6.2022 | Press monitoring
Studies have shown that withdrawal symptoms from alcohol include mounting anxiety, in part due to the release of stress molecules in the brain. One of these, known as corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), is known to stimulate receptors on neurons in the prefrontal cortex along with the limbic system, brain structures that help process...
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Nano-sensor detects pesticides on fruit in minutes
13.6.2022 | Press monitoring
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have developed a tiny sensor for detecting pesticides on fruit in just a few minutes. The technique uses flame-sprayed nanoparticles made from silver to increase the signal of chemicals. While still at an early stage, the researchers hope these nano-sensors could help uncover food pesticides before...
Tiny light-powered drills could be our secret weapon against superbugs
10.6.2022 | Press monitoring
Bacteria adapt quickly to changes in their environment, and unfortunately that includes antibiotics. Some of the bugs will naturally have mutations that allow them to survive the onslaught, then pass those genes on to future generations. Over time, that resistance builds up to the point that most of our once-powerful antibiotics are failing, which...
Creating mRNA with an all-chemical process may allow for customized mRNA vaccines
8.6.2022 | Press monitoring
Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan have developed a new chemical-only process that may represent an important breakthrough in creating customized mRNA vaccines for a variety of diseases and allow for the inexpensive preparation of mRNA in large quantities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, mRNA vaccines were successfully used to boost...
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Compound causes self-destruction of drug-resistant malaria parasites
6.6.2022 | Press monitoring
While improvements continue to be made in anti-malarial drugs and vaccines, the ability of the parasites that cause the disease to mutate and develop resistance to treatment is a chief concern for public health officials. Scientists have discovered a highly-promising new weapon that could help counter this problem, demonstrating how a novel...
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Experimental brain-on-a-chip better screens brain cancer treatments
3.6.2022 | Press monitoring
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a vital line of defense to keep your brain safe from toxins, but frustratingly it can sometimes be too restrictive, keeping important drugs out. Researchers at MIT have now demonstrated an accurate new model of how this barrier works, which should enable new treatments for brain cancer.. Scientists have...
New artificial enzyme breaks down tough, woody lignin
1.6.2022 | Press monitoring
A new artificial enzyme has shown it can chew through lignin, the tough polymer that helps woody plants hold their shape. Lignin also stores tremendous potential for renewable energy and materials. In nature, fungi and bacteria are able to break down lignin with their enzymes, which is how a mushroom-covered log decomposes in the forest. Enzymes...
Wastewater-borne DNA reveals endangered species in fish markets
30.5.2022 | Press monitoring
Despite protective measures being in place, endangered fish species are regularly caught then sold in open markets. And while visually searching them out can be difficult, a new technology could more easily allow authorities to know which species are being sold at one location. Aquatic animals are constantly releasing their DNA into the water, in...
