Using whole-genome sequencing researchers found that small cell lung cancer (SCLC) occurs when both copies of two separate genes responsible for tumor suppression are switched off. The research team hopes this discovery will help the development of new treatments for SCLC, which usually results in patient-death within months. Researchers sequenced the genome of 110 tumor […]
Tag: medicine
Visualizing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using CT and MRI scans
Treatment for patients suffering from mild-to-moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) could be improved through the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) according to new research. Researchers found that both MRI and CT measurements helped explain symptoms in the patients that were unable to be explained using traditional methods alone. The […]
Traffic-related air pollution during pregnancy is a likely cause of asthma
Children exposed to high levels of traffic-related air pollution before they are born are more likely to suffer from asthma as children according to a study of Toronto neighbourhoods. The study also found that children in close proximity to high-traffic areas are more likely to suffer from asthma. Researchers analyzed the health and residential records […]
CT scanning for cancer redundant in blood clot patients
Computerized tomography scans, or CT scans, do not improve cancer detection rates, or shorten the time to diagnosis, in patients with unexplained blood clots in the lungs or legs. Previous studies suggest that up to 10 per cent of patients suffering from venous thromboembolism, blood clots in the lungs or legs, will be diagnosed with […]
Unnecessary imaging common among breast cancer patients
Most women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer are given imaging tests to look for distant growths, despite official guidelines according to a new study. The research team found that over 79 per cent of women with stage I breast cancer, and over 92 per cent with stage II, received imaging tests despite having a less than two […]
Cancer killing cells captured on film
Researchers have captured video of immune cells hunting and destroying cancer and virally-infected cells. The footage was captured using high-resolution 3D time-lapse multi-colour imaging. T cells, a type of white-blood cell, can recognize antigens on the surface of certain cancerous and infected cells. The video shows these T cells (seen in orange or green) moving […]
Beer Home Brewing kits which might also produce morphine leads to calls for early-regulation
Researchers have taken the final steps to turn sugar-fed yeast, already used by homemade beer brewers to convert sugar into alcohol, into a microbial factory for producing morphine and other drugs. The authors demonstrate how they synthesized a compound of the poppy plant from sugar using a bio-engineered strain of yeast. This research could be […]
Could maple syrup help cut use of antibiotics?
An extract of maple syrup makes certain dangerous bacteria, such as E. coli, more susceptible to antibiotics, a McGill study has found. The researchers found maple syrup is a rich source of phenolic compounds which are capable of repressing a number of bacterial genes linked to antibiotic resistance. While this is just a first step, […]
Scientists genetically modify human embryos
In a world first, scientists have reported editing the genomes of human embryos. Chinese researchers using ‘non-viable’ embryos which cannot result in a live birth in order to attempt to modify the gene responsible for a potentially fatal blood disorder called β-thalassaemia. They used a gene-editing technique known as CRISPR/Cas9 (pronounced ‘crisper’) which allows you to […]
A new test to confirm heart attacks within one hour
A study has shown a new test can almost always determine if a patient suffered a heart attack within the first hour of it occurring. The study examined 1320 patients presenting to emergency departments and accurately diagnosed 75 per cent of the patients. The remaining 318 patients were placed in the “observational zone”, and 59 […]
Monitoring a new avian influenza strain in B.C.
Canadian researchers will launch a novel project to shed light on the source of a deadly H5N2 strain responsible for the death and destruction of approximately 240,000 birds in B.C between December 2014 to January 2015. The project funded by Genome BC, Genome Canada, Agriculture Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will seek to […]
Allergies move from patient to patient through blood transfusions
Anecdotal evidence has shown that allergies can sometimes be transferred between patients through blood and plasma transfusions. Researchers believe transfusions can temporarily cause food-based allergies in recipients, however they are so rare they do not believe that individuals with existing allergies should be excluded as donors. As a recent example, an eight-year-old boy in Toronto […]
Cough medicine could help diabetic patients
Dextromethorphan, sold in Canada as an ingredient of the over-the-counter cough medicine Robitussin and Bronchophan Forte DM, could help in regulating type 2 diabetes according to a new study. In mice, this medicine was found to improve glucose control, while in a small human clinical trial (20 men with Type 2 diabetes) the researchers found it […]
No deaths from acute kidney injury by 2025
Preventable deaths caused by acute kidney injury (also known as acute renal failure) could be eliminated in just 10 years according to an international commission of kidney experts. This condition, which sees an abrupt loss of kidney function within a week, affects 20 per cent of North Americans admitted to hospitals, around 13 million […]
Hormone therapy and heart diseases
Hormone replacement therapy does not protect post-menopausal women against cardiovascular diseases, an updated meta-analysis shows. Furthermore, hormone therapy does cause a slight increased risk of stroke. The authors of the study took into account new results from clinical trials that lasted between six months and 10 years, in which 40,000 women (mainly over 60 years […]
Oncologists weigh the pros and cons of gene-expression profiling
Should women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer have chemotherapy? To help make that choice, some physicians recommend gene-expression profiling (GEP) tests to identify patients who may benefit from the treatment. Carrying the brand name Oncotype DX, this test analyzes the patterns of 21 different genes within the cancer cells to help predict how likely it […]
