Researchers Find ‘Acid Wall’ Clue To Cancer’s Immune System Defenses
The discovery may open new avenues for drug development targeting cancer cells. Also in the news: local "decolonization" efforts and multidrug-resistant pathogens; heart failure and e-cigarettes; left-handedness; and more.
Newsweek:
Scientists Discover How Cancer Creates 'Acid Wall' Against Immune System
Scientists have made a breakthrough discovery in our understanding of how cancer cells evade our immune systems. The findings, published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, open new avenues for drug development in cancer research to better support our immune systems in killing cancer cells. Cancer cells have three main ways of interacting with our immune systems: They can hide, fight back or erect a physical barrier. It is this third tactic that the team at University of Texas Southwestern has been investigating. (Dewan, 4/2)
CIDRAP:
Regional Decolonization Effort Linked To Fewer Infections, Deaths From Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens
A decolonization program implemented at a network of healthcare facilities in southern California significantly reduced the prevalence of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) on patients' skin, researchers reported yesterday in JAMA. But the overall impact of the intervention went beyond reduced MDRO colonization. The regional collaboration ... also resulted in reduced infections, hospitalizations, hospitalization-related costs, and deaths. (Dall, 4/2)
The Hill:
E-Cigarette Users 20 Percent More Likely To Develop Heart Failure: Study
People who use e-cigarettes are 19 percent more likely to develop heart failure, compared to those who have never used them, a new study published Tuesday revealed. The data point was included in one of the largest prospective studies to date on the link between vaping and heart failure. The findings of the study are being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) annual scientific session. (Fortinsky, 4/2)
CIDRAP:
Study Describes More Severe Pediatric Mental Health Crises During Pandemic
Children visiting the emergency department (ED) for mental health crises during the pandemic had longer stays and more severe diagnoses, according to a new study in Academic Emergency Medicine. The study was based on ED visits to nine US hospitals participating in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network Registry from 2017 to 2022. (Soucheray, 4/2)
Reuters:
Roivant's Anti-Inflammatory Drug Shows Promise In Mid-Stage Study
Roivant Sciences' (ROIV.O) experimental drug to treat non-infectious uveitis helped reduce symptoms of the inflammatory eye disease in a mid-stage study, sending the biotech firm's shares up nearly 8% on Tuesday. At least three analysts said the data surpassed their expectations and showed that the drug could benefit patients more than Abbvie's (ABBV.N) Humira, which is the only targeted therapy approved for the condition. (Satija, 4/2)
Reuters:
Gene Involved In Cell Shape Offers Clues On Left-Handedness
Why are some people left-handed while most are righties? That is an area of active research, and a new study sheds light on a genetic component of left-handedness in some people. Researchers identified rare variants of a gene involved in controlling the shape of cells and found them to be 2.7 times more common in left-handed people. ... The researchers said the study shows that this gene, called TUBB4B, may play a role in the development of the brain asymmetry that underlies the determination of a dominant hand. (Dunham, 4/2)
Newsweek:
Scientists Create Six-Limbed Mouse With Legs Instead Of Genitals
Scientists have created a 6-legged mouse embryo with an extra pair of hindlimbs at the expense of their external genitalia. But far from creating a monster, this rudimentary rodent provides important insights into the early stages of animal development and uncovers secrets about our own evolution. ... A team of researchers at the Gulbenkian Science Institute in Oeiras, Portugal, inactivated the gene encoding the Tgfbr1 receptor halfway through the development of mouse embryos. Their results were published in the journal Nature Communications. (Dewan, 4/2)
The New York Times:
The Organ Is Still Working. But It’s Not In A Body Anymore
On some level, the human liver in the operating room at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago was alive. Blood circulating through its tissues delivered oxygen and removed waste products, and the organ produced bile and proteins that are essential to the body. But the donor had died a day earlier, and the liver lay inside a boxy plastic device. The organ owed its vitality to this machine, which was preserving it for transplantation into a needy patient. (Alcorn, 4/2)
