The climate crisis in the time of COVID-19 illustrates the difference between the important and the urgent. There is, of course, no alternative to focusing on the current pandemic. But at the same time, the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has not changed the fact that the climate crisis is a coming wave whose health consequences will ultimately dwarf those of any single infectious agent.
BioWorld looks at translational medicine, including: Neutralizing RSV; Insulin cuts both ways in vasculature; Transcriptomic insights into Parkinson’s disease; Restoring synaptic transmission for rare neurodevelopmental disease; Polymerase k and drug resistance; Sphingolipids accumulate in neurodegeneration; How does innate immunity remember? Not via polycomb; Antibiotics affect oxycodone effects; Cabo as next annual shot?
Keeping you up to date on recent developments in neurology, including: Light-based stimulation relieves symptoms of Parkinson's, Implant-free optogenetics minimizes brain damage during neuronal stimulation, Persistent and worsening insomnia may predict persistent depression in older adults.
The activity of many proteins is controlled through phosphorylation by kinases and dephosphorylation by phosphatases. Overactive kinases are one of the major drivers of tumors and, as a result, kinase inhibitors are a mainstay of oncology drug development. But “activation of the brakes, the phosphatases, could be equally therapeutically viable for the treatment of a broad range of cancers” to kinase inhibition, Goutham Narla told the audience at the 2020 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting.
Keeping you up to date on recent developments in diagnostics, including: Deep neural network for colorectal polyp classification; Biomarkers signal chemo-induced heart damage; AI helps gauge risk of severe COVID-19 infection; Platelets play role in Tylenol toxicity.
A multi-institutional group led by the University of California at San Francisco’s Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) has identified more than 200 host proteins that interacted with SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins during infection, creating “a blueprint of how SARS-CoV-2 hijacks human cells,” QBI Director Nevan Krogan told reporters. They then used that blueprint to identify 10 drugs, some FDA approved and some in clinical trials, that were able to inhibit viral growth in cell culture assays, marking them for further study as potential antivirals. The work also identified one compound, dextromethorphan, that appeared to facilitate viral growth.
Keeping you up to date on recent developments in orthopedics, including: Physio support in COVID-19 recovery; Co-delivery of IL-10 and NT-3 to enhance spinal cord injury repair; European countries face a costly 23% increase in fragility fractures by 2030.
LONDON – Leading genome sequencing groups are launching the first meta-analysis in the hunt for genetic factors that explain why some people have worse COVID-19 symptoms than others, after agreeing to share patient sequence data from around the world.
Keeping you up to date on recent developments in oncology, including: Small tumors and large motion effects dampen treatment effect in IMPT; Pancreatic cancer uses autophagy to hide from immune system; NRF2 wakes sleeping tumor cells; Cancer renders patients more susceptible to COVID-19.
Keeping you up to date on recent developments in cardiology, including: Helping heart cells regenerate; Heart failure hormone has role in sepsis; Speeding up ER treatment; Cheating cell death improves infarct outcomes.