Lifeboat Foundation

Research that began with a patient-driven discovery in the lab of YSM’s Carrie Lucas, PhD, could help in fighting autoimmune diseases.

Writing in Nature Immunology, Lucas and colleagues identify a signaling molecule found in immune cells that could be a target for future treatments.

A medical mystery served as the genesis for a Yale-led study that has promising implications for treating a range of autoimmune diseases.

Continue reading “Research Reveals Potential Target for Immune Diseases” »

Multivalent interactions are crucial in transcriptional regulation. Here, by integrating specific multivalent molecules into dCas9-based activators, the authors provide valuable strategies to refine CRISPRa applications and achieve highly efficient gene transcription.

University of Queensland researchers have discovered a mechanism in DNA that regulates how disease-causing mutations are inherited.

Dr Anne Hahn and Associate Professor Steven Zuryn from UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute said the findings could provide a promising therapeutic avenue to stop the onset of heritable and age-related diseases.

“Mitochondrial DNA is essential for cell function,” Dr Hahn said.

With the summer Covid wave still rising, experts say the timing for getting vaccinated is important.

Researchers from North Carolina State University and Johns Hopkins University have demonstrated a technology capable of a suite of data storage and computing functions—repeatedly storing, retrieving, computing, erasing or rewriting data—that uses DNA rather than conventional electronics. Previous DNA data storage and computing technologies could complete some but not all of these tasks.

Dr. Matt Lyon, MD: “We are not entirely sure what causes these issues with vision, but we suspect it has to do with a shift in cerebrospinal fluid in the optic nerve sheath. On Earth, gravity pushes that fluid down and it drains out, but in space, it floats up and presses against the optic nerve and retina.”

How does spaceflight affect vision loss in astronauts for both the short and long term? This is what a combined effort between the upcoming Polaris Dawn mission and the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) at Augusta University hopes to achieve as the four-person crew will be using a portable ultrasound machine to study changes in vision during spaceflight. This is especially prevalent since the four-person crew will be traveling in an elliptical orbit 870 miles above the Earth’s surface, exposing them to the Van Allen radiation belt, which is a highly radiated region of space between the Earth and the Moon.

For context, the International Space Station orbits approximately 250 miles above the Earth, and this research holds the potential to further explore the effects of space radiation on the human body, and specifically vision loss.

Continue reading “Mitigating Spaceflight Vision Risks: The Role of Portable Ultrasound in Polaris Dawn” »

Researchers are developing an innovative device designed to deliver chemotherapy directly to the surgical site, aiming to reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer recurrence.

Approved a new initial treatment for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer after clinical trials showed patients lived longer without disease progression, compared to the standard treatment currently…

The city is considering whether to spend federal funds to offer personalized transcranial magnetic stimulation, or PrTMS, to public safety personnel who may feel groggy from poor sleep or want to improve interactions with the public.

Dr. Kevin Murphy explained the drug-free, noninvasive therapy at workshops Monday in Turlock. Therapy performed in a clinic directs magnetic pulses to stimulate electrical activity in neurons in the brain to regulate moods and restore mental well-being. The treatment is tailored for each individual based on an EEG and mapping of brain activity.

Murphy said the benefits for first responders will be fewer injuries and complaints, better sleep and employee satisfaction. The doctor said improved sleep is a common denominator for people who come into the clinic struggling with different issues.