Recent genetic data from patients with Huntington’s disease (HD) show that DNA repair is an important factor that determines how early or late the disease occurs in individuals who carry the expanded CAG repeat in the HTT gene that causes…
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Research reveals new insight into why breastfed babies have improved immune systems
Research led by the University of Birmingham and Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust has revealed new insight into the biological mechanisms of the long-term positive health effects of breastfeeding in preventing disorders of the immune system in later…
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Cancer Risk Up Into Adulthood for Those With Birth Defects
FRIDAY, Dec. 4, 2020 — Individuals with birth defects have an increased risk for cancer, which persists into adulthood, according to a study published online Dec. 2 in The BMJ. Dagrun Slettebø Daltveit, from the University of Bergen in Norway,…
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New cancer diagnostics: A glimpse into the tumor in 3-D
After cancer surgery, the crucial question is: Are there possibly cancer cells left behind that can continue to grow, or has the entire tumor actually been removed? To find out, the tumor is examined by pathologists. Until now, thin sections…
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Cell-free DNA provides a dynamic window into health
Short fragments of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) that circulate in blood, urine, and other biofluids can offer an information-rich window into human physiology and disease. By looking at the methylation markers of cfDNA, researchers can identify the tissue from which the…
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European study offers new clinical insights into COVID-19 and cancer
A large Imperial-led study has revealed valuable insights into the impact and risk factors for cancer patients with COVID-19. The findings, from almost 900 cancer patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection in the UK, Spain, Italy and Germany, highlight a number…
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Tapping into the vast amount of nonconscious information continually represented in the brain
By using a combination of artificial intelligence and brain imaging technology, researchers have discovered that humans can be trained to rationally use the unconscious contents of their mental processes. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, could open the…
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AI-assisted mammography must move into a critical new phase of prospective clinical evaluation
To impact and improve patient care, the study of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support screening mammography must now shift from simulated research trials to robust clinical evaluations, according to Constance Lehman, MD, Ph.D., director of Breast Imaging at Massachusetts…
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Gut microbiome translates stress into sickle cell crises
A new study shows how chronic psychological stress leads to painful vessel-clogging episodes—the most common complication of sickle-cell disease (SCD) and a frequent cause of hospitalizations. The findings, made in mice, show that the gut microbiome plays a key role…
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2 immunotherapies merged into single, more effective treatment
Some of the most promising advances in cancer treatment have centered on immunotherapies that rev up a patient’s immune system to attack cancer. But immunotherapies don’t work in all patients, and researchers have been searching for ways to increase their…
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