Researchers found that combining temozolomide with the enzyme inhibitor SLC-0111 significantly regressed human-derived glioblastoma, improving patient outcomes. The treatment strategy targets carbonic anhydrase 9, a membrane enzyme involved in tumor growth.
Diabetes impairs dead heart-muscle cell removal, increasing cardiovascular risk. Researchers study mesenchymal stem cells and their exosomes to boost dead cell removal and reduce inflammation after heart attacks.
Researchers created the first network map for 200 plant sensing proteins, revealing unknown interactions and key proteins that act as master nodes. The map could lead to ways to increase plant resistance to pathogens, heat, drought, salinity, or cold shock.
Researchers created human cardiac-muscle patches that significantly improved recovery from heart attack injury in large animals. The patches also reduced infarct size, wall stress, and apoptosis, while preventing arrhythmia.
A comprehensive review of available evidence suggests that replacing the DMPA contraceptive shot with alternative methods could help protect women from becoming infected with HIV. The study found that some other forms of contraception do not show the same deleterious effect on immune function as DMPA.
Research identifies missense mutations in NF1 gene as risk factor for severe neurofibromatosis symptoms. Patients with these mutations show high incidence of benign tumors and malignancies.
Researchers add boron to gas mixture to create nanostructured diamond film with increased grain size, exhibiting diamond-like properties. The addition of boron also changes the film's electrical properties, offering new control for various applications.
Researchers discovered a novel mechanism of estrogen action on heart physiology, revealing that xenoestrogens can influence cardiac function by regulating thyroid hormone production. This study highlights the potential risks of environmental estrogens on human health.
A comprehensive study of heart-spleen and heart-kidney networks reveals the interconnectedness of organ damage after a heart attack. Researchers found histological and cellular changes in the spleen and kidney, as well as bimodal inflammatory responses and irreversible dysregulation in the cardiosplenic and cardiorenal networks.
Scientists have found a key to unlock blocked differentiation in microRNA-deficient embryonic stem cells, enabling neural cell differentiation without p53 expression. This breakthrough supports the goal of using stem cells in therapy and could lead to innovative treatments for various diseases.
Researchers found that inhibiting microRNA-204 could lead to better treatment of diabetes by regulating the cell surface receptor GLP1R. This could result in lower-drug doses and reduced dose-dependent side effects. The study suggests a novel approach to targeting beta-cell function and improving glucose control.
Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham have solved the last unknown protein structure of HIV-1, which helps understand how the virus infects human cells and assembles progeny viruses. The cytoplasmic tail of gp41 protein plays a crucial role in virus assembly and replication.
Researchers at UAB discovered that overexpressing a cell-cycle activator gene CCND2 increases the proliferation of grafted cardiomyocytes, leading to improved cardiac function and reduced infarct size. This breakthrough may pave the way for future clinical treatment of human heart attack patients.
Researchers found that inducing biochemical alteration in brain proteins via glucosamine suppresses pathological hyperexcitability in rat and mouse models. Glucosamine also protects against drug-induced hyperexcitability by targeting the AMPA receptor.
Researchers found that low dietary potassium promotes elevated aortic stiffness, while increased dietary potassium alleviates it. Increased potassium also reduced vascular calcification and aortic stiffness in mouse models, suggesting its potential to protect against heart disease.
A study published in Nature Immunology has found that a specific type of immune cell, called T follicular regulatory cells, plays a crucial role in preventing autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus after viral infections. These cells prevent the generation of self-reactive antibody responses whil...
Aging is associated with a decrease in Cbf-beta protein, leading to an imbalance in bone maintenance and increased fat cell creation. Maintaining Cbf-beta may be essential to preventing age-associated osteoporosis.
Researchers found that a fatty acid-derived bioactive molecule called lipoxin improved heart function after a heart attack by inducing the resolving immune response. Lipoxin treatment also reduced left ventricle and lung mass-to-body-weight ratios, improving ejection fraction, and decreased kidney inflammation.
A new study published in The Lancet found that the Gardasil 9 vaccine can reduce 90% of cervical cancer cases with long-term effectiveness. The vaccine was tested on over 14,000 women worldwide and showed similar safety profiles to the four-valent HPV vaccine.
Scientists have identified a crucial protein called RSF1 that plays a vital role in gene silencing during normal embryo development. The discovery has significant implications for understanding the mechanisms of gene regulation and its potential application in cancer treatment.
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are working on two major cardiovascular diseases: heart failure after heart attacks and resistant high blood pressure. They hope to create new treatments using a combination of engineered heart patches and novel molecular pathways.
Researchers have discovered how glutamine controls gene programs in cells, revealing a new mechanism of differentiation and gene regulation. This finding has significant implications for understanding developmental biology, the immune response, and cancer dysregulation.
Researchers created a small molecule that inhibits the formation of biofilms on tooth surfaces, reducing dental caries in rats fed a caries-promoting diet. The inhibitor blocks a key virulence enzyme, making it unable to stick to tooth surfaces and produce lactic acid.
Researchers found a small-molecule drug improves synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus and object location memory in Rett syndrome mice. The treatment also restored general locomotor activity to normal levels, offering hope for patients with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Researchers discovered a novel molecular mechanism that maintains glioma stem cells, which are responsible for tumorigenesis, treatment resistance, and tumor recurrence in glioblastoma. A small molecule inhibitor CMP3a selectively inhibits NEK2 kinase activity to promote tumor growth and radiation resistance.
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have developed a novel method for one-step protein purification that improves yield, purity, and activity by 10- to 500-fold. The CL7/Im7 affinity chromatography purification scheme overcomes weaknesses of current commercially available systems.
Researchers developed micro-cubes that can sponge up a hydrophobic anti-cancer drug and deliver it to cancer cells, showing increased potency against liver cancer cells and reduced harm to normal liver cells. The cubes retain their shape and release the drug in response to higher redox potentials found in cancer cells.
A new ultrasound scoring system has been developed to identify thyroid nodules that require biopsy or follow-up. The system uses a risk stratification approach to classify nodule appearance and size, reducing unnecessary biopsies and improving cancer diagnosis accuracy.
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have made a groundbreaking discovery that fecal donor microbes can persist in recipients for months or years after a transplant to treat C. difficile infections. This is possible thanks to a novel method developed by the team to 'fingerprint' individual bacterial strains, allowing ...
A new biomarker has been identified that can predict the risk of lung disease and death in extremely preterm infants. The biomarker is related to endothelial mitochondrial function, which can be measured using umbilical cord cells collected at birth.
Researchers found that tri-ponderal mass index (TMI) estimates body fat more accurately than traditional BMI in adolescents between the ages of 8 and 17. The study compared TMI to several different obesity indices, finding that it is the best overall body fat index for Caucasian adolescents.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham has been awarded a five-year, $11.2 million Program Project Grant to study the renal control of sodium and salt balance. The research aims to understand how the body regulates salt intake and its impact on blood pressure regulation.
Researchers found that knocking out a key enzyme improved post-heart attack healing and reduced chronic inflammation. The study suggests that a short-term dietary excess of polyunsaturated fatty acids may also play a role in promoting healing.
Researchers found somatic mitochondrial DNA inserts in colon and rectal cancer genomes, correlated with gene-rich segments and poorer patient survival. A novel Fiber-FISH technique rapidly maps mitochondrial DNA insertions in nuclear genomes.
Researchers at UAB have designed triple-threat cancer-fighting polymer capsules that can deliver drugs to tumors while protecting against collateral damage. The capsules show good imaging contrast, stably encapsulate cancer drugs, and can be triggered by low- or high-power ultrasound to release their cargo.
Researchers developed a new method to track perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) from fast-food wrappers in the body, linking them to various health issues. The study found PFASs were detected in all tested organs, including liver, stomach, lungs, kidney, heart, skin, muscle, brain, and others.
Researchers at University of Alabama at Birmingham discovered endostatin's ability to decrease castration-resistant prostate cell growth in culture. Endostatin reduces oxidative stress and targets hormone receptors, shifting metabolism to scavenge reactive oxygen species.
Activated T-cells play a crucial role in promoting heart failure after a heart attack by attacking heart muscle tissue. Targeting specific T-cell subsets at defined stages of disease may represent a better therapeutic approach to improve heart failure outcomes.
Researchers found that GARP2 accelerates retinal degeneration in mice, while GARP1 slows its negative effect when both proteins are present. They also developed a standardized nomenclature for OCT measurements in mice, facilitating comparisons with human studies.
Researchers develop 'release and kill' strategy to target M. tuberculosis in infected macrophages, potentially shortening TB treatment periods. The approach leverages selective apoptosis to release the bacteria from infected cells, making them susceptible to antibiotics.
Adult-born neurons in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus can form connections with cortical neurons through a competitive process, promoting network plasticity. This redistribution of synapses between old and new neurons may disrupt existing memories and contribute to improved information acquisition.
Researchers found abnormal antibody levels in HIV-1-infected individuals, suggesting an important factor contributing to the failure of the gut to prevent microbial invasion. The study revealed a significant elevation of immunoglobulin M levels and decreased ratios of IgG/IgM and IgA/IgM in HIV-1-infected patients.
Researchers have grown engineered heart tissue using a 3-D printer, improving heart function and decreasing dead tissue after a heart attack. The novel technique holds promise for the clinical use of 3-D-printing technology in preventing heart failure after a heart attack.
The partnership combines UAB's expertise in engineering and medicine with VICIS's innovative helmet technology to reduce impact forces. The resulting helmets will better protect players' brains from concussions, a pressing concern in football.
A novel mechanism has been identified for how stress-induced anxiety affects the brain's hippocampus, leading to increased anxiety behavior. The study found that stress impairs the release of an anti-anxiety neuropeptide, which could lead to new therapeutic targets.
A systematic review from UAB found that elective repeat cesarean deliveries are associated with excess morbidity and cost. The study suggests that women with certain characteristics, such as obesity or a short inter-pregnancy interval, should be carefully screened for trial of labor after cesarean delivery eligibility.
Vision problems are commonly reported in children with concussions and are independently associated with academic difficulty. Blurred vision and difficulty concentrating are among the most common symptoms affecting academic performance in pediatric patients.
A new biomarker enzyme ALDH1A3 has been identified in mesenchymal glioma stem-like cells, which are responsible for the tumorigenicity of glioblastoma multiforme tumors. The researchers have developed a small molecule inhibitor GA11 that targets this enzyme and has shown potent efficacy in preclinical testing.
Researchers at UAB found that a Mediterranean-style diet can reduce heart inflammation and failure in aged mice, as opposed to a Western-style diet high in omega-6 fatty acids. The study identifies key lipid signaling pathways involved in the disease process.
The study found that the GSK3 enzyme regulates the persistent sodium current, which affects a nerve cell's excitability and firing activity. This discovery may lead to chronotherapeutics, where treatments are tailored to the time of day to maximize health benefits and minimize side effects.