Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis are discovering the electrochemical properties of biomolecular condensates which could help in development of cancer or ALS treatments

Canadian researchers have developed an effective new technique for identifying aggressive medulloblastoma—the most common type of malignant brain tumour in children—and potentially sparing young patients from unnecessary treatments and their harmful long-term side effects. Current diagnostic techniques rely on complex genetic tests that are expensive and only available in a handful of specialized laboratories worldwide. This research used proteomics to reveal that a protein called MYC is prominent in the most aggressive medulloblastoma cases, and developed an immunohistochemistry test for MYC that can be performed in a single day by any pathology lab around the world. Instead of waiting weeks for complex genetic tests, doctors can quickly determine which children truly need radiation and who can safely avoid it.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is a well-known cause of DNA damage, which can lead to diseases like skin cancer. But how do our cells repair this damage to protect us? Researchers from Sabanci University, Veysel Oğulcan Kaya and Ogün Adebali, have uncovered a fascinating answer: when DNA is damaged by UV light, our cells reorganize their genetic material in 3D space to prioritize repair, in what might be called a “cellular rescue mission.”

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights showcases the latest breakthroughs in cancer care, research and prevention. These advances are made possible through seamless collaboration between MD Anderson’s world-leading clinicians and scientists, bringing discoveries from the lab to the clinic and back.

Until now, doctors knew hepatic stellate cells mainly as drivers of liver fibrosis. The actual functions of this cell type have hardly been studied to date. Researchers from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the Mannheim Medical Faculty and Columbia University in New York have now published in the journal Nature that hepatic stellate cells control liver metabolism as well as liver regeneration and size. The results of the study could contribute to new therapeutic approaches for liver diseases.