Researchers from the School of Biomedical Sciences at the LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), have made a significant advancement that could reshape the treatment landscape for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer, which often resists treatment and recurs. This cancer is especially prevalent in Southeast Asia and China. The research, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, revealed a previously unknown mechanism that allows HCC to grow more aggressively and evade existing therapies. The team also developed a new small molecule inhibitor that could improve treatment options for HCC patients.

Salk Institute researchers surveyed human embryonic kidney cells and skin biopsy-derived fibroblasts from Alzheimer’s patients to identify proteins involved in regulating mitochondrial stress—a hallmark of aging. The newly identified proteins could one day serve as biomarkers to screen for in skin biopsies, simplifying diagnosis and assessment of Alzheimer’s disease.

A new study led by Bhooma Aravamuthan, MD, DPhil, a pediatric movement disorders specialist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, identifies an objective way to measure leg dystonia, a common complication of cerebral palsy in children.

Omega fatty acids are important to human health. Deviations in their position can signal cell malfunction or disease. Researchers from UC San Diego have presented a new computational method to determine omega positions of lipids that could help with health diagnoses.

 

The interplay between the circadian clock, intestinal stem cell niche, and epithelial cell fate is shaping our understanding of how gut homeostasis and cellular regeneration are regulated. Recent insights reveal that the circadian rhythm, a fundamental 24-hour cycle regulating numerous physiological functions, plays a crucial role in maintaining intestinal health by coordinating the proliferation and differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells.