Archive for Kat J. McAlpine
Cancer researchers hit a bullseye with a new drug target for Ewing sarcoma
Screening a class of recently-developed drug compounds — so-called “CDK inhibitors” capable of blocking CDK7/12/13 proteins — against hundreds of different human cancer cell lines, researchers at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center have found that CDK12 inhibitors pack a particularly lethal punch to Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancer typically affecting children and young adults. “No one ... Read More about Cancer researchers hit a bullseye with a new drug target for Ewing sarcoma
Taking a sideswipe at high-risk neuroblastoma
Cancer and other diseases are now understood to spring from a complex interplay of biological factors rather than any one isolated origin. New research reveals that an equally-nuanced approach to treating high-risk neuroblastoma may be the most effective way to curb tumor growth. One challenge in treating pediatric cancers like neuroblastoma is that they are ... Read More about Taking a sideswipe at high-risk neuroblastoma
Gene therapy halts progression of cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy in clinical trial
Adrenoleukodystrophy — depicted in the 1992 movie “Lorenzo’s Oil” — is a genetic disease that most severely affects boys. Caused by a defective gene on the X chromosome, it triggers a build-up of fatty acids that damage the protective myelin sheaths of the brain’s neurons, leading to cognitive and motor impairment. The most devastating form of the ... Read More about Gene therapy halts progression of cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy in clinical trial
To monitor health, simply trip the ‘nanoswitches’
WATCH: DNA nanoswitches change shape in the presence of biomarkers. The shape change is revealed in a process called gel electrophoresis. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University “Nanoswitches” — engineered, shape-changing strands of DNA — could shake up the way we monitor our health, according to new research. Faster, easier, cheaper and more sensitive tests ... Read More about To monitor health, simply trip the ‘nanoswitches’
Landmark moment for science as the FDA approves a gene therapy for the first time
Today, the Food and Drug Administration approved a gene therapy known as CAR T-cell therapy that genetically modifies a patient’s own cells to help them combat pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common childhood cancer. It is the first gene therapy to be approved by the FDA. “This represents the progression of the field of gene ... Read More about Landmark moment for science as the FDA approves a gene therapy for the first time
Using ultrasound to trigger on-demand, site-specific pain relief
According to the CDC, 91 people die from opioid overdoses every day in the U.S. Here in Massachusetts, the state has an opioid-related death rate that is more than twice the national average. “Opioid abuse is a growing problem in healthcare,” says Daniel Kohane, MD, PhD, a senior associate in critical care medicine at Boston Children’s and professor ... Read More about Using ultrasound to trigger on-demand, site-specific pain relief
Seeking a way to keep organs young
The wear and tear of life takes a cumulative toll on our bodies. Our organs gradually stiffen through fibrosis, which is a process that deposits tough collagen in our body tissue. Fibrosis happens little by little, each time we experience illness or injury. Eventually, this causes our health to decline. “As we age, we typically accumulate ... Read More about Seeking a way to keep organs young
Precision drug delivery systems could ‘trigger’ an age of nanomedicine
What if we could deliver biocompatible nanoparticles into the body and then activate them to release drugs exactly where they are needed, without causing side effects elsewhere? Scientists like Daniel Kohane, MD, PhD, of Boston Children’s Hospital, are developing nanoscale drug delivery systems to do just that, using a variety of materials and triggers that ... Read More about Precision drug delivery systems could ‘trigger’ an age of nanomedicine
Culture shock: Why poliovirus had to live before it could die
Today, stories of polio may seem like echoes from far-away history to those born after 1979, the year that polio was eradicated in the U.S. Since then, it has been customary for children to receive four doses of the polio vaccine to protect them from ever contracting the terrifying disease also known as “infantile paralysis.” Polio, however, still afflicts people in ... Read More about Culture shock: Why poliovirus had to live before it could die