News by Subject Medicine & Health

The preliminary trial results of a novel radiopharmaceutical for PET imaging of inflammation developed at the University of Turku, Finland, have been published. The compound, which targets the vascular adhesion protein 1 (VAP-1) that regulates inflammatory cell traffic, is the first radiopharmaceutical that has been developed completely in Finland and has advanced to clinical trials. In the study that started with healthy volunteers, the radiopharmaceutical was found to be well tolerated and safe.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors recognized that patients who developed a "cytokine storm" -- a surge of pro-inflammatory immune proteins -- were often the sickest. But a cytokine storm can also occur in other illnesses, such as influenza. Now, scientists report a sweat sensor that acts as an early warning system for an impending cytokine storm, which could help doctors more effectively treat patients. The researchers will present their results today at ACS Spring 2021.

New research shows that a novel positron emission tomography (PET) tracer that targets inflammation is safe and can clearly identify early stages of rheumatoid arthritis. The promising PET tracer, 68Ga-DOTA-Siglec-9, rapidly clears from blood circulation, has a low radiation dose, and can be easily produced. This first-in-human study was published in the April issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Scientists have been exploring the cellular mechanisms underlying cancers for centuries in an attempt to successfully treat them. Collating recent research on one avenue of this exploration, the role of cell membrane receptor neuropilin-1, a review article published in Chinese Medical Journal gives a glimpse of how much we know of the disease, how much we still need to find out, and new promising treatments that we've begun to apply.

Novel insights into repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSB), the most severe form of DNA damage, help scientists understand how proteins work to seal nicks. High resolution images show near-complete cycle of DSB detection and repair. Findings have implications in enhancing cellular response to radiation and chemotherapy.