News by Subject Biology

Researchers and physicians from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and UC San Francisco have found that deaths of workers using methylene chloride paint strippers are on the rise. The solvent is widely used in paint strippers, cleaners, adhesives and sealants.

The researchers have discovered that USP7 inhibitors -under development by several pharmaceutical companies for the treatment of cancer- trigger a premature activation of cell cycle proteins, leading to uncontrolled cancer cell division and death. * The paper rejects the premise that the therapeutic efficacy of these inhibitors is due to their effects on activating the tumor suppressor protein P53, as currently accepted by the international scientific community. These results extend the potential use of USP7 inhibitors to a wider range of patients.

Thirdhand smoke is created when exhaled smoke and smoke emanating from the tip of burning cigarettes settles on surfaces such as clothing, hair, furniture, and cars. A team led by scientists at the University of California, Riverside, has found chemicals in THS get extracted more readily from household fabrics in a humid environment than in a dry one.

The slurred speech, poor coordination, and sedative effects of drinking too much alcohol may actually be caused by the breakdown of alcohol products produced in the brain, not in the liver as scientists currently think.

International scientists from around the world are warning that chemical pollutants in the environment have the potential to alter animal and human behaviour. A scientific forum of 30 experts formed a united agreement of concern about chemical pollutants and set up a roadmap to help protect the environment from behaviour altering chemicals.

An outbreak of vomiting among dogs has been traced back to a type of animal coronavirus by researchers. Vets across the country began reporting cases of acute onset prolific vomiting in 2019/20.

In the first study showing health effects from a toxic environmental chemical over three generations of people, researchers from the Public Health Institute's Child Health and Development Studies (CHDS) program found that young women today may face increased health risks linked to breast cancer due to their grandmothers' exposure to the banned pesticide DDT.