Escherichia coli bacteria are constitutive members of the human gut microbiota. However, some strains produce a genotoxin called colibactin, which is implicated in the development of colorectal cancer. While it has been shown that colibactin leaves very specific changes in the DNA of host cells that can be detected in colorectal cancer cells, such cancers […]
Lifestyle
Genetic testing could be appropriate for all motor neuron disease patients, regardless of family history
Research from the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN) suggests that routine genetic testing may be appropriate for all MND patients and could impact disease subclassification and clinical care. The new study, published today (15 February 2021) in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry (JNNP), performed targeted genetic sequencing of MND-relevant genes on 100 […]
Men with early stage testicular cancer could avoid potentially harmful monitoring scans
Men who have had treatment for early stage testicular cancer could benefit from fewer monitoring scans, freeing them from some of the harmful radiation that comes from computerized tomography (CT) imaging, according to results from the TRISST clinical trial presented at GU ASCO conference. The Cancer Research UK-funded study also found that using magnetic resonance […]
Are prenatal genetic tests becoming too complex?
As noninvasive prenatal testing becomes more advanced, questions of informed consent, clinical utility and ethical concerns become more complicated for clinicians, and more anxiety-provoking for parents, according to the authors of an Ethics and Law article published online today by the Medical Journal of Australia. Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), introduced in 2010, was “revolutionary, with […]
Experts discuss the ‘second brain’: The gut microbiome
As researchers for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Food for Health Center, Andy Benson and Robert Hutkins are asking and answering questions about our second brain—the gut microbiome. Using what they’ve learned in the laboratory, and the specialized strains of bacteria they developed, Benson and Hutkins, along with Nebraska animal scientist Tom Burkey and former Husker […]
Child brain tumors can be classified by advanced imaging and AI
Diffusion weighted imaging and machine learning can successfully classify the diagnosis and characteristics of common types of pediatric brain tumors a UK-based multi-center study, including WMG at the University of Warwick has found. This means that the tumor can be characterized and treated more efficiently. The largest cause of death from cancer in children are […]
Silent killer: Watch out for carbon monoxide dangers this winter
Carbon monoxide poisoning can prove fatal without a warning, because it can’t be seen, smelled or heard. It’s important to be aware of it, especially during winter when you’re indoors and using heat sources to stay cozy. The Nebraska Regional Poison Center has some tips for preventing carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and recognizing symptoms of […]