Lifeboat Foundation

A new drug strategy that regulates the tumor immune microenvironment may transform a tumor that resists immunotherapy into a susceptible one, according to a study by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and Oregon Health & Science University.

The immune microenvironment around a pancreatic tumor has suppressed immune activity, allowing the tumor to evade attacks by the immune system. The cancer evades the immune system by attracting suppressive cells into the tumor, which limits access of tumor-killing T cells. Because of that so-called immune desert environment, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), the most common type of pancreatic cancer, has been resistant to immune-based therapies that have successfully treated a variety of other cancers, including melanoma and lung cancer.

In a phase 2 clinical trial, a research team led by Nilofer Azad, M.D., professor of oncology and co-leader of the Kimmel Cancer Center’s Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics Program, and Marina Baretti, M.D., the Jiasheng Chair in Hepato-Biliary Cancer at the Kimmel Cancer Center, tested the safety and efficacy of the combination of two drugs: an immunotherapy, nivolumab, and an epigenetic drug, entinostat — a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi). The combination was studied in a group of 27 patients with advanced PDA who had previously been treated with chemotherapy.

A research team led by Lund University in Sweden has developed an AI tool that traces back the most recent places you have been to.

Microorganisms are organisms, such as bacteria, that are invisible to the naked eye. The word microbiome is used to describe all the microorganisms in a particular environment. Establishing the geographical source of a microbiome sample has been a considerable challenge up to now.

However, in a new study, published in the research journal Genome Biology and Evolution, a research team presents the tool Microbiome Geographic Population Structure (mGPS). It is a unique instrument that uses ground-breaking AI technology to localise samples to specific bodies or water, countries and cities. The researchers discovered that many places have unique bacteria populations, so when you touch a handrail at a train station or bus stop, you pick up bacteria that can then be used to link you back to the exact place.

Continue reading “New GPS system for microorganisms could revolutionise police work” »

Summary: Researchers have discovered that the NMDA receptor (NMDAR), known for its role in learning and memory, also stabilizes brain activity by setting baseline neural network activity. This stabilization supports the brain’s adaptability amid constant environmental and physiological changes.

The study revealed that blocking NMDARs disrupted this baseline, highlighting their critical role in maintaining neural homeostasis. Findings may revolutionize treatments for conditions like depression, Alzheimer’s, and epilepsy by leveraging NMDAR’s role in brain stability.

Summary: A deep learning AI model developed by researchers significantly accelerates the detection of pathology in animal and human tissue images, surpassing human accuracy in some cases. This AI, trained on high-resolution images from past studies, quickly identifies signs of diseases like cancer that typically take hours for pathologists to detect.

By analyzing gigapixel images with advanced neural networks, the model achieves results in weeks instead of months, revolutionizing research and diagnostic processes. The tool is already aiding disease research in animals and holds transformative potential for human medical diagnostics, particularly for cancer and gene-related illnesses.

AI be leveraged to improve cybersecurity and health equity #PopHealthIT

For Global Health Equity Week, HIMSS senior principal of cybersecurity and privacy Lee Kim describes some of the ways how privacy and security intersect with health access and patient engagement – and how artificial intelligence can help.

Recent estimates indicate that deadly antibiotic-resistant infections will rapidly escalate over the next quarter century. More than 1 million people died from drug-resistant infections each year from 1990 to 2021, a recent study reported, with new projections surging to nearly 2 million deaths each year by 2050.

‘Go Purple’ anytime during November 18–24 to show how we all play a role in fighting #AntimicrobialResistance. Learn how you can ‘Go Purple’ and encourage others to do the same for #USAAW24

• Use the daily themes and key messages to guide your activities during the week.
• Copy and share our sample social media messages and graphics.
• Learn more about Go Purple for USAAW and how you can participate.
• Use the hashtag #USAAW24 when sharing any USAAW related content.
• See how you can participate in CDC and other organization’s activities.
• Promote our resources to share important information about appropriate antibiotic and antifungal use, antibiotic stewardship, and antimicrobial resistance.

CDC is inviting families, friends, organizations, and communities to shine a spotlight on antimicrobial resistance by participating in Go Purple for USAAW. This nationwide effort encourages individuals to wear purple and bring purple to their social media and invites organizations, healthcare facilities, and municipalities to light up buildings and landmarks purple to bring awareness to the role everyone has in combating antimicrobial resistance.

These conditions can have symptoms similar to asthma, making it difficult to tell them apart.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University have recently discovered several prominent biomarkers that allow for the early diagnosis of dementia and/or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In a recently published article, evidence has been presented that patients with diabetes type 2 exhibited more changes to their brains than healthy controls, including the shrinking of certain brain areas. These changes occurred earlier in life, and some of the patients developed MCI sooner than others.

The Older Controls at Risk for Dementia (BIOCARD) study is a long-term trial which has been conducted for the past 27 years with the goal of determining how medical conditions and other factors might be impacting cognitive function and perhaps even affecting the biological age of the brain as a whole. BIOCARD was originally a National Institutes of Health initiative, which began in 1995 and later continued at Johns Hopkins University from 2015 to 2023. The cohort consisted of 185 participants, with an average age of 55 years and normal cognitive function.

The trial subjects received routine brain scans and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tests for 20 years, in order to measure changes in brain structures and levels of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists have been increasingly using CSF to attempt to uncover early signs of neurodegenerative disease, since it is a minimally-invasive procedure which is inexpensive and widely available.