Category: Disease Discoveries
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Novel Protein Interactions May Serve as Biomarker for Heart Disease
Investigators led by Elizabeth McNally, MD, PhD, the Elizabeth J. Ward Professor of Genetic Medicine and director of the Center for Genetic Medicine, have discovered previously unknown protein interactions in the heart’s atrium that are critical for normal heart function, according to findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Neural Mechanisms May Serve as Therapeutic Target for Depression
A recent study published in Molecular Psychiatry has identified previously unknown alterations in neural connectivity that promote psychomotor disturbance — a slowing or reduction in movement — in individuals with major depressive disorder.
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Exploring How Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Become Aggressive
Some strains of an antibiotic-resistant bacteria may not turn out to be as aggressive as previously thought, according to a Northwestern Medicine study recently published in Nature Communications.
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Defining Rheumatoid Arthritis Subtypes May Improve Treatments
By profiling the inflammatory cells types in joint tissue biopsy samples, scientists have characterized six subtypes of rheumatoid arthritis, an approach that could help physicians tailor more effective treatment strategies for patients based on disease type, according to findings published in Nature.
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Novel ‘Feeding’ Mechanism Promotes Glioblastoma Treatment Resistance
Northwestern Medicine investigators have discovered that specialized immune cells within the glioblastoma tumor microenvironment use a unique “feeding” mechanism that promotes tumor growth and treatment resistance, according to findings published in the journal Cell Metabolism.
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Localized Genetic Mutations May Serve as Biomarker for Wide Range of Cancers
Northwestern Medicine investigators have successfully localized novel molecular mechanisms behind a genetic mutation found in a wide range of cancers, which could serve as a biomarker for improving patient stratification and treatment, according to findings published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Study Discovers Novel Biomarker for Vascular Aging and Neurodegeneration
Decreased activity of a specific signaling pathway in the brain vessels of aging mice and humans was linked to a decline in vascular function and subsequent neurodegeneration, according to a recent Northwestern Medicine study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
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Exploring How Poxviruses Dismantle Antiviral Responses
Northwestern Medicine investigators led by Derek Walsh, PhD, have discovered how poxviruses disarm and evade mitochondrial-driven antiviral responses for their replication in host cells, according to findings published in Nature Communications.
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New Therapeutic Strategies for Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Modulating the activity of a kinase in motor neurons may help mitigate mitochondrial defects and other symptoms of spinal muscular atrophy, offering a new therapeutic avenue for the devastating disease, according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
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Investigating Drug Combinations for Heart Failure
A common diabetes medication may help some patients with treatment-resistant hypertension slightly lower their high blood pressure and lessen their risk of heart failure events such as stroke, according to an analysis of a clinical trial published in Circulation.
