Category: Disease Discoveries
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Exploring Intracellular Communication to Understand Neurodegeneration
Investigators have uncovered a new communication pathway between mitochondria and RNA granules that may improve the understanding of how the toxic buildup of the TDP-43 protein leads to the development of certain neurodegenerative diseases, according to a recent study published in Nature Communications.
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Bacteria ‘Rewire’ Epithelial Cells and Drive Disease in the Gut
A bacterial pathogen that causes colitis and colorectal cancer creates a nutrient-rich niche and “rewires” epithelial cell signaling in the inflamed gut, which promotes bacterial colonization and disease, mechanisms that may be promising therapeutic targets, according to a recent study published in the journal Cell.
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Immune Biomarkers May Predict Response to Bladder Cancer Treatment
A Northwestern Medicine study has offered new clues as to why immunotherapy works well for some bladder cancer patients but fails for others, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
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Blood Test May Predict Immunotherapy Response in Head and Neck Cancer
A new Northwestern Medicine study suggests that a simple blood test could help identify which patients with head and neck cancer are most likely to benefit from immunotherapy, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
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Linking Lysosomal Dysfunction to Severe Neurological Disorders
A new study has identified mutations in a single gene as the cause of a previously unrecognized spectrum of severe neurological disorders, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
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Skin-Resident Immune Cells Drive Neuropathic Pain in Diabetes
In experimental models of diabetes, Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered that a specialized group of skin-resident immune cells drive neuropathic pain through sex-dependent signaling pathways, according to a recent study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
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ALS is Driven by a Domino‑Like Chain Reaction That Begins in Nerve Cells
A new Northwestern Medicine study provides evidence that ALS unfolds through a domino‑like sequence of events that begins with an early breakdown inside motor neurons and is followed by a damaging inflammatory response.
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Metformin Slows Mitochondrial Energy Production, Promotes Glycemic Control
A new Northwestern Medicine study has found that metformin, a commonly prescribed diabetes drug, focuses primarily on the gut, acting to prevent glucose levels rising in the blood by driving glucose utilization inside cells lining the intestine.
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Treatment of Rare Childhood Epilepsy Could Begin Before Birth
A new Northwestern study suggests that interventions for epilepsy can start during pregnancy, as early as 15 weeks gestation, well before symptoms appear, according to a study published in Nature Communications.
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Reinfection Raises Long COVID Risk in Children and Adolescents
Children and adolescents who are reinfected with SARS-CoV-2 face a significantly higher risk of developing long COVID, according to a large, multi-institutional study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
