Combination therapies could help treat fatal lung cancers

Combining a new class of drug with two other compounds can significantly shrink lung tumors in mice and human cancer cells, new research shows. The study looked at G12C KRAS inhibitors, a new type of drug that targets a specific mutation that can cause cells to multiply uncontrollably and lead to fast-growing cancers.

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Learning to read boosts the visual brain

How does learning to read change our brain? Does reading take up brain space dedicated to seeing objects such as faces, tools or houses? In a functional brain imaging study, a research team compared literate and illiterate adults in India. Reading recycles a brain region that is already sensitive to evolutionarily older visual categories, enhancing rather than destroying sensitivity to other visual input.

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New drug target in fight against cancer

Researchers have discovered how a cancer-linked version of the protein mitoNEET can close voltage-dependent anion channels (VDAC), primary gateways in the outer surface of mitochondria. The researchers detail how mitoNEET regulates VDAC, and they show that the interactions between the two proteins could be disrupted by a drug that targets VDAC.

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Cancer cells turn to cannibalism to survive chemotherapy, study suggests

Researchers have discovered that some cancer cells survive chemotherapy by eating their neighboring tumor cells. The study suggests that this act of cannibalism provides these cancer cells with the energy they need to stay alive and initiate tumor relapse after the course of treatment is completed.

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Social isolation derails brain development in mice

Female mice housed alone during adolescence show atypical development of the prefrontal cortex and resort to habitual behavior in adulthood, according to new research. These findings show how social isolation could lead to an over-reliance on habit-like behaviors that are associated with addiction and obesity.

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Subgroup of colorectal cancer patients ID'd: Do poorly, could benefit from immunotherapy

While the medical community agrees immune cells inside a tumor leads to improved health outcome, for a subset of colorectal cancer patients, having too much of a good thing is a strong predictor of disease recurrence and reduced chances of survival. Scientists identify patients who could benefit from immunotherapy. This is the first report of immune infiltrated tumors with poor health outcomes and is counter to the standard belief in the field.

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