The tissue adjacent to a tumor behaves differently than areas farther away: The tumor's cancerous cells influence their surroundings, blocking the body's immune defenses and creating a sort of haven in which the tumor can grow. Treatments that target some of these pro-tumor actions are effective in a number of cancers, but only for some patients; in others, these treatments have little effect. Researchers have now developed a new approach that simultaneously targets several of these pro-tumor actions at once, which they have demonstrated can effectively reduce tumor growth across several types of cancers. Their new findings point to a potential new treatment that may benefit more patients than current therapeutic options.
Read more …Multi-target approach counters tumor growth in several cancers
Scientists have used deep learning to design new proteins that bind to complexes involving other small molecules like hormones or drugs, opening up a world of possibilities in the computational design of molecular interactions for biomedicine.
Read more …A deep learning pipeline for controlling protein interactions
Scientists have discovered a surprising mechanism by which the inherited genetic mutation known to cause Huntington's disease leads to the death of brain cells. The findings change the understanding of the fatal neurodegenerative disorder and suggest potential ways to delay or even prevent it. For 30 years, researchers have known that Huntington's is caused by an inherited mutation in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene, but they didn't know how the mutation causes brain cell death. A new study reveals that the inherited mutation doesn't itself harm cells. Rather, the mutation is innocuous for decades but slowly morphs into a highly toxic form that then quickly kills the cell.
Read more …Study finds surprising way that genetic mutation causes Huntington's disease, transforming...