Posts tagged ‘cancer research’
McMaster University researchers discover drug destroys human cancer stem cells but not healthy ones
A team of scientists at McMaster University has discovered a drug, thioridazine, successfully kills cancer stem cells in the human while avoiding the toxic side-effects of conventional cancer treatments.
“The unusual aspect of our finding is the way this human-ready drug actually kills cancer stem cells; by changing them into cells that are non-cancerous,” said Mick Bhatia, the principal investigator for the study and scientific director of McMaster’s Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute in the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.
Unlike chemotherapy and radiation, thioridazine appears to have no effect on normal stem cells.
The research, published today in the science journal CELL, holds the promise of a new strategy and discovery pipeline for the development of anticancer drugs in the treatment of various cancers. The research team has identified another dozen drugs that have good potential for the same response.
A multiplex assay for immunology research
If you are studying diseases that involve the T-helper cell type 17 (Th17) immune response pathway then you should probably learn more about Bio-Rad Laboratories latest tool for performing Th17 multiplex assays. The Bio-Plex Pro Human Th17 Cytokine Assay kit enables researchers to measure 16 different Th17 targets in just microliters of sample.
The inflammatory conditions that involve the Th17 pathway include: Rheumatoid arthiritis, lupus, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, antimicrobial immunity, Transplant rejection and cancer. So if you are studying any of these conditions, check out the Bio-Plex Pro Human Th117 Cytokine kit.
Genetic breakthrough for brain cancer in children
An international research team led by the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC) has made a major genetic breakthrough that could change the way pediatric cancers are treated in the future. The researchers identified two genetic mutations responsible for up to 40 per cent of glioblastomas in children – a fatal cancer of the brain that is unresponsive to chemo and radiotherapy treatment. The mutations were found to be involved in DNA regulation, which could explain the resistance to traditional treatments, and may have significant implications on the treatment of other cancers. The study was published this week in the journal Nature.
Below is a talk that was moderated this past summer by corresponding author Nada Jabado, Clinician and Principal Investigator at RI MUHC. The talk focuses on cancer initiation and cancer growth.
Dancing in support of Canadian cancer research
Great idea in support of cancer research. Check out the following description and YouTube video from McGill:
To highlight some of the critical work being done at the Goodman Cancer Research Centre, we gathered some of our top scientists, students, lab techs and dedicated volunteers, who turned on the music – and danced!
Thanks to our proud sponsor, Medicom, a donation will be made for each hit to support advances in cancer research at the Goodman Cancer Research Centre.
Beardomics: How your beard holds the key to determining your risk of developing cancer
This is by far one of the funniest videos that I have seen in the lab comedy genre on the internet! Beardomics definitely deserves two thumbs up. Kudos to Unicorns of the Hydrocalypse for a fantastic video!
One of my favourite lines from the video is when he explains that hundreds of pounds of beard hair sample is kept at -80C “not for preservation…just because I don’t like the smell!” What’s your favourite part?
