Common antidepressant drugs help the immune system to attack tumors in mice
A class of drug called monoamine oxidase inhibitors is commonly prescribed to treat depression; the medications work by boosting levels of serotonin, the brain s happiness hormone.
A new study by UCLA researchers suggests that those drugs, commonly known as MAOIs, might have another health benefit: helping the immune system attack cancer. Their findings are reported in two papers, which are published in the journals
Science Immunology and
Nature Communications.
MAOIs had not been linked to the immune system s response to cancer before. What s especially exciting is that this is a very well-studied and safe class of drug, so repurposing it for cancer isn t as challenging as developing a completely new drug would be.
New research published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research has linked heavier birth weight with lower bone mineral density and a higher risk of bone fracture later in life.
Lanthanides are rare-earth heavy metals with useful magnetic properties and a knack for emitting light. Researchers had long assumed that lanthanides' toxicity risk was low and therefore safe to implement in a number of high-tech breakthroughs we now take for granted: from OLEDs (organic light-emitting displays)¬¬ to medical MRIs and even hybrid vehicles.
Though it might seem inanimate, the soil under our feet is very much alive. It's filled with countless microorganisms actively breaking down organic matter, like fallen leaves and plants, and performing a host of other functions that maintain the natural balance of carbon and nutrients stored in the ground beneath us.
The organization of the human genome relies on physics of different states of matter - such as liquid and solid - a team of scientists has discovered. The findings, which reveal how the physical nature of the genome changes as cells transform to serve specific functions, point to new ways to potentially better understand disease and to create improved therapies for cancer and genetic disorders.