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Identification of a compound that reduces the "cloudiness" associated with cataracts could lead to a new therapeutic for this common, age-related eye disorder. Cataracts are the most frequent cause of blindness in the world and therapy is currently limited to surgery, which is not always available in developing countries. Cataracts occur when crystallin proteins within the lens become damaged, causing them to misfold and aggregate into insoluble clumps.

Colorectal cancer cells with certain mutations "handle" vitamin C differently than other cells, and this difference ultimately kills them, a new study shows. The idea that vitamin C could be an effective therapy for human cancer holds great appeal, but its track record in this arena has been highly controversial, with clinical studies producing contradictory results. Several ongoing clinical studies are exploring whether a therapeutic effect may require a high plasma level of vitamin C that can be achieved only by intravenous, not oral, administration.

The DNA in our cells is folded into millions of small packets, like beads on a string, allowing our two-meter linear DNA genomes to fit into a nucleus of only about 0.01 mm in diameter. However, these molecular beads, called nucleosomes, render DNA 'unreadable'. They thus need to be temporarily displaced to allow genes to be copied ('transcribed') into the messages that are used to make proteins. How cells ensure appropriate access to 'promoter' DNA, the regions where gene transcription begins, is still poorly understood.

University of Birmingham (UK) scientists have created a plant that rejects its own pollen or pollen of close relatives, according to research published in the journal Science today (5 November 2015).

Self-pollination or 'selfing' can be bad for a plant resulting in inbreeding and less healthy offspring. This breakthrough could be used to breed stronger more resilient crops faster and at lower cost; a new approach in the quest for a secure and plentiful food supply.

By introducing a particular strain of bacteria into the digestive tracts of mice with melanoma, researchers at the University of Chicago were able to boost the ability of the animal's immune systems to attack tumor cells. The gains were comparable to treatment with anti-cancer drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors, such as anti-PD-L1 antibodies.

The combination of oral doses of the bacteria and injections with anti-PD-L1 antibody nearly abolished tumor outgrowth, the researchers report online Thursday in the journal Science.

• Clock genes in pancreas produce proteins in rhythm with the planet's daily rotation from light to dark
• Clocks operating in cells are fundamental to health
• When clocks are disrupted, metabolic disorders can develop

CHICAGO --- A new Northwestern Medicine study has pinpointed thousands of genetic pathways an internal body clock takes to dictate how and when our pancreas must produce insulin and control blood sugar, findings that could eventually lead to new therapies for children and adults with diabetes.

(TORONTO, Canada - Nov. 5, 2015) - Stem-cell scientists led by Dr. John Dick have discovered a completely new view of how human blood is made, upending conventional dogma from the 1960s.

The findings, published online today in the journal Science, prove "that the whole classic 'textbook' view we thought we knew doesn't actually even exist," says principal investigator John Dick, Senior Scientist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network (UHN), and Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto.

Competition between 'good bacteria' important for healthy gut, say researchers

The vital ecosystem of bacteria in the human gut operates like a jungle, with competition between microbes helping maintain the stability necessary to keep us healthy.

That's according to scientists at Oxford University, who have used mathematical modelling to work out how hundreds of bacteria species are able to co-exist successfully.

When it comes to spreading viruses, bats are thought to be among the worst. Now a new study of nearly 900 nonhuman primates in Bangladesh and Cambodia shows that macaques harbor more diverse astroviruses, which can cause infectious gastroenteritis or diarrhea in humans.

"If you are a bat, you have bat astrovirus, but if you are a monkey, you could have everything," said Lisa Jones-Engel, a research scientist at the University of Washington National Primate Research Primate Center and a co-author of the study, published today in PLOS Pathogens.

A chemical that could potentially be used in eye drops to reverse cataracts, the leading cause of blindness, has been identified by a team of scientists from UC San Francisco (UCSF), the University of Michigan (U-M), and Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL).

• New research funded by the Health Research Board and the Wellcome Trust has pinpointed immune cells that could be targeted by an MRSA vaccine
• These 'helper' cells alert other key players in the immune response which, in turn, eradicate the infection

Dublin, Ireland, November 5th, 2015 - Immunologists from Trinity College Dublin have unearthed a key piece of the MRSA vaccine puzzle by identifying specific 'helper' cells whose role in the immune response is critical in affecting infection outcomes.

The dinoflagellates aren't happy. In good times, these tiny ocean creatures live free-floating in the ocean or symbiotically with corals, serving up--or as--lunch to a host of mollusks, tiny fish and coral species. Some of them make glowing waves at night because they are bioluminescent. But when conditions are wrong, dinoflagellates poison shellfish beds with red tides and abandon coral reefs to a slow, bleached death.

Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Faculty of Medicine have announced a discovery that is expected to allow doctors to diagnose a disease causing infertility and lack of puberty in women, with implications for the development of future treatment options.

(Philadelphia, PA) - Cancer cells with mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, which serve a vital role in preserving the integrity of the genetic code, are key targets for cancer therapeutics. Yet, few agents can selectively eliminate cells deficient in BRCA, and none can do so without the risk of inducing drug resistance.

Highlights

• The use of hormone replacement therapy may lead to better kidney function in postmenopausal women.
• Research that uncovered this link will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2015 November 3-8 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.

San Diego, CA (November 5, 2015) -- Hormone replacement therapy may help protect kidney health, according to a study that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2015 November 3¬-8 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.