Cancer cells adopt hitherto unknown state to facilitate metastasis

The ancient Egyptians, as described in the Ebers Papyrus, already knew that palpation—feeling for hardened lumps—can help diagnose breast cancer. Palpation is still an important element in early screening for breast cancer. On the other hand, measurements on individual cancer cells show that they are softer than the healthy epithelial cells from which they stem, which probably makes them better able to metastasize in dense human tissue. An international collaborative project led by the Soft Matter Physics Division at Leipzig University got to the bottom of this apparent paradox and has now published its findings in the journal Nature Physics.

Brain organoids replicate key events in human brain development

Organoids are carefully grown collections of cells in a dish, designed to mimic organ structures and composition better than conventional cell cultures and give researchers a unique view into how organs such as the brain grow and develop. To make them experimentally useful, scientists need to determine how faithfully these models reproduce the behavior of cells in the body.

Traumatic brain injury 'remains major global health problem' say experts

A new report highlights the advances and challenges in prevention, clinical care, and research in traumatic brain injury, a leading cause of injury-related death and disability worldwide.

Risk simulation calls for more regular antigen testing to reduce isolation periods for COVID-19

Around the world, many people infected with COVID-19 have been made to completely isolate from others in order to avoid passing on the infection. Some countries still recommend minimum isolation periods for as long as 10 days from when patients start to develop COVID-19 symptoms.

Researchers create new method to more accurately measure cancer lesions response to treatment

Researchers from the University of Colorado Cancer Center on the Anschutz Medical Campus have created a new way of measuring cancer lesions response to treatment that could better inform the development of new cancer drugs.

Acute respiratory illness due to EV-D68 increased in late summer 2022

In late summer 2022, for children and adolescents, there was an increase in acute respiratory illness (ARI) resulting from enterovirus (EV)-D68 in the United States, according to research published in the Sept. 27 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.