Breakthroughs

Penn Medicine researcher unveils findings on 2 new weapons against thyroid cancer

For many years, patients with advanced thyroid cancer faced bleak prospects and no viable treatment options. But now, building on recent discoveries about the genetics and cell signaling pathways of thyroid tumors, researchers are developing exciting new weapons against the disease, using kinase inhibitors that target tumor cell division and blood vessels. Two recent clinical trials led by a researcher from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania showcase the great promise of these new approaches. The work will be presented at the European Cancer Congress (ECCO 17 – ESMO 38 – ESTRO 32) in Amsterdam today. Read more.

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 Adult Stem Cell Research Breakthrough Could Lead to Treatments for Parkinson’s, Diabetes

Researchers have for the first time converted cultured skin cells into stem cells with near-perfect efficiency.

By removing a single protein, called Mbd3, a team at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, was able to increase the conversion rate to almost 100% — ten times that normally achieved. The discovery could clear the way for scientists to produce large volumes of stem cells on demand, hastening the development of new treatments. Read more.


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Breakthrough dentistry

The SealBio technique invented by a team of doctors at AIIMS in the Capital has been found to cure and regenerate an infected root canal through stem cell activation

Reported advances in the field of regenerative medicine, hinging on the use of stem cells, evoke both scepticism and hope. Claims of miracle cures by unmonitored clinics for afflictions ranging from Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, cancers, heart diseases, spinal injuries, paralysis to general symptoms of ageing have proved counter-productive. For, without certified clinical trials, such claims fall flat. Read more.


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Dental Advances

New breakthroughs are making it easier than ever to save your teeth – and improve your life. Read more.