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Moving Beyond Clinical Trials: 4 Lessons From Real-World Data

Clinical trials continue to be the gold standard for studying the safety and efficacy of a new medicine. They are designed to take place in very controlled environments, in a well-defined population, to understand the effects of a medicine on the specific patients; however, these experimental conditions don’t always represent “real world” settings.   In recent years, drug makers, doctors and health insurance companies have been increasingly turning to real-world data to answer questions that...

Cytokines of Interest: Understanding Their Paths to Disease

In the diverse universe of cytokines, signaling proteins secreted by our cells that affect nearly every biological process in the body, there is a specific subset that scientists pay extra attention to for their role in autoimmune diseases, cancer, and other conditions.  What sets apart these "cytokines of interest" — 57 in total — from others is that they’re dependent on a pair of enzymes called Janus kinases (JAKs) to transmit their messages to a cell.  And in recent years, scientists have...

More than Just a Nuisance, Noise May Be Hurting Your Heart Health

People living in urbans areas might dismiss the sounds of honking horns, thumping jackhammers and screeching breaks as mere annoyances that disturb their peace and quiet.  But regular exposure to noise pollution may increase their risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases. A recent review in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology offers some insight into how chronic exposure to noise impacts us on a molecular level to increase our risk of cardiovascular conditions.  Tu...

Touching Base: the Speed and Accessibility of Next Generation Sequencing

When German engineer Carl Benz took the world’s first automobile out for a spin in 1886, most observers were underwhelmed. With an engine that generated 0.75 horsepower and a top speed of 10 miles per hour, not many people rushed out to buy Benz’s first car. The $1000 price tag, an outrageous sum at the time, also discouraged all but the wealthiest would-be auto enthusiasts.  But subsequent generations of cars not only got faster, they also became more affordable. By 1914 the Ford Model T had a...

Nature’s Antifreeze Holds the Answer to Preserving Human Organs

Arctic creatures have a variety of adaptations for surviving subzero temperatures. Now, science is hoping to borrow a few of their techniques to extend the shelf life of human organs. Some creatures head south to survive the winter, but the North American wood frog stays put, enduring subzero temperatures by transforming into a frozen “frogsicle.” With no heartbeat or breathing for prolonged periods, the partially frozen amphibian gradually thaws and hops back to life as spring emerges. The...

Breathing New Life Into Lung Cancer Research

The story of cancer was long seen as a single narrative: a cell acquires genetic mutations, starts to divide uncontrollably and then spreads.But in recent years, this tale has become more complex. Scientists are increasingly aware that a tumor’s microenvironment — its surrounding healthy cells, including fibroblasts that form connective tissues, as well as blood vessels and immune cells — are more than just innocent bystanders, they actively contribute to the developing tumor and can play a role...

The Evolution of Inflammation

Hunting wooly mammoths with stone age technology took guts. If the archaeological record is to be believed, it also took an incredible ability to bounce back from serious injuries. Stone age burial sites are filled with examples of early humans who recovered from broken bones, dislocated limbs and infected wounds, all without any help from modern medicine. The active lifestyle required to feed oneself led to frequent injuries and infections, which means that the people who survived to pass...

Purpose & Ideals

The Value of Cancer Medicines Worldwide

A new wave of discovery in the cancer community.

The Good, the Bad and the Strange of Physical Pain

Most people struggle with pain at some point in their life, and when it gets bad enough it can be a debilitating condition. However, while pain has its obvious and sometimes devastating downside, our ability to feel physical pain is also part of maintaining our health. For a time, physicians even referred to pain as “the fifth vital sign,” because it can be important to understanding the state of a person’s health and point to the presence of disease. When our pain receptors are working...

5 Tips to Chat Up the Next Scientist You Meet

Maybe you’ve been in this situation before: You’re at a dinner party, or on a cross-country flight, and find yourself seated next to a scientist. Perhaps she’s researching the latest cancer therapy or on the hunt for an elusive subatomic particle, and you’re left tongue-tied, assuming you just won't be able to keep up. But instead of avoiding the unknown, think about the potential for an engaging conversation— and where that chat goes might surprise you. Here are five things to keep in mind...

Scientific ‘Swap Meet’: Pharma Competitors Form Novel Consortium to Share Materials

Just as an amazing meal often begins with the best ingredients, the most innovative compounds are likely to emerge when scientists have access to diverse and high-quality chemical building blocks. But what are chemical building blocks? To understand that, first, you should know that one way in which chemists synthesize compounds is by combining smaller compounds. These smaller compounds are sometimes referred to as “building blocks” because they can be used to build larger compounds...

Unlocking the Secrets of a Protein “Superfamily"

Large families can be complex. And while you may know some of its members individually, you can’t really gain a true understanding of their relationships and dynamics without considering the group in its totality. Such is the case for solute carrier (SLC) transporters, a “superfamily” of some 400 proteins found in our cell membranes responsible for shuttling nutrients, neurotransmitters, medicines and other molecules in and out of cells. Despite their importance, they remain largely...