Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a rare locally aggressive malignant cutaneous soft-tissue sarcoma. DFSP develops in the connective tissue cells in the middle layer of the skin (dermis). Estimates of the overall occurrence of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans in the United States are 0.8 to 4.5 cases per million persons per year. In the United States, DFSP accounts…
Category: Medicine
BAF Complex Inhibition Induces Fast Loss Of DNA Accessibility
Silencing BAF complex function results in almost a total loss of chromatin accessibility at BAF-controlled sites, a new paper1 has found. When human cells need to acclimate to a various external influences, the BRG1/BRM-associated factor (BAF) complex is central to the process – it regulates the accessibility of the DNA and the information stored in…
G3BPs At The Lysosomal Surface Inhibit mTORC1
The signaling protein mTOR (Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin) is a sensor for nutrients such as amino acids and sugars. When sufficient nutrients are available, mTOR boosts metabolism and ensures that sufficient energy and cellular building blocks are available. Since mTOR is a central switch for metabolism, errors in its activation lead to serious diseases. Cancers…
What Is Gefitinib?
Gefitinib, sold under the brand name Iressa by AstraZeneca and Teva, is a medication used for certain breast, lung and other cancers. Gefitinib is an EGFR inhibitor, interrupting signaling through the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in target cells. As such, it is only effective in cancers with mutated and overactive EGFR, but resistances to…
Human Immune System Dynamics Are Associated With Microbiota
The concentration of different kinds of immune cells in the blood alters in relation to the presence of different bacterial strains in the human gut, researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center report. The scientific community had already accepted the idea that the gut microbiota was important for the health of the human immune system,…
Prazosin Moderates Drinking For People With Alcohol Withdrawl
Prazosin, a drug once used to treat high blood pressure, can help alcoholics who are experiencing withdrawal symptoms to reduce or eliminate their drinking, researchers report. There has been no treatment readily available for people who experience severe withdrawal symptoms and these are the people at highest risk of relapse and are most likely to…
Fluvoxamine May Avert Serious Complications From Covid
The antidepressant fluvoxamine seems to restrain some of the more serious complications of COVID-19, reports a study of adult outpatients with mild-to-moderate symptoms.1 Researchers say the drug also appeared to lower the chances for them requiring supplemental oxygen and hospitalization. The patients who took fluvoxamine did not develop serious breathing difficulties or require hospitalization for…
Delirium Could Be Early Symptom Of COVID-19
Delirium with a fever could be an early marker of COVID-19, report researchers from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). The manifestation of this state of confusion, when accompanied by high fever, should be considered an early marker of the disease, particularly in the case of elderly patients, they argue. Delirium is a state of…
What Is Sunitinib Used For?
Sunitinib (brand name Sutent) is a medication used to treat cancer. It is a small-molecule, multi-targeted receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitor that was approved by the FDA for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and imatinib-resistant gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) on January 26, 2006. Sunitinib was the first cancer drug simultaneously approved for two…