Author Archives: karen
Polyfunctional T cells induced potent anti-tumor efficacy
Adoptive T cell therapy is a form of cancer immunotherapy using T cells to target cancer cells. In adoptive T cell therapy, white blood cells are collected from cancer patients, T cells (CD4+ and CD8+ cells) within
Drugs and drowning
Electrical activity of the heart is commonly monitored by the electrocardiogram (ECG). Such electrical activity depends on certain proteins called ion channels. These channels control the timing and the flow of electrically charged particles (ions) in and
Contamination of newly built thermal plants – does water hold the answer?
A domestic central heating system uses a boiler, powered by electric or gas, to heat water. This is then pumped around the system to radiators that heat a room by radiation and convection. The heat transfer fluid
Why blood donors lapse or reduce their donation’s frequency?
Finding effectives ways to retain blood donors is crucial. Four percent of Quebec (Canada) citizens are registered in the province’s blood bank. Only 6% of blood donors are registered as apheresis donors, but they supply 15% of
Relativity: Relatively uninteresting for chemists?
The periodic table of elements is among the corner stones of chemistry. In the given order, in both the periods (rows) and groups (columns), elements show some specific properties. However, when going around the bottom of the
Phthalate exposure and depression in an elderly population
Phthalates are chemicals used to increase the flexibility and softness of plastics or preserve the scent in various personal care products. They are included in a wide range of products such as food packaging, medical devices, children’s
The youth hormone DHEA in the treatment of liver cancer: die another way
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common form of malignant liver tumor and one of the leading causes of death all over the world. As for other types of cancer, many drugs have been developed and tested with
Promises and challenges in the engineering of nanosized active pharmaceutical ingredients
The advances in the field of nanotechnology have revolutionized the field of delivery of poorly soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Nanoparticles refer to solid colloidal three-dimensional particles in the size range from (1 to 1000) nm. Therapeutically,
Caught in a loop – A story of how plants drop excess baggage
Plants shed their organs such as leaves, flowers, or fruits in response to environmental stimuli or developmental timing. For example, trees drop their leaves in the fall when they sense winter is coming. Plants also drop leaves
The history of carotid stroke
Carotid artery disease is a condition in which fatty deposition (plaque) within the vessel wall of one or both neck arteries causes progressive vascular narrowing. Plaque surface rupture leads to a shower of debris to the brain,
Improving nature’s own communication system to fight cancer
Our bodies are composed of trillions of different cells, which communicate with each other in order to keep us healthy. There are several ways in which messages can be sent back and forth between cells. One of
3D arrangement of elastic fibres in the human cornea
The cornea is the outermost layer of the eye that covers the iris, pupil and anterior chamber, and is continuous with the white sclera. As part of the eye ball it has to be strong to protect the inner contents
Glucosamine reduces the need for pain medications in osteoarthritis, but the correct formulation is essential
For osteoarthritis, drugs that can delay disease progression have the potential to reduce the need for additional pain medications. But be careful which drug you chose: this effect is only shown with the prescription patented crystalline glucosamine
A harvestman penis in amber
In this paper, my co-authors and I described a remarkable fossil specimen of a harvestman which belongs to the arachnid order Opiliones. It was discovered in Burmese amber which comes from Myanmar in South-east Asia and dates
Progress in macromolecular crystallography
The importance of crystallography was recently highlighted by the declaration by UNESCO of the Year of Crystallography 2014. This presented a good occasion to recall the advances of macromolecular crystallography achieved since its birth, more than half
App to help COPD patients to become more physically active
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a chronic lung disease, are generally less physically active compared to healthy controls. However, being physically active is important for these patients. Being inactive results in a higher risk of
Are there special routes for signals and drugs to reach every organ and cell after acupuncture stimuli?
Traditional Oriental medicine has 5000 years of history. The meridian system is lying on the base of medical treatment using oriental medicine techniques as different acupuncture stimuli. But, through all Oriental medicine history, visualizing of meridian system’s
Reconstruction of chromosomal structures
Under a certain approximation, the following simplified format can be adopted. DNA is considered as a very long sequence in the {A,C,T,G} alphabet. Certain regions of the sequence with specific positions have a particular role and are
Enhanced absorption or transparency in hybrids of nanoparticles and graphene
The appealing side of nanotechnology lies in the fact that ordinary materials show surprising properties when their size is reduced to billionths of meters (nanometers). For example, we all know that silver is gray and gold is
Songbirds transport disease-carrying ticks
Every spring people love to see the birds return with their cheerful song. Surprisingly, some of these songsters transport tiny, disease-carrying ticks. These bird-feeding ticks are sometimes infected with disease-causing microorganisms that cause serious illnesses in humans
