A groundbreaking new study led by researchers at the Masonic Medical Research Institute (MMRI) has identified a promising molecular target to protect the heart against damage caused by high-fat diet and obesity. The study highlights the protein tyrosine phosphatase PTP1B, a nodal enzyme involved in insulin signaling, as a key driver in maladaptive cardiac metabolism and dysfunction under dietary stress.

Specific way genetic material is organized in cells determines its ability to adapt to resist treatment. Scientists modulated this organization with an FDA-approved drug on the market. Strategy prevented cancer cells from adapting, making chemotherapy more effective in lab cultures and animal models of human cancer.

New research from the University of Pittsburgh reveals how the immune system defends against intestinal parasitic worms, or helminths, one of the most common infections worldwide in communities with limited access to clean water and sanitation.