Circulating biomarkers are quickly becoming a crucial part of diagnosis and disease monitoring for physicians, researchers — and even some consumers.
Category: biotech/medical
Treatment seems to have been effective, but it is not clear whether such bespoke therapies can be widely applied.
Inherited mutations in the gene BRCA2 significantly increase the risk of carriers to breast and ovarian cancers. BRCA2, a crucial player in the body’s DNA repair system, aids in repairing damaged DNA. This function is particularly intriguing as our cells constantly divide and replicate, passing on any genetic damage to newly developing cells.
Because of its significant role in maintaining genetic stability, BRCA2 belongs to a class of genes known as tumor suppressors. These genes code for proteins that control how often cells divide. However, when a tumor suppressor gene, such as BRCA2, undergoes a mutational change, the protein it codes for won’t function normally, resulting in uncontrolled cell division and, in some circumstances, cancer development.
BRCA2 predisposes carriers to cancer and research has shown that BRCA2-deficient tumors respond to therapies known as PARP inhibitors, which block the function of the poly ADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1) protein. PARP1 becomes activated in tumors with BRCA2 mutations, resulting in the continued abnormal growth of damaged DNA.
“Go and see your doctor if you’ve got anything that you’re concerned about – that’s what a [doctor] is for,” Brian Gemmell said
Researchers at the University of Sydney have successfully performed a quantum simulation of chemical dynamics with real molecules for the first time, marking a significant milestone in the application of quantum computing to chemistry and medicine.
Understanding in real time how atoms interact to form new compounds or interact with light has long been expected as a potential application of quantum technology. Now, quantum chemist Professor Ivan Kassal and Physics Horizon Fellow Dr. Tingrei Tan have shown it is possible using a quantum machine at the University of Sydney.
The innovative work leverages a novel, highly resource-efficient encoding scheme implemented on a trapped-ion quantum computer in the University of Sydney Nanoscience Hub, with implications that could help transform medicine, energy and materials science.
In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the researchers detail their discoveries about why the brain tumor glioblastoma is so aggressive. Their findings center on ZIP4, a protein that transports zinc throughout the body and sets off a cascade of events that drive tumor growth.
About half of all malignant brain tumors are glioblastomas, the deadliest form of brain cancer with a median survival rate of 14 months.
“Surgery for glioblastoma is very challenging, and patients almost always experience a relapse,” said the study’s senior author. “By better understanding why these brain tumors are so aggressive, we hope to open up paths for new treatments.”
Is Gemini 2.5 Pro the AI breakthrough that will redefine machine intelligence? Google’s latest innovation promises to solve one of AI’s biggest hurdles: true reasoning. Unlike chatbots that regurgitate data, Gemini 2.5 Pro mimics human-like logic, connecting concepts, spotting flaws, and making decisions with unprecedented depth. This isn’t an upgrade—it’s a revolution in how machines think.
What makes Gemini 2.5 Pro unique? Built on a hybrid neural-symbolic architecture, it merges brute-force data processing with structured reasoning frameworks. Early tests show it outperforms GPT-4 and Claude 3 in complex tasks like legal analysis, medical diagnostics, and ethical dilemma navigation. We’ll break down its secret sauce: adaptive learning loops, context-aware problem-solving, and self-correcting logic that learns from mistakes in real time.
How will this impact you? Developers can build AI that understands instead of just parroting, businesses can automate high-stakes decisions, and educators might finally have a tool to teach critical thinking. But there’s a catch: Gemini 2.5 Pro’s \.
Brain-computer interfaces are already letting people with paralysis control computers and communicate their needs, and will soon enable them to manipulate prosthetic limbs without moving a muscle.
The year ahead is pivotal for the companies behind this technology.
Fewer than 100 people to date have had brain-computer interfaces permanently installed. In the next 12 months, that number will more than double, provided the companies with new FDA experimental-use approval meet their goals in clinical trials. Apple this week announced its intention to allow these implants to control iPhones and other products.
Using a novel technique to wirelessly record neural signals from already-implanted deep-brain stimulators in patients with Parkinson’s disease in an outpat
See how gene therapy uses vectors, or delivery systems, in order to introduce genetic material to target cells.