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Released: 3-Jun-2016 3:05 PM EDT
Bacteria Found in Female Upper Reproductive Tract, Once Thought Sterile
University of North Carolina Health Care System

In a preliminary finding (abstract 5568) presented Monday, June 6, at the 2016 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago, researchers revealed they have found bacteria in the upper female reproductive tract.

Released: 3-Jun-2016 9:05 AM EDT
Cancer Patients Miss Appointments, Prescriptions Due to Inability to Afford Care
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Researchers report preliminary findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting 2016 that 26 percent of a survey of adult cancer patients reported they paid more for medical care than they could afford. Those patients also reported missing appointments and prescriptions because of affordability issues.

27-May-2016 4:05 PM EDT
In All U.S. Regions, Broad Support for Increasing Legal Age of Tobacco Sales
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and East Carolina University report in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that in all nine regions of the country, a majority of adults supported increasing the minimum legal age for tobacco product sales.

Released: 26-May-2016 10:05 AM EDT
Researchers Link Gene Expression Patterns of Normal Tissue to Breast Cancer Prognosis
University of North Carolina Health Care System

In the journal npj Breast Cancer, researchers reported they identified a particular gene expression pattern in normal-appearing breast tissue around tumors that was linked to lower 10-year survival rates for women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.

12-May-2016 5:05 PM EDT
Promise of Nearly a Year of Life on Targeted Drug Not Reality for All Liver Cancer Patients, Study Finds
University of North Carolina Health Care System

In the journal The Oncologist, researchers report that the median survival for a group of Medicare patients on the drug sorafenib was three months, which was significantly lower than the median survival of nearly 11 months for patients treated with the drug during a phase III clinical trial.

Released: 10-May-2016 8:05 AM EDT
Scientists Digitally Mimic Evolution to Create Novel Proteins
University of North Carolina Health Care System

UNC School of Medicine scientists create SEWING, a technique inspired by natural evolutionary mechanisms to recombine portions of known proteins to produce new structures with the distinctive features that proteins require to carry out specific biological functions.

Released: 5-May-2016 12:05 PM EDT
UNC Lineberger E-Cigarette Expert Available for Comment on FDA Ruling
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Rebecca S. Williams, a researcher with the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and a leading expert in the study of Internet tobacco sales, including e-cigarettes, applauds the FDA’s ruling.

26-Apr-2016 4:00 PM EDT
Costs for Orally-Administered Cancer Drugs Skyrocket
University of North Carolina Health Care System

An analysis by a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researcher reports in JAMA Oncology that a month of treatment with orally-administered cancer drugs introduced in 2014 were, on average, six times more expensive at launch than cancer drugs introduced in 2000 after adjusting for medical inflation. Drugs approved in 2000 cost an average of $1,869 per month compared to $11,325 for those approved in 2014.

26-Apr-2016 4:05 PM EDT
‘Moonshot to Malawi’ Outlines Global Cancer Disparities
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Satish Gopal, MD, MPH, a UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center member, has called for a commitment to contribute resources and energy to control cancer in less-resourced countries n a perspective published in the April 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Released: 18-Apr-2016 4:05 PM EDT
Increased Saturated Fat Intake Linked to Aggressive Prostate Cancer
University of North Carolina Health Care System

A study by researchers from the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and other institutions found a link between higher intake of dietary saturated fat, a type of fat found commonly in foods such as fatty beef and cheese, and risk of aggressive prostate cancer.

Released: 18-Apr-2016 11:05 AM EDT
New Optogenetic Tool Moves Proteins Within Cells to Study Biological Changes
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Scientists at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine have developed a way to embed light-responsive switches into proteins so that researchers can use lasers to manipulate protein movement and activity within living cells and animals.

Released: 15-Apr-2016 4:05 PM EDT
Women’s Adherence to Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Varies Following False-Positive Mammogram
University of North Carolina Health Care System

A UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center-led study has found that women who have had a false-positive mammogram result are more or less likely to get screened at recommended intervals depending on the timing of their last screen.

12-Apr-2016 3:15 PM EDT
Did Butter Get a Bad Rap?
University of North Carolina Health Care System

New research of old data suggests that using vegetable oils high in linoleic acid failed to reduce heart disease and overall mortality even though the intervention reduced cholesterol levels. And consuming vegetable oils might actually be worse than eating butter.

Released: 12-Apr-2016 9:05 AM EDT
Older Women, Especially Blacks, Receive Targeted Breast Cancer Treatment at Low Rates
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Study raises concerns about access to proven, yet expensive, drug therapy for HER2 subtype

28-Mar-2016 12:15 PM EDT
Could a New Class of Fungicides Play a Role in Autism, Neurodegenerative Diseases?
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Scientists at the UNC School of Medicine have found a class of commonly used fungicides that produce gene expression changes similar to those in people with autism and neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease.

   
Released: 28-Mar-2016 9:05 AM EDT
Weight Loss Amount Is More Important Than Diet Type in Reversing Obesity-Cancer Link, UNC Study Finds
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Researchers with the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center examined whether weight loss via four different diets was linked to reduced tumor growth in laboratory models of breast cancer. Their preliminary findings will be presented tat the 2016 American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting in New Orleans.

Released: 28-Mar-2016 9:05 AM EDT
Weight Loss Surgery Beats Diet at Inhibiting Breast Cancer, Study Finds
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Weight loss surgery was more effective than a low-fat diet at reversing the cancer-promoting effects of chronic obesity in mice, according to a study led by UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers. The preliminary findings will be presented at the 2016 American Association of Cancer Research Annual Meeting in New Orleans.

Released: 25-Mar-2016 8:05 AM EDT
Study Uncovers Genetic Differences for Kidney Cancer That May Contribute to Survival Disparity in African-Americans
University of North Carolina Health Care System

A University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center-led study has identified genetic differences in tumors of African-Americans with the most common type of kidney cancer compared with whites.

22-Mar-2016 1:45 PM EDT
Neuron Type-Specific Gene Loss Linked to Angelman Syndrome Seizures
University of North Carolina Health Care System

This study has helped determine that UBE3A gene loss specifically from GABAergic neurons is what’s critical for seizures in Angelman patients. But UBE3A loss from other neuron types may drive other phenotypes associated with the condition.

Released: 21-Mar-2016 3:35 PM EDT
Long-Acting Injectable Protects Against Vaginal HIV Transmission
University of North Carolina Health Care System

In an effort to minimize obstacles to adherence and prevent vaginal HIV transmission, UNC researchers and collaborators from Merck demonstrated the effectiveness of a new long-acting formulation of the HIV drug raltegravir in animal models.

Released: 18-Mar-2016 11:05 AM EDT
New Compound Is Effective Against Drug-Resistant Leukemia, Preclinical Study Finds
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Researchers at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, the Aflac Cancer & Blood Disorders Center in Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, and at other institutions report that a novel compound MRX-2843 more than doubled the median days of survival in laboratory models with a drug-resistant form of the acute myeloid leukemia.

16-Mar-2016 2:30 PM EDT
UNC Researchers Uncover How Kappa Opioid Receptors Drive Anxiety
University of North Carolina Health Care System

UNC researchers uncovered a cellular mechanism by which kappa opioid receptors drive anxiety. These proteins inhibit the release of the neurotransmitter glutamate in a part of the brain that regulates emotion. KORs are targets for the treatment of addiction and anxiety disorders.

Released: 14-Mar-2016 11:05 AM EDT
Scientists Create Painless Patch of Insulin-Producing Beta Cells to Control Diabetes
University of North Carolina Health Care System

For decades, researchers have tried to duplicate the function of beta cells, which don’t work properly in patients with diabetes. Now, researchers have devised another option: a synthetic patch filled with natural beta cells that can secrete doses of insulin to control blood sugar levels on demand.

Released: 10-Mar-2016 3:05 PM EST
UNC Researchers Discover Colorectal Cancer Biomarker, Potential Personalized Treatment
University of North Carolina Health Care System

In the journal Cell Reports, UNC Lineberger researchers reported they found markedly low levels of the protein NLRX1 in multiple laboratory models of colorectal cancer, and in samples of human tissue. Studies have shown that the protein is known to be involved in regulating immune system signals in order to prevent hyperactive inflammatory responses by the immune system, but UNC Lineberger researchers believe their finding also points to a role for the protein in preventing colorectal cancer growth. Based on their findings, they believe they’ve identified a potential treatment for colorectal cancer with low NLRX1.

1-Mar-2016 3:05 PM EST
‘Broken’ Heart Breakthrough: Researchers Reprogram Cells to Better Battle Heart Failure
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Patients with heart failure often have a buildup of scar tissue that leads to a gradual loss of heart function. In a new study, UNC researchers report significant progress toward a novel approach that could shrink the amount of heart scar tissue while replenishing the supply of healthy heart muscle.

   
29-Feb-2016 10:05 PM EST
New Type-2 Diabetes Therapy Proves Better Than Traditional Insulin Injections
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Research led by UNC’s John Buse showed that IDegLira injections were more effective than basal insulin glargine injections at reducing the average amount of blood sugar over the course of several months. IDegLira was also associated with weight loss and a substantially lower rate of hypoglycemia.

Released: 29-Feb-2016 4:05 PM EST
Using New Drug Screening Tool, UNC Researchers Identify Potential Treatments for Ewing Sarcoma
University of North Carolina Health Care System

In a first-of-its-kind-study, researchers at the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center discovered and applied a new screening technique capable of testing thousands of potential drug compounds to see if those compounds can reverse abnormal DNA unwinding in Ewing sarcoma, a bone and soft tissue cancer that’s most common in teens and young adults.

Released: 24-Feb-2016 9:05 AM EST
New Research Challenges Darwin, Shows How a Gene Cheats Mendel’s Law of Segregation
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Copies of the mouse gene R2d2 can spread quickly through lab and wild mouse populations, despite the fact that the genes cause females to have fewer offspring. This is the first time scientists have used mice to show that a selfish gene responsible for infertility can become fixed in a population.

Released: 18-Feb-2016 11:05 AM EST
Study Finds Different Genetic Mutation Patterns for HPV-Positive Throat Cancer Patients Based on Smoking History
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Preliminary findings from a study examining the genetic alterations in HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma were presented Thursday at the 2016 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium. The researchers found differences in the genetic mutations of HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer based on whether patients were heavy versus light smokers.

Released: 17-Feb-2016 2:05 PM EST
Low-Risk Prostate Cancer Best Managed with Active Surveillance, According to New Recommendations
University of North Carolina Health Care System

A UNC Lineberger researcher was first-author of a report published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology that details guidelines for the active surveillance of men with low-risk prostate cancer. The guidelines, originally authored by Cancer Care Ontario, were reviewed and endorsed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology with some revisions.

Released: 15-Feb-2016 11:05 AM EST
UNC School of Medicine Scientists Discover New Way Bacterial Infections Spread in the Body
University of North Carolina Health Care System

UNC School of Medicine scientists studying one of the world’s most virulent pathogens and a separate very common bacterium have discovered a new way that some bacteria can spread rapidly throughout the body – by hitchhiking on our own immune cells.

10-Feb-2016 4:05 PM EST
Put That in Your E-Cigarette and Smoke It, or Should You?
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Ilona Jaspers, PhD, from the UNC School of Medicine, recently completed research showing how the chemicals in e-cigarettes can change immune responses in our airways. She will present her findings at the AAAS annual meeting February 11-16.

Released: 9-Feb-2016 9:00 AM EST
Device Hits Pancreatic Tumors Hard with Toxic Four-Drug Cocktail, Sparing the Body
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Implantable device delivers first-line treatment for pancreatic cancer directly to tumors, bypassing bloodstream and limiting widespread side effects.

8-Feb-2016 3:05 PM EST
Antiretroviral Therapy Reduces HIV in the Female Reproductive Tract
University of North Carolina Health Care System

For the first time, investigators in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine have determined how antiretroviral therapy (ART) affects the way HIV disseminates and establishes infection in the female reproductive tract. These observations have significant implications for future HIV prevention, vaccine and cure studies.

Released: 8-Feb-2016 12:05 PM EST
Scientists Elucidate Genetic Underpinnings of Congenital Heart Disease
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Mutations in the gene TBX5 have been shown to cause both rare and more prevalent forms of congenital heart disease, yet the underlying mechanisms have remained unclear. A team led by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has now found evidence pointing to a culprit.

Released: 4-Feb-2016 4:05 PM EST
Harvard’s Christopher Walsh Wins Perl-UNC Neuroscience Prize
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Harvard's Christopher Walsh wins the 16th Perl UNC Neuroscience Prize for the "discovery of genes and mechanisms regulating human cortical development" from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

Released: 2-Feb-2016 9:05 AM EST
Physician Group Issues Advice, Raises Questions About Best Practices for Evaluating Blood in the Urine as a Sign of Cancer
University of North Carolina Health Care System

A new report from the American College of Physicians’ High Value Care Task Force issues advice for physicians on how to detect and evaluate blood found in the urine, which is known as hematuria. The report, which was first-authored by a UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center member, also raises questions about the potential harms associated with diagnostic tests that are commonly employed to evaluate this condition.

28-Jan-2016 12:05 PM EST
Study Finds No Link Between Subcortical Brain Volumes and Genetic Risk for Schizophrenia
University of North Carolina Health Care System

A new study evaluated the relationship between common genetic variants implicated in schizophrenia and those associated with subcortical brain volumes, and found no evidence of genetic overlap between schizophrenia risk and subcortical volume measures.

Released: 26-Jan-2016 11:05 AM EST
UNC Health Care to Participate in National Registry to Improve the Treatment of Uterine Fibroids
University of North Carolina Health Care System

– A first-of-its-kind national registry to improve treatment for women with uterine fibroids is being implemented across the U.S., including in the Triangle-area. Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that nearly 80 percent of American women will get in their lifetimes.

Released: 20-Jan-2016 10:05 AM EST
New Gene Therapy Treatment Proves Effective for Rare Blood Disorder
University of North Carolina Health Care System

A single injection. That’s all someone with a factor VII deficiency would need for a life-long cure, thanks to a new gene therapy treatment developed in a collaboration of researchers at the University of North Carolina (UNC) and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

Released: 20-Jan-2016 10:05 AM EST
UNC Approved for a $248,594 Award From Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
University of North Carolina Health Care System

CHAPEL HILL, NC– An interdisciplinary team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has been approved for a Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to define unmet patient-centered health care needs in what is known as the “fourth trimester,” the three months after a mother gives birth.

Released: 19-Jan-2016 10:05 AM EST
Preclinical Study Finds No Benefit for Diabetes Drug in Pancreatic Cancer
University of North Carolina Health Care System

A UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center-led study published in PLOS ONE found that the diabetes drug metformin failed to show any benefit against pancreatic cancer, despite excitement about the drug for its potential anti-cancer benefits. Researchers believe the study underscores the importance of testing new therapies in preclinical animal models that incorporate actual tumor tissue to predict patient response.

Released: 12-Jan-2016 2:00 PM EST
Researchers Further Illuminate Pathway for Treatment of Cystic Fibrosis
University of North Carolina Health Care System

New research findings from the UNC School of Medicine add further clarity to a question that has polarized the cystic fibrosis research community.

Released: 7-Jan-2016 4:05 PM EST
Study Finds Gaps in Patient Knowledge of Breast Reconstruction Surgery and Complications
University of North Carolina Health Care System

In a study published in the journal Annals of Surgery, researchers report that breast cancer patients surveyed about their knowledge of breast reconstruction were only moderately informed about the procedure, and their knowledge of complications was low.

Released: 7-Jan-2016 12:05 PM EST
UNC Lineberger Researchers Uncover Promising Direction for the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancers Driven by KRAS Mutation
University of North Carolina Health Care System

In the journal Cancer Cell, UNC Lineberger researchers report findings of a promising strategy to treat KRAS-mutant pancreatic cancers. Preclinical studies showed promise for using a type of investigational drug that works by inhibiting the protein ERK, the last of a series of signals of a signaling pathway that drives drive abnormal growth of cells with KRAS mutations.

Released: 5-Jan-2016 10:05 AM EST
UNC Lineberger Researchers Identify DNA Repair Enzyme as a Potential Brain Cancer Drug Target
University of North Carolina Health Care System

In the journal Cell Reports, UNC Lineberger researchers report that when they removed Dicer from preclinical models of medulloblastoma, a common type of brain cancer in children, they found high levels of DNA damage in the cancer cells, leading to the cells’ death. The tumor cells were smaller, and also more sensitive to chemotherapy.

23-Dec-2015 11:15 AM EST
New Study Opens New Door for ALS Drug Discovery
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Researchers announced the first-ever evidence-based description of the neuronal protein clumps thought to be important in ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a fatal neurodegenerative condition. This could be a crucial step toward developing drugs to stem the progression of the disease.

8-Dec-2015 5:30 PM EST
Discovery Shows How Herpes Simplex Virus Reactivates in Neurons to Trigger Disease
University of North Carolina Health Care System

When we get cold sores, the reason is likely related to stress. For the first time, researchers discovered a cellular mechanism that allows the herpes simplex virus to reactivate. They also found how brain cells are duped into allowing this to happen so that the virus can cause disease.

   
7-Dec-2015 5:00 PM EST
Top Gynecologists Oppose FDA Ruling on Minimally Invasive Procedures for Uterine Fibroids
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Two UNC physicians join experts in gynecology from across the country in asking the FDA to rescind or revise a warning it issued severely restricting use of a device commonly employed in minimally invasive procedures to treat uterine fibroids.



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