New Dual-Target Drug May Help Overcome Immunotherapy Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer
The drug, SH-273, led to long-term tumor reduction in mouse models. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the deadliest cancer types, with a five-year survival rate of 13%. There are only two treatment regimens available with limited efficacy. Pancreatic cancers do not respond to immunotherapy where the body’s immune system attacks tumor cells. The effectiveness ...
New Hope for Early Diabetes Detection
Researchers use mouse models to pioneer a game-changing approach for predicting type 1 diabetes. In a significant step toward the goal of preventing autoimmune type 1 diabetes, a team led by U-M’s Lonnie Shea, Steven A. Goldstein Collegiate Professor, Biomedical Engineering, has developed a new system that can identify—well before symptoms appear—whether an individual is ...
Gut Hormone FGF15 Changes How Mice Respond to Weight Loss
Weight loss drugs and diet influence amount of lean mass during rapid weight loss. Nearly 40% of the population in the United States develop obesity, which is linked to the development of several diseases, including type 2 diabetes and metabolic liver disease. The rise in obesity is, in part, caused by high-calorie diets and sedentary ...
New Study Hints at the Cause of a Painful Skin Condition—and at a Long-Awaited Potential Treatment
The work clarifies the role of keratin in the skin’s inflammatory response. Imagine a skin condition so painful, people with it are reduced to crawling around their homes to avoid having to walk on thick and painful calluses. This disease, called pachyonychia congenita (PC), is rare but severely impacts quality of life for those with ...
Researchers Discover What May be the Root Cause of Preeclampsia, and How to Fix It
The findings position VGLL3 as a promising novel treatment target for the pregnancy-related condition. Preeclampsia is a life-threatening pregnancy complication that affects roughly one in ten pregnancies worldwide and, in the United States alone, around 5-8% of pregnancies. The condition can lead to severe, long term health consequences for mothers and their babies. Despite its prevalence, ...
Encapsulated Ovarian Donor Tissue Restores Ovarian Function in Mice
Researchers hope protecting donated ovarian tissue from the immune system could help pediatric cancer survivors have natural hormone cycles. With the aim of restoring female hormone cycles for pediatric cancer survivors, a team of University of Michigan researchers has demonstrated that donated ovarian tissue, hidden from the immune system in a capsule, can produce natural hormone ...
New Mouse Model for Liposarcoma Can Help Uncover New Therapies
An expert answers questions about current treatments and how the new animal model resembles the disease in humans. Soft tissue sarcomas typically develop in the tissues that surround and support the body’s organs. These tissues include muscles, tendons, fat, blood vessels, and nerves. Liposarcoma is the most common type of soft tissue sarcoma, accounting for ...
Uncovering How Occludin Protein Maintains Blood-Brain and Blood-Retinal Barriers
Mouse study reveals how occludin controls both leaky blood vessels and excessive vessel growth in diabetic retinopathy. The blood-brain and blood-retinal barriers are protective systems that prevent harmful substances from entering the brain and eyes. These barriers are created by cells that are joined tightly together by proteins. Dysfunctional barriers can cause a range of ...
Itaconate Identified as a New Target for Pediatric Brain Tumors Called Ependymomas
Normally produced by immune cells, itaconate drives the development of ependymomas. Ependymomas are tumors that grow in the brain or spinal cord and are the third-most common type of brain tumor in children. This type of cancer affects about 250 children in the United States each year and is most often diagnosed in children aged ...
Brain Cancer Digital Twin Predicts Treatment Outcomes
A simulation of an individual patient’s brain tumors, kept up to date with readily available data, can identify whether dietary treatments and drugs are likely to work. A machine-learning-based approach to mapping real-time tumor metabolism in brain cancer patients, developed at the University of Michigan, could help doctors discover which treatment strategies are most likely ...
Study Identifies Key Features of Cancer Cell Response and Resistance to Treatment
Researchers have developed a cellular atlas of prostate cancer using mouse models. Their findings reveal why some prostate tumors respond to therapy while others become resistant. Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in men. Most patients who are diagnosed during earlier stages usually respond well to treatment. In some, however, ...
New Hope for Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Recent IPF developments could help combat the challenging lung disease. Until late 2025, one of the most common causes of lung scarring, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or IPF, had few treatment options. Health Lab recently spoke with researcher Sean Fortier, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical ...