Where do toxins from tobacco attack DNA?

In the future, this could make it easier than ever to determine the safety of many chemical substances

24-Feb-2023 - It is known that toxins in tobacco smoke can change our DNA – but where exactly in the genome they do this has been a mystery. A new approach developed by researchers at ETH Zurich now brings light into the darkness. In the future, this could make it easier than ever to determine the safety of ...

Revealing the path of a metallodrug in a breast cancer cell

05-Feb-2019 - Some types of cancer cannot be treated with classical chemotherapy. Scientists from Inserm, CNRS, Sorbonne University, PSL university, University Grenoble Alpes and ESRF, the European Synchrotron, are working on a metallorganic molecule as an antitumor drug. Their research has given thorough ...

3D 'organ on a chip' could accelerate search for new disease treatments

30-Oct-2018 - Researchers have developed a three-dimensional 'organ on a chip' which enables real-time continuous monitoring of cells, and could be used to develop new treatments for disease while reducing the number of animals used in research. The device, which incorporates cells inside a 3D transistor made ...

Toxicity of carbon and silicon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers

20-Jul-2018 - Nanoparticles with a wide range of applying, including medicine, damage cells of microalgae Heterosigma akashivo badly. This algae species is widely spread in the Russian Far East marine area. The acute toxic effect exhibited at concentrations of 100 mg/l of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and silicon ...

Deciphering the 'mosaic' of the brain

Discovery sheds new light on how neurodegenerative diseases might occur

11-Apr-2018 - Researchers from the University of Leicester have shed new light on how neurons in the brain communicate with one another. This could potentially help in our understanding of how and why a range of neurodegenerative diseases occur. The team, led by Dr Joern Steinert from the MRC Toxicology Unit ...

Microscope using UV instead of visible light emerging as diagnostic tool

06-Dec-2017 - MUSE image of sebaceous glandA microscope using ultraviolet light to illuminate samples enables pathologists to assess high-resolution images of biopsies and other fresh tissue samples for disease within minutes, without requiring the time-consuming preparation of conventional slides or ...

Cheap and simple detection of neurotoxic chemicals

02-Aug-2017 - There is a limited amount of data on the global health impacts of pesticides, but many injuries and deaths worldwide can be attributed to their misuse. Pesticide contamination of food and water sources is a very serious problem, particularly in third world countries. The detection of these ...

A new contrast agent for MRI

New iron oxide nanoparticles could help avoid a rare side effect caused by current contrast agents

15-Feb-2017 - A new, specially coated iron oxide nanoparticle developed by a team at MIT and elsewhere could provide an alternative to conventional gadolinium-based contrast agents used for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures. In rare cases, the currently used gadolinium agents have been found to ...

Multi-organ platform for risk assessment of nanomaterials

Multimodular microchip platform for predicting the behaviour of nanomaterials in the body

25-Nov-2016 - Nanomaterials are already part of everyday life in our modern society. New applications, along with continuously rising quantities being produced, have led to an increased exposure to nanomaterials for both people and the environment. Predicting the behaviour of nanomaterials in organisms and ...

Better animal-free test for chemicals that can cause contact dermatitis

28-May-2010 - Scientists are reporting development of a fast, simple, inexpensive method for determining whether chemicals in consumer products and workplaces may cause skin allergies in people -- a method that does not involve use of animals. Their study appears in ACS' Chemical Research in Toxicology. Itai ...