Researchers identify protein partners that might repair cardiac muscle- In a new study, researchers have identified a number of protein partners that could help repair damaged cardiac muscle. The study, conducted in mice, found that a protein called Tbx20 interacts with several other proteins to promote the growth and regeneration of cardiac muscle cells. While the study is still in its early stages, the findings could one day lead to new treatments for heart disease. What is cardiac muscle? Cardiac muscle is the muscle tissue of the heart, and is responsible for contracting and pumping blood throughout the body. Cardiac muscle is made up of long, thin cells called cardiocytes, which are arranged in a lattice-like structure. The cardiocytes are interconnected by gap junctions, which allow electrical impulses to pass from cell to cell and coordinate the contractions of the heart. The protein partners that researchers have identified might help to repair cardiac muscle by promoting
Novel Bladder Cancer Treatment Shows Promise- A new study has found that a novel treatment for bladder cancer is effective in reducing the size of tumors and killing cancer cells. The study, which was conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, is the first to show that the treatment is effective in humans. The treatment, which is called "intravesical immunotherapy," involves injecting a patient's own immune cells into their bladder. The immune cells are then able to attack the cancer cells, reducing the size of tumors and killing them. This study provides promising results for the use of this novel treatment for bladder cancer, and further research will be necessary to confirm its efficacy. What is bladder cancer? Bladder cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the bladder, which is a hollow organ in the pelvis that stores urine. The most common type of bladder cancer is transitional cell carcinoma, which begins in the urothelium, the layer of cells th