Osaka University

An Osaka University-led research team has recently published findings that provide a ray of hope for the millions of Parkinson’s disease (PD) sufferers worldwide. Although more common in those aged over sixty, PD can strike at any age, with an estimated prevalence of 41 per 100,000 people in their forties. And while not fatal in…

Of all gastrointestinal cancers, pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive. Because of this, it has a very low 5-year survival rate of just 5% and a median survival time below 6 months. Additionally, treatment is difficult, with only surgery shown to provide a cure. However, the vast majority of patients have tumors that…

Gene therapy is an emerging strategy to treat diseases caused by genetic abnormalities. One form of gene therapy involves the direct repair of a defective gene, using genome-editing technology such as CRISPR-Cas9. Despite its therapeutic potential, genome editing can also introduce unwanted and potentially harmful genetic errors that limit its clinical feasibility. In a study…

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is involved in a range of inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriasis. Several drugs that target TNF are available to treat these conditions; however, despite acting on the same target, their clinical effectiveness and side effects differ. Now, a team led by researchers at Osaka University…