LONDON – T helper cells, which help to coordinate the immune response, do recognize mutations found in cancer cells, researchers have found. The discovery suggests that it may one day be possible to use T helper cells in cancer immunotherapy, by stimulating them to recognize specific tumors.

LONDON – Scientists reported that they have found an ideal drug target that could lead to a treatment for lung cancer. The study, by an international team of researchers, identified a molecule that is found in lung cancer cells but not in normal lung tissue.

LONDON – "Superdrugs" – single peptides containing several hormonal activities – could be available to treat diabetes and obesity within a few years, scientists suggest. One of those composite molecules has already shown promising results in rodent models of diabetes and obesity and could provide a medical alternative to gastric bypass surgery, the researchers said.

LONDON – Gene therapy for babies born with a rare, but severe type of inherited heart disease could become a realistic option in the future, scientists suggest, following successful prevention of disease in a related mouse model

LONDON – One of the latest techniques for understanding the structure of the pores that control what can enter and leave cell nuclei involves poking and feeling the molecules inside the pores using a very, very tiny spike of silicon.

LONDON – The knowledge of the exact structure of the enzyme that the influenza virus uses to make new influenza viruses will give a huge boost to the search for drugs to treat that infection, scientists predict.

LONDON – New drugs to treat cancer, which work by stopping the formation of new blood vessels in the tumor, are in the pipeline and could enter clinical trials within a few years.

LONDON – Damping down a type of low-grade inflammation that occurs in adipose tissue – particularly in those who are obese – could be a way to control type 2 diabetes and obesity in the future, scientists said.

LONDON – The discovery of more than 30 genes containing new mutations that are highly likely to play a role in the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will provide new insights into the causes of these conditions.

LONDON – New drugs that will help boost the density of bone in conditions such as osteoporosis could be developed as a result of a new understanding of how bone cells interact with each other. Researchers working in Germany have established how the hormone calcitonin regulates bone remodeling via a receptor found on bone cells.