Researchers find association between elevated levels of protein VEGF-B and impaired kidney function

In diabetic kidney disease, fat accumulates in the kidneys, leading to lipotoxicity and kidney damage. A recently published study by Ulf Eriksson’s research group at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics at Karolinska Institutet shows that elevated levels of the protein VEGF-B in the kidney and adipose tissue correlate with increased fat accumulation in the kidney and impaired kidney function in patients with diabetic kidney disease.

Multi-target approach counters tumor growth in several cancers

The tissue adjacent to a tumor behaves differently than areas farther away. The tumor’s cancerous cells influence their surroundings, blocking the body’s immune defenses and creating a sort of haven in which the tumor can grow. Treatments that target some of these pro-tumor actions are effective in a number of cancers, but only for some patients; in others, these treatments have little effect.