Novel biomarkers may improve diagnosis of gallbladder cancer

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital have identified biomarkers in the blood that can be used to distinguish gallbladder cancer from inflammation of the gallbladder. This could lead to fewer unnecessary operations and better treatment decisions for patients with suspected gallbladder cancer. The study has been published in the journal JHEP Reports.

Vehicular emissions cause 342 premature deaths each year in greater Boston

The health effects of traffic-related air pollution in the United States are well-documented, but the data on this public health burden is much more limited at the local level. A new study led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and the Institute for the Environment at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-IE) fills this gap by quantifying the health consequences of onroad air pollution in the Greater Boston area—as well as the vehicle types that emit the most pollution and place the greatest harm on residents’ health and safety.

How a crucial DNA repair protein works—and what it means for cancer treatment

DNA repair proteins act like the body’s editors, constantly finding and reversing damage to our genetic code. Researchers have long struggled to understand how cancer cells hijack one of these proteins—called polymerase theta (Pol-theta)—for their own survival. But scientists at Scripps Research have now captured the first detailed images of Pol-theta in action, revealing the molecular processes responsible for a range of cancers.