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The cellular organelle known as the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is critical for metabolism, and a stressed ER, as occurs during obesity, can lead to type 2 diabetes. A team led by Gökhan Hotamisligil, of the Ó³»­´«Ã½ and Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, developed novel high-throughput assay systems to monitor ER function in cells in culture, and used it to identify a novel compound, azoramide, that improves ER function and protects cells during ER stress. In addition, azoramide improved insulin action and reduced blood glucose levels in animals, suggesting potential translational possibilities and warranting testing in human clinical trials. Read more in or this Harvard .

Researchers from the (TCGA), including scientists from the Ó³»­´«Ã½ of MIT and Harvard, recently published two papers documenting the genomic landscapes of two cancers: and . The papers establish a framework for genomic classification for the two forms of cancer, dividing them into genetic subcategories and providing a more accurate diagnostic strategy than traditional approaches, which rely on subjective examinations of tissue under a microscope. The glioma study (published in the New England Journal of Medicine and covered in the ) reveals a pattern of molecular alterations that is associated with better clinical outcomes. The melanoma study (which appeared in Cell and was covered by ) is the largest of its kind to date, with data from 331 patient tumor samples.

In published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researcher Wendy Garrett, of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Ó³»­´«Ã½, and colleagues identified a strain of bacteria with the potential to abate gut inflammation. They found that Lactococcus lactis, used in the manufacture of dairy products, naturally releases an antioxidant known as superoxide dismutase A (SodA) — but only if ruptured by a specific, bacteria-attacking enzyme. This chain of events helps to correct an imbalance of chemically reactive molecules within the body associated with gut inflammation. These findings suggest a possible treatment avenue for inflammatory bowel disease and other colon-related ailments.