The HDL Goldilocks zone

Low HDL cholesterol isn’t good — that we know. But, found Italian researchers, if HDL is too high it can also be a problem. In fact, they found a ‘greater risk for cardiovascular events among men with high and low HDL levels compared with men with medium HDL.” (Medium, in case you’re wondering, is between 40 and 80 mg/dL.)

“Our findings indicate that at high levels (i.e., > 80 mg/dL), [HDL’s] protective effect does not appear to hold true and, in fact, may confer an increased risk in male patients with hypertension.”

Implantable tumor-killer

If you have a mouse with advanced-stage mesothelioma tumors, there’s potential good news on the horizon. Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine researchers have created an implantable ‘drug factory’ — tiny beads that can be implanted next to tumors.

The beads contain “tens of thousands of cells that are genetically engineered to produce natural interleukin-2 (IL-2)” that’s delivered right to the tumor — like the Mafia might deliver a message. Then, to be extra sure, they included a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor.

So what happened to the tumors? They were eradicated. In two days.

Said one researcher, “I’ve not seen these mesothelioma tumors in mice be eradicated, with such efficacy, as we have in this mouse model.”

Next-level Covid vaccine

With current Covid-19 vaccines working well it’s time to take them to the next level.

One of the latest candidates comes out of Sweden, where researchers have developed “a new generation of corona vaccine.” Its claim to fame: Rather than target just the often-mutated spike protein, theirs — which is DNA-based — contains parts of two other proteins as well, meaning it should work against current and new variants.

It works on mice, so they’re preparing a phase-1 human study.

A killer DNA label

When DNA experimenters need to label something, they sometimes use a molecule called EdU. It takes the place of thymidine on a strand of DNA, but it allows a “probe molecule” to be attached. It’s not a big deal; EdU has been around more than a decade.

But EdU seems to have a special property, as UNC scientists discovered: Human cells see it as damage and try to repair it.

Here’s the cool part: The repair process doesn’t work because it ends up duplicating the EdU, too. That triggers another repair, causing “a runaway process of DNA repair that is eventually fatal to affected cells, including cancer cells.”

Hmm, said the scientists. Hmm.

The discovery […] points to the possibility of using EdU as the basis for a cancer treatment, given its toxicity and its selectivity for cells that divide fast.

Two-pronged gonorrhea antibiotic

Scientists in New Jersey say they’ve developed a new antibiotic to fight drug-resistant gonorrhea. (Bonus: They used the phrase “game-changer”!)

What’s different about this one, dubbed JSF-2659, is that it targets two separate molecules in the infection, “making it extra effective at inhibiting the bacteria’s DNA replication.” And because it’s hitting two targets, not only does it kill more bacteria, it makes it a lot harder for the N. gonorrhoeae to develop resistance.

Well, at least according to the models.

Right now JSF-2659 is still in the lab, but they’re already looking toward human trials.

When sweet is sour

Two artificial sweeteners — saccharin and sucralose — change the composition of the gut biome to the point that it “adversely impacts glucose tolerance […] possibly leading to weight gain and diabetes.”

In other words, those sweeteners might reduce your risk of weight gain from sugar, but they balance that by increasing your potential for weight gain from how you process glucose.

Notably, say the microbiologists from Johns Hopkins (who worked with Israeli counterparts on the study), unlike previous studies that found similar results — and triggered a tantrum from the food industry — these tests were done on humans.

The good news, though: Neither aspartame nor stevia produced those results. (That’s not to say they’re good for you, but they don’t appear to mess with your guts … at least not in this study.)

The Long Read: Law, Schmaw edition

If vapes are outlawed, only outlaws will sell vapes. And, apparently, the FDA won’t do much about it. Stat News explains how “The FDA stands by as the vaping industry flouts its orders”.

Weird science

Low levels of vitamin D can cause all sorts of issues, from susceptibility to infection to a higher risk of “all-cause mortality.” Not to mention rickets.

The weird news: Unnecessary testing for vitamin D levels is not very green. Aussie scientists say that in one year they “cost the healthcare system over AUS$87 million and had a carbon footprint of 28,000 to 42,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.”

Sleep is important

If you’re a human, lack of sleep can make you more selfish — it “impairs our basic social conscience, making us withdraw our desire and willingness to help other people.”

If you’re a teen, lack of sleep can make you overweight — and “more likely to have a combination of other unhealthy characteristics including excess fat around the middle, elevated blood pressure, and abnormal blood lipid and glucose levels.”