Experts warn some children may become seriously ill with coronavirus
Evidence shows that coronavirus disease (COVID-19) most often affects older adults, who are 60 years old or more, and those with underlying medical conditions. But a new study has shown that several children in China had developed severe or critical conditions, with one child dying from COVID-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged parents to protect their children against the coronavirus that is now running rampant across the globe (see Update, above).
In a new study published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers studied a group of 2,143 cases of children with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, which were reported by the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between January 16 and February 8.
They found that more than 90 percent of the cases in children had no symptoms, or with mild or moderate illness. However, approximately 6 percent of the coronavirus cases in children were severe or critical. In comparison, 18.5 percent were critical in adults.
Read more: , et al - Epidemiological Characteristics of 2143 Pediatric Patients With 2019 Coronavirus Disease in China, [Full article, downloadable as PDF here]
Scientists pinpoint protein that plays key role in lung cancer and melanoma progression
Scientists from Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU, Russia), University of Geneva (Switzerland), Minjiang University, and Fuzhou University (China) have identified WDR74 protein playing an important role in lung cancer and melanoma primary tumors/metastases progression. During the research, the artificially gained WDR74 function brought about a high activity in cancer cells. However, when the function had been dropped cells failed to metastasize becoming more vulnerable to chemotherapy.
Except for brain cancer and some forms of blood cancer, it is not the main tumor but its metastases that kill the patient taking over vital organs. Metastases form at a certain stage of the primary tumor progression when its cells start separating and entering the bloodstream. Such cells are called circulating tumor cells, and they give rise to metastases which are secondary tumors appearing in different parts of the human body.
Read more: News Medical Life Sciences