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Neuroscientists explain why some people with autism cannot recognize faces

Neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center have discovered a brain anomaly that explains why some people diagnosed with autism cannot easily recognize faces - a deficit linked to the impairments in social interactions considered to be the hallmark of the disorder.

19 Mar 2013

Study on how Hedgehog signal defines cell-cell interaction receives $747,000 grant

While many researchers believe that the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway, which transmits information to embryonic cells for proper development and is important for regeneration, may actually regulate cell-cell adhesion and segregation - there isn't any evidence.

16 Mar 2013

Schizophrenic people with MIR137 tend to develop illness at younger age

Some of the dramatic differences seen among patients with schizophrenia may be explained by a single gene that regulates a group of other schizophrenia risk genes. These findings appear in a new imaging-genetics study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

5 Mar 2013

Sequester scare touches issues related to Medicare, Medicaid spending

The $85 billion in scheduled spending cuts to defense and discretionary accounts are scheduled to kick in Friday, and movement toward a last-ditch strategy has not been evident.

28 Feb 2013

Asia Pacific Autism Conference to be held in Adelaide

One of the world's biggest and most important international conferences on autism will be held in Adelaide in August this year.

27 Feb 2013

Article details mechanism by which long non-coding RNA-activators promote gene expression

Long segments of RNA- encoded in our DNA but not translated into protein-are key to physically manipulating DNA in order to activate certain genes, say researchers at The Wistar Institute. These non-coding RNA-activators (ncRNA-a) have a crucial role in turning genes on and off during early embryonic development, researchers say, and have also been connected with diseases, including some cancers, in adults.

18 Feb 2013

Personalis announces availability of Genome Services for Research

Personalis, Inc. today announced availability of its Genome Services for Research, focusing on accuracy in sequencing, analysis, and interpretation of human genomes. Personalis believes that accuracy is crucial in medicine, both in research and ultimately in clinical use.

14 Feb 2013

Scientists discover recurring pattern of more than 13,000 epigenetic alterations in young tumours

Tumourigenesis is driven by genetic alterations and by changes in the epigenome, for instance by the addition of methyl groups to cytosine bases in the DNA. A deeper understanding of the interaction between the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms is critical for the selection of tumour biomarkers and for the future development of therapies. Human tumour specimens and cell lines however contain a plethora of genetic and epigenetic changes, which complicate data analysis.

10 Feb 2013

Single gene therapy session can cure diabetes

Researchers from the Universitat Aut-noma de Barcelona (UAB), led by F-tima Bosch, have shown for the first time that it is possible to cure diabetes in large animals with a single session of gene therapy. As published this week in Diabetes, the principal journal for research on the disease, after a single gene therapy session, the dogs recover their health and no longer show symptoms of the disease.

10 Feb 2013

ParseCNV software can detect disease-causing copy number variations

A novel software tool, developed at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, streamlines the detection of disease-causing genetic changes through more sensitive detection methods and by automatically correcting for variations that reduce the accuracy of results in conventional software.

22 Jan 2013

Johns Hopkins develops PapGene test to diagnose ovarian and endometrial cancers

Using cervical fluid obtained during routine Pap tests, scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have developed a test to detect ovarian and endometrial cancers. In a pilot study, the "PapGene" test, which relies on genomic sequencing of cancer-specific mutations, accurately detected all 24 (100 percent) endometrial cancers and nine of 22 (41 percent) ovarian cancers. Results of the experiments are published in the Jan. 9 issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine.

11 Jan 2013

Leptin hormone also regulates airway diameter

A new study led by Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers has found that leptin, a hormone that plays a key role in energy metabolism, fertility, and bone mass, also regulates airway diameter.

9 Jan 2013

Autism genome not shy about tinkering with important genes

An international team, led by researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, has discovered that "random" mutations in the genome are not quite so random after all. Their study, to be published in the journal Cell on December 21, shows that the DNA sequence in some regions of the human genome is quite volatile and can mutate ten times more frequently than the rest of the genome. Genes that are linked to autism and a variety of other disorders have a particularly strong tendency to mutate.

21 Dec 2012

PCPs agree they may not be the best health care professionals to give weight related counseling

Your primary care physician may be your first choice for assistance with most health-related issues, but according a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, primary care physicians agree they may not be the best health care professionals to give weight related counseling.

21 Dec 2012

Exercise and mental health: an interview with Professor Nanette Mutrie

Perhaps we should first of all clear up the definition of exercise. In public health terms it is more common to use the phrase ‘physical activity’ because this phrase encompasses all kinds of movement- indeed anything we do above sitting and resting levels.

21 Dec 2012

Numerous treatments exist for cancer-related fatigue, but few doctors recommend them to patients

Many people who have been through cancer and its treatment have trouble with their recovery because of severe, debilitating fatigue that can last for months or even years. But even though a variety of treatments exist for cancer-related fatigue, few doctors are recommending them to patients, according to a recent Mayo Clinic study appearing in Supportive Care in Cancer.

19 Dec 2012

Researchers identify how RecA protein helps broken DNA find way to bridge the gap

Every time a human or bacterial cell divides it first must copy its DNA. Specialized proteins unzip the intertwined DNA strands while others follow and build new strands, using the originals as templates. Whenever these proteins encounter a break - and there are many - they stop and retreat, allowing a new cast of molecular players to enter the scene.

14 Dec 2012

UNM study to understand why and how DNA repair mechanisms go awry in cancer cells

DNA, like houses and cars, needs ongoing maintenance. Rays of ultraviolet sunlight, chemical pollutants and normal biochemical processes in the cell can damage it. Cells routinely repair this damage before making proteins or copying DNA for cell division. The repairs are remarkably accurate in normal cells but cancer cells make far more mistakes in fixing their DNA.

11 Dec 2012

Air Medical Group acquires REACH

REACH Medical Holdings LLC, parent company of REACH Air Medical Services with headquarters in Santa Rosa, has been wholly acquired by Air Medical Group Holdings, Inc. (AMGH).

6 Dec 2012

Inserm prizes for medical research to be awarded on Dec. 3

The 2012 Inserm prizes for medical research will be awarded at a ceremony at the Coll-ge de France on Monday 3 December 2012. This year, the grand prize will be awarded to Philippe Sansonetti in the presence of Marisol Touraine, France's Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Genevi-ve Fioraso, France's Minister of Higher Education and Research, and Professor Andr- Syrota, Chairman and CEO of Inserm.

5 Dec 2012