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Low levels of amyloid fibres are more harmful to health, say scientists

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's could be better understood thanks to insight into proteins linked to such conditions, a study suggests.

2 Jul 2013

Scientists discover new mechanism to protect body from harmful bacteria

Scientists at the University of Calgary's Faculty of Medicine have discovered a mechanism that is used to protect the body from harmful bacteria. Platelets, a component of blood typically associated with clotting, were discovered to actively search for specific bacteria, and upon detection, seal it off from the rest of the body. The findings, which were published in Nature Immunology this week, provide the science community with a greater understanding of immunity.

19 Jun 2013

Genmab, ADC Therapeutics agree to develop new antibody-drug conjugate product

Genmab A/S and ADC Therapeutics Sarl, announced today an agreement to develop a new antibody-drug conjugate product combining Genmab's HuMax-TAC antibody and ADC Therapeutics' PBD-based warhead and linker technology.

17 Jun 2013

Ambrx, ZMC partner to develop and commercialize ARX788 for treatment of Her2-positive breast cancer

Ambrx and Zhejiang Medicine Co. Ltd. today announced that they have formed a collaboration to develop and commercialize ARX788, Ambrx's most advanced internally developed site-specific antibody drug conjugate targeting Her2-positive breast cancer.

17 Jun 2013

Study shows smoking in entrances to bars, restaurants increases concentration of nicotine

The protection provided by the smoking ban decreases when people can still smoke outside the venue For the first time, a study has analysed the effects of the modification to the Spanish tobacco control law, implemented in 2011 in hospitality venues in Spain.

15 Jun 2013

Johns Hopkins researchers develop experimental vaccine for TB meningitis

A team of Johns Hopkins researchers working with animals has developed a vaccine that prevents the virulent TB bacterium from invading the brain and causing the highly lethal condition TB meningitis, a disease that disproportionately occurs in TB-infected children and in adults with compromised immune system.

12 Jun 2013

New analytical techniques show certain foodstuffs exceed permitted levels of mycotoxins

Researchers from the University of Granada (Spain) have analysed the presence of patulin, a type of toxin produced by fungi, in several commercial apple juices. The results show that more than 50% of the samples analysed exceed the maximum limits laid down by law.

10 Jun 2013

Cry proteins in Bacillus thuringiensis is lethal to Anopheles gambiae, the principal mosquito vector of malaria

Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), led by Dr. Lee Bulla, have characterized a protein produced by the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti), which is highly toxic against Anopheles gambiae, the principal mosquito vector of malaria.

6 Jun 2013

Study points to synergistic relationship between lead exposure and schizophrenia gene

Mice engineered with a human gene for schizophrenia and exposed to lead during early life exhibited behaviors and structural changes in their brains consistent with schizophrenia.

1 Jun 2013

New research shows uremic toxins increase heart attack risk

MD-Patients with advanced kidney disease who are undergoing hemodialysis are known to be highly susceptible to heart attacks and other cardiovascular complications, and now scientists likely know why.

31 May 2013

Novel approach to create unlimited number of human red blood cells, platelets in vitro

A study led by Boston University School of Medicine has identified a novel approach to create an unlimited number of human red blood cells and platelets in vitro. In collaboration with Boston University School of Public Health and Boston Medical Center, the researchers differentiated induced pluripotent stem cells into these cell types, which are typically obtained through blood donations.

31 May 2013

Isaiah J. Fidler earns 2013 American Cancer Society Medal of Honor for Basic Research

When Isaiah J. Fidler, D.V.M., Ph.D., left his veterinary surgical practice to pursue a doctorate that would allow him to study and combat the lethal spread of cancer to other organs, he got lots of advice. The common message: Don't go there.

30 May 2013

Spherical nanoparticles transform into netlike structures at site of cancer

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego, have designed tiny spherical particles to float easily through the bloodstream after injection, then assemble into a durable scaffold within diseased tissue. An enzyme produced by a specific type of tumor can trigger the transformation of the spheres into netlike structures that accumulate at the site of a cancer, the team reports in the journal Advanced Materials this week.

29 May 2013

New app for iPhone helps detect toxins, proteins, bacteria and viruses

Researchers and physicians in the field could soon run on-the-spot tests for environmental toxins, medical diagnostics, food safety and more with their smartphones.

27 May 2013

FAPESP funds $680 million to support 17 RIDCs

The Brazilian funding agency for scientific and technological research S-o Paulo Research Foundation, FAPESP, based in the state of S-o Paulo, announced an investment estimated in US$ 680 million to support 17 Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers for a period of up to eleven years, subject to continuation reviews on years 2, 4 and 7.

22 May 2013

IFR scientists mine the genome of C. botulinum to reveal new information about toxin genes

The toxin that causes botulism is the most potent that we know of. Eating an amount of toxin just 1000th the weight of a grain of salt can be fatal, which is why so much effort has been put into keeping Clostridium botulinum, which produces the toxin, out of our food.

15 May 2013

Study: Rb plays critical role in maintaining starvation-induced transcriptome

A particular tumor suppressor gene that fights cancer cells does more than clamp down on unabated cell division -- the hallmark of the disease -- it also can help make cells more fit by allowing them to fend off stress, says a University of Colorado Boulder study.

13 May 2013

Study shows chronic exposure to cadmium may cause liver disease

People with higher levels of cadmium in their urine — evidence of chronic exposure to the heavy metal found in industrial emissions and tobacco smoke — appear to be nearly 3.5 times more likely to die of liver disease than those with lower levels, according to a study by Johns Hopkins scientists.

10 May 2013

Research opens door to new drug therapies for Parkinson's disease

McGill University researchers have unlocked a new door to developing drugs to slow the progression of Parkinson's disease. Collaborating teams led by Dr. Edward A. Fon at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital -The Neuro, and Dr. Kalle Gehring in the Department of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine, have discovered the three-dimensional structure of the protein Parkin.