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Thymus tissue, iPSCS and liver cells can thrive in lymph nodes

Lymph nodes can provide a suitable home for a variety of cells and tissues from other organs, suggesting that a cell-based alternative to whole organ transplantation might one day be feasible, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and its McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

28 Sep 2012

Elevated c-Myc expression amplifies gene activity in tumor cells of multiple cancer types

For a cancer patient, over-expression of the MYC oncogene is a bad omen. Scientists have long known that in tumor cells, elevated levels of MYC's protein product, c-Myc, are associated with poor clinical outcomes, including increased rates of metastasis, recurrence, and mortality. Yet decades of research producing thousands of scientific papers on the subject have failed to consistently explain precisely how c-Myc exerts its effects across a broad range of cancer types. Until now, that is.

28 Sep 2012

Researchers identify genetic origins in 10% of aortic valve malformations

Researchers at the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center and University of Montreal have identified genetic origins in 10% of an important form of congenital heart diseases by studying the genetic variability within families.

28 Sep 2012

New understanding about function of MYC proteins

Scientists may have discovered why a protein called MYC can provoke a variety of cancers. Like many proteins associated with cancer, MYC helps regulate cell growth. A study carried out by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and colleagues found that, unlike many other cell growth regulators, MYC does not turn genes on or off, but instead boosts the expression of genes that are already turned on.

28 Sep 2012

Alpha-glucosidases can be turned on and off, finds study

A study co-led by Simon Fraser University and Purdue University has found that the intestinal enzymes responsible for processing starchy foods can be turned on and off, helping to better control those processes in people with Type 2 diabetes.

28 Sep 2012

Efavirenz drug may play a key role in brain damage

The way the body metabolizes a commonly prescribed anti-retroviral drug that is used long term by patients infected with HIV may contribute to cognitive impairment by damaging nerve cells, a new Johns Hopkins research suggests.

28 Sep 2012

UCSD receives NCI grant to continue research into chronic lymphocytic leukemia

An international consortium of scientists studying chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), based at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, has been awarded a 5-year, $20 million grant by the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.

28 Sep 2012

Study explores effects of immunotherapy on malignant gliomas

In what could be a breakthrough in the treatment of deadly brain tumors, a team of researchers from Barrow Neurological Institute and Arizona State University has discovered that the immune system reacts differently to different types of brain tissue, shedding light on why cancerous brain tumors are so difficult to treat.

28 Sep 2012

Study finds new regulator for heart formation

A new regulator for heart formation has been discovered by studying how embryonic stem cells adjust the packaging of their DNA. This approach to finding genetic regulators, the scientists say, may have the power to provide insight into the development of any tissue in the body - liver, brain, blood and so on.

28 Sep 2012

Bayer HealthCare receives FDA approval for Stivarga to treat colorectal cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Stivarga (regorafenib) to treat patients with colorectal cancer that has progressed after treatment and spread to other parts of the body (metastatic).

28 Sep 2012

First Edition: September 27, 2012

Today's headlines include reports about how the health law and Medicare are buzz words in public opinion polls and on the campaign trail.

27 Sep 2012

Report illustrates safety and efficacy of transoral robotic surgery for supraglottic laryngectomy

Robotic surgery though the mouth is a safe and effective way to remove tumors of the throat and voice box, according to a study by head and neck cancer surgeons at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.

27 Sep 2012

Article reveals biochemical chain of events involved in penile erection

For two decades, scientists have known the biochemical factors that trigger penile erection, but not what's needed to maintain one. Now an article by Johns Hopkins researchers, scheduled to be published this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), uncovers the biochemical chain of events involved in that process.

27 Sep 2012

GW to evaluate effectiveness of glucose-lowering drugs against type 2 diabetes

John Lachin, professor of biostatistics, epidemiology and statistics at the George Washington University, has been awarded a five-year, $134 million grant from the National Institute of Health's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to conduct a clinical trial examining the long-term effectiveness of several glucose-lowering medications for treatment of people with type 2 diabetes. The grant sets a record as the largest sum award GW has ever received.

27 Sep 2012

KSU creates simple blood test that can accurately detect lung and breast cancer’s early stages

Researchers at Kansas State University have developed a simple blood test that can accurately detect the beginning stages of cancer.

27 Sep 2012

STENTYS announces European commercial release of new Self-Apposing stent technology

STENTYS, a medical technology company commercializing the world's first and only self-apposing stent to treat Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI), announced today the European commercial release of an enhanced stent-delivery system for its Self-Apposing stent.

27 Sep 2012

Karolinska Institutet scientists discover new approach to treat type II diabetes

An international team of scientists, led from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, have discovered an entirely new approach to the treatment of type II diabetes. The therapy involves the blockade of signalling by a protein known as VEGF-B and this prevents fat from accumulating in the 'wrong' places, such as in muscles and in the heart. As a result the cells within these tissues are once again able to respond to insulin.

27 Sep 2012

CeQur completes PaQ Insulin Delivery Device clinical study on type 2 diabetes

CeQur SA, a company focused on the development and commercialization of simple insulin delivery devices, announced the completion of a clinical study with the company's PaQ Insulin Delivery Device.

27 Sep 2012

Positive results from Sobi, Biogen Idec's rFIXFc Phase 3 trial on hemophilia B

Biogen Idec and Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (Sobi) today announced positive results from B-LONG, a clinical study that evaluated a new long-lasting clotting factor candidate in people with hemophilia B. Hemophilia B is a rare inherited disorder that impairs blood coagulation.

27 Sep 2012

Adult stem cells can prevent Alzheimer's disease

In the first study of its kind, researchers at Korea's leading university and the RNL Bio Stem Cell Technology Institute announced this week the results of a study that suggests an astounding possibility: adult stem cells may not only have a positive effect on those suffering from Alzheimer's disease, they can prevent the disease.

27 Sep 2012