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Research findings may help scientists develop anthrax treatments for humans

Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, both part of the National Institutes of Health, have identified the cells in two distinct areas of the body that are simultaneously targeted for damage by anthrax toxins, eventually causing illness and sometimes death. Their findings, which appeared online today in Nature, are based on testing in mice.

29 Aug 2013

Study reveals role of cadherin receptor BT-R3 in killing action of Cry4B mosquito toxin

Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), led by Dr. Lee Bulla, have demonstrated for the first time the selective cytotoxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis Cry4B toxin is mediated by BT-R3.

27 Aug 2013

NIST and USAMRIID scientists advance crucial step in anthrax infection process

A new hypothesis concerning a crucial step in the anthrax infection process has been advanced by scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) at Fort Detrick, Md.

21 Aug 2013

New book on evolution and future of human reproduction

Human beings would probably be known as pilosals rather than mammals if Carl Linnaeus had not been a proponent of breast-feeding. For social and political reasons, the famed taxonomist labeled the class of animals to which humans belong with a reference to their practice of suckling their young rather than to their evolutionarily older characteristic of having hair.

21 Aug 2013

Study shows superantigens produced by staph bacteria cause infective endocarditis and sepsis

University of Iowa researchers have discovered what causes the lethal effects of staphylococcal infective endocarditis - a serious bacterial infection of heart valves that kills approximately 20,000 Americans each year.

20 Aug 2013

Copper enhances progression of Alzheimer's disease

Copper appears to be one of the main environmental factors that trigger the onset and enhance the progression of Alzheimer's disease by preventing the clearance and accelerating the accumulation of toxic proteins in the brain. That is the conclusion of a study appearing today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

20 Aug 2013

New discovery to fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs

The fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs has taken a step forward thanks to a new discovery by scientists at The University of Nottingham.

14 Aug 2013

Pregnant women with thyroid hormone deficiency are 4 times likelier to produce autistic children

Pregnant women who don't make nearly enough thyroid hormone are nearly 4 times likelier to produce autistic children than healthy women, report scientists from the Houston Methodist Neurological Institute and Erasmus Medical Centre in an upcoming Annals of Neurology (online today).

14 Aug 2013

Harvard University receives grant to use organs-on-chips device to test human response to radiation

A team at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University has received a $5.6 million grant award from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to use its Organs-on-Chips technology for a novel application of keen interest to national security and health officials: to test human physiological responses to radiation, and to evaluate drugs designed to counter those effects.

13 Aug 2013

United Steelworkers celebrates upcoming fifth anniversary of CPSIA

The United Steelworkers (USW) today noted the upcoming fifth anniversary of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), landmark legislation that helps protect America's children from lead exposure and other safety hazards.

12 Aug 2013

High mobility group (HMG) genes and cancer: an interview with Dr. Linda Resar, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

High mobility group A genes are highly expressed in all aggressive cancers studied to date. These genes encode the high mobility group A (HMGA) proteins. In other words, these genes provide the genetic “code” necessary to produce HMGA proteins.

8 Aug 2013

Harmful toxins found in food may put developing babies at risk

Pregnant women regularly consume food and beverages containing toxins believed to pose potential risks to developing fetuses, according to researchers at the University of California in Riverside and San Diego, suggesting that health care providers must do more to counsel their patients about the dangers of hidden toxins in the food supply.

8 Aug 2013

Study shows how bioactive component in soy foods plays a role against colon cancer

University of Illinois scientists have evidence that lifelong exposure to genistein, a bioactive component in soy foods, protects against colon cancer by repressing a signal that leads to accelerated growth of cells, polyps, and eventually malignant tumors.

6 Aug 2013

Combating antibiotic resistance: an interview with Ron Najafi, CEO NovaBay Pharmaceuticals

Approximately 80 years ago the first antibiotic was discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming, for which he was justifiably awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine.

2 Aug 2013

Scientists reveal biochemical pathway responsible for manufacturing glycoalkaloids

In 1924, Science magazine reported on a fatal case of potato poisoning: James B. Matheney of Vandalia, Illinois, had gathered about one and a half bushels of tubers, which had turned green due to sunlight exposure.

1 Aug 2013

Chemists develop new method for parallel protein analysis

Chemists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have developed a new method for parallel protein analysis that is, in principle, capable of identifying hundreds or even thousands of different proteins. It could be used to detect the presence of viruses and identify their type in tiny samples. At the same time, it is very cost-effective and quick.

31 Jul 2013

Male and female rats show different patterns of kidney gene expression throughout their lives

Male and female rats show different patterns of kidney gene expression throughout their lives, a study in the open access journal Biology of Sex Differences reveals. The finding could help explain some of the gender differences observed in human renal disease, and lead to improved biomarkers of kidney function.

31 Jul 2013

Piramal's Healthcare invests USD 2.5 million to upgrade ADC manufacturing suites

Piramal's Healthcare vertical today announced that it is to invest USD 2.5 million at its FDA approved Grangemouth, UK, site to upgrade one of its antibody drug conjugate (ADC) manufacturing suites, from clinical phase to commercial grade, in response to customer demand.

26 Jul 2013

Supporting cells in the inner ear can help repair damaged sensory hair cells, say researchers

Researchers have found in mice that supporting cells in the inner ear, once thought to serve only a structural role, can actively help repair damaged sensory hair cells, the functional cells that turn vibrations into the electrical signals that the brain recognizes as sound.