Toxins News and Research

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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.

10 May 2013

WHOI deploys new robotic sensor in Gulf of Maine coastal waters to monitor HABs

A new robotic sensor deployed by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Gulf of Maine coastal waters may transform the way red tides or harmful algal blooms are monitored and managed in New England.

8 May 2013

Biomedical engineers grow 3D human heart muscle that acts just like natural tissue

Duke University biomedical engineers have grown three-dimensional human heart muscle that acts just like natural tissue. This advancement could be important in treating heart attack patients or in serving as a platform for testing new heart disease medicines.

7 May 2013

Study results support new view of molecules important for nerve cell signaling

National Institutes of Health researchers used the popular anti-wrinkle agent Botox to discover a new and important role for a group of molecules that nerve cells use to quickly send messages.

3 May 2013

New treatment strategy for patients with CMT disease on the horizon

A potential new treatment strategy for patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is on the horizon, thanks to research by neuroscientists now at the University at Buffalo's Hunter James Kelly Research Institute and their colleagues in Italy and England.

29 Apr 2013

Research shows probiotics reduce the development of hepatic encephalopathy

Probiotics could emerge as a treatment plan to manage hepatic encephalopathy (HE) therapy after a new study announced at the International Liver Congress- 2013 found they significantly reduced development of the notoriously difficult-to-treat disease.

26 Apr 2013