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Discovery could pave way for new drugs to treat people with memory problems

A team of scientists believe they have shown that memories are more robust than we thought and have identified the process in the brain, which could help rescue lost memories or bury bad memories, and pave the way for new drugs and treatment for people with memory problems.

4 Aug 2015

3D printed brain tissue could help fight brain disorders

The brain is amazingly complex, with around 86 billion nerve cells. The challenge for researchers to create bench-top brain tissue from which they can learn about how the brain functions, is an extremely difficult one.

4 Aug 2015

Researchers discover how neurons help learn new motor skills

It takes a surprisingly small cluster of brain cells deep within the cerebellum to learn how to serve a tennis ball or line up a hockey shot. Researchers at McGill University led by Kathleen Cullen from the Department of Physiology have discovered that to learn new motor skills, neurons within the cerebellum engage in elegant, virtually mathematical, computations to quickly compare expected and actual sensory feedback. They then quickly readjust, changing the strength of connections between other neurons to form new patterns in the brain in order to accomplish the task at hand.

4 Aug 2015

Study provides mechanism for EDNRB gene's role in adaptation to life at high altitudes

Ethiopians have lived at high altitudes for thousands of years, providing a natural experiment for studying human adaptations to low oxygen, a condition known as hypoxia. One factor that may enable Ethiopians to tolerate high altitudes and hypoxia is the endothelin receptor type B (EDNRB) gene.

4 Aug 2015

Study demonstrates significance of EMT as potential therapeutic target for reversing kidney disease

Adults who are worried or terrified sometimes curl up into a fetal position. Likewise, adult cells that are injured, including genetic injury leading to cancer, initiate a process that was present during embryonic development.

4 Aug 2015

Findings challenge conventional wisdom that our past mistakes can lead to better decisions

It's been said that "Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it," but even if you know your own history, that doesn't necessarily help you with self-control. New research published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology shows the effectiveness of memory in improving our everyday self-control decisions depends on what we recall and how easily it comes to mind.

4 Aug 2015

Research finding could help reveal how the human brain learns complex motor skills

Like top musicians, songbirds train from a young age to weed out errors and trim variability from their songs, ultimately becoming consistent and reliable performers. But as with human musicians, even the best are not machines. To learn and improve, the songbird brain needs to shake up its tried-and-true patterns with a healthy dose of creative experimentation. Until now, no one has found a specific mechanism by which this could occur.

4 Aug 2015

New ACMG Scope of Practice of the Specialty of Medical Genetics document released

The field of medical genetics is swiftly evolving. It's a period of rapid scientific discovery, new technologies and subsequent translation into medical practice, public policy and public health. But what role should the Medical Genetics specialist have since genetics impacts all patients and specialties in some way? In an effort to clearly define the changing role of the specialty of Medical Genetics and the distinction between Medical Geneticists and other genetics healthcare professionals, the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics has has just released a new "Scope of Practice of the Specialty of Medical Genetics" document, revising its earlier 2008 Policy Statement.

4 Aug 2015

Penn Medicine devises new approach to develop vaccines against lethal diseases

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have devised an entirely new approach to vaccines - creating immunity without vaccination.

4 Aug 2015

Vaccine containing virus-like nanoparticles could be novel treatment option for RSV

A vaccine containing virus-like nanoparticles, or microscopic, genetically engineered particles, is an effective treatment for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), according to researchers at Georgia State University.

4 Aug 2015

NYSCF scientists design new robotic platform to automate generation of patient-specific stem cells

Scientists at The New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute successfully designed a revolutionary, high-throughput, robotic platform that automates and standardizes the process of transforming patient samples into stem cells.

4 Aug 2015

Stress responder plays critical, early step in repairing DNA damage

DNA damage increases the risk of cancer, and researchers have found that a protein, known to rally when cells get stressed, plays a critical, early step in its repair.

4 Aug 2015

MD Anderson scientists reveal role of metabolic enzyme fumarase in DNA repair

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are the worst possible form of genetic malfunction that can cause cancer and resistance to therapy. New information published this week reveals more about why this occurs and how these breaks can be repaired.

4 Aug 2015

New Tel Aviv University study sheds light on precise trigger of deadly melanoma

Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers, and melanoma, which accounts for 2% of skin cancer cases, is responsible for nearly all skin cancer deaths. Melanoma rates in the US have been rising rapidly over the last 30 years, and although scientists have managed to identify key risk factors, melanoma's modus operandi has eluded the world of medical research.

4 Aug 2015

First biodegradable gene delivery system efficiently penetrates human airway mucus barrier of lung tissue

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil have designed a DNA-loaded nanoparticle that can pass through the mucus barrier covering conducting airways of lung tissue — proving the concept, they say, that therapeutic genes may one day be delivered directly to the lungs to the levels sufficient to treat cystic fibrosis (CF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and other life-threatening lung diseases.

4 Aug 2015

Scientists develop artificial blood vessels that are resistant to blood clot formation

Scientists from ITMO University developed artificial blood vessels that are not susceptible to blood clot formation. The achievement was made possible by a new generation of drug-containing coating applied to the inner surface of the vessel.

4 Aug 2015

Scientists successfully test new tumor diagnosis method

Scientists at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, in cooperation with colleagues at the University of Zurich and the Ruhr-Universität Bochum, have for the first time successfully tested a new tumor diagnosis method under near-real conditions. The new method first sends out an antibody as a "spy" to detect the diseased cells and then binds to them.

4 Aug 2015

Medical Science News

Discovery could pave way for new drugs to treat people with memory problems

3D printed brain tissue could help fight brain disorders

Researchers discover how neurons help learn new motor skills

Study provides mechanism for EDNRB gene's role in adaptation to life at high altitudes

Study demonstrates significance of EMT as potential therapeutic target for reversing kidney disease

Findings challenge conventional wisdom that our past mistakes can lead to better decisions

Research finding could help reveal how the human brain learns complex motor skills

New ACMG Scope of Practice of the Specialty of Medical Genetics document released

Penn Medicine devises new approach to develop vaccines against lethal diseases

Vaccine containing virus-like nanoparticles could be novel treatment option for RSV

NYSCF scientists design new robotic platform to automate generation of patient-specific stem cells

Stress responder plays critical, early step in repairing DNA damage

MD Anderson scientists reveal role of metabolic enzyme fumarase in DNA repair

New Tel Aviv University study sheds light on precise trigger of deadly melanoma

First biodegradable gene delivery system efficiently penetrates human airway mucus barrier of lung tissue

Scientists develop artificial blood vessels that are resistant to blood clot formation

Scientists successfully test new tumor diagnosis method

Engineered protein shown effective in patients with severe von Willebrand disease

Combining chemotherapy and birinapant effective against high-grade serous ovarian cancer

UVA Stem Cell Transplant Program receives FACT accreditation for autologous and allogeneic transplants

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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