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Promising pain medication may decrease ability to fight off sepsis

Pain researchers from the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children's National Medical Center have discovered that resiniferatoxin, a drug that has shown early promise as an option for chronic, severe pain sufferers, may decrease the body's ability to fight off bacterial infections, particularly sepsis.

27 Apr 2011

Boston Scientific launches ION Paclitaxel-Eluting Platinum Chromium Coronary Stent System

Boston Scientific Corporation today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval and launch of the ION™ Paclitaxel-Eluting Platinum Chromium Coronary Stent System, the Company's third-generation drug-eluting stent technology.

25 Apr 2011

Research sheds light on molecular movements of neural transporters

A team of scientists from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Weill Cornell Medical College has shed light on the molecular workings of transporter proteins, molecular machines embedded in the cell membranes of neurons that modulate the transfer of signals between cells and recycle neurotransmitters.

25 Apr 2011

Pharmaceuticals stored on space flights may have shorter shelf-life

Some of the Pharmaceuticals intended for the treatment of minor illnesses of astronauts in space may require special packaging and reformulation to remain stable for long periods in the space environment. That's according to Dr. Putcha and her colleagues from NASA, Johnson Space Centre. Their findings, published online in The AAPS Journal suggest that some of the pharmaceuticals stored on space flights may have shorter shelf-life than they do on Earth.

15 Apr 2011

Scientists develop new method for enzyme immobilization

Virtually all processes in the human body rely on a unique class of proteins known as enzymes. To study them, scientists want to attach these molecules to surfaces and hold them fast, but this can often be a tricky undertaking.

12 Apr 2011

Cosmic radiation can increase risk of atherosclerosis in astronauts

Astronauts anticipate more trips to the moon and manned missions to Mars. But exposure to cosmic radiation outside the Earth's magnetic field could be detrimental to their arteries, according to a study by University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers published April 6, 2011, online in the journal Radiation Research.

8 Apr 2011

CFFT, Vertex collaborate to develop new medicines for cystic fibrosis

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics, Inc. today announced they will collaborate on the continued discovery and development of new medicines known as correctors that aim to treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis in people with the most common form of the disease.

8 Apr 2011

ChanTest to provide new system for LGIC and VGIC screening

Beginning next month, ChanTest Corporation will offer the highest throughput electrophysiology platform on the market validated for both voltage-gated and rapidly desensitizing ligand-gated ion channels.

7 Apr 2011

Seventeen projects granted access to PRACE Research Infrastructure's Tier-0 resources

On this second PRACE regular call, a new system, CURIE funded by GENCI and installed at CEA, Bruyères-Le-Châtel, France and designed by BULL, came into production adding capability to the PRACE Research Infrastructure (RI). CURIE is the second Tier-0 system in the PRACE RI after "JUGENE" (GCS at Jülich). The number of PRACE systems will continue to grow and provide more capacity and services to the European communities.

6 Apr 2011

Ennova Direct offers consumer electronics patent portfolio for sale

Ennova Direct, Inc. announced today that they're offering a patent portfolio for sale that is focused on Retractable USB Flash Drive Devices, Retractable Biometric USB Flash Drive Devices, MP3 Players and Wireless Bluetooth Earbud Headsets. In total the intellectual property includes 6 issued US patents plus two published applications.

5 Apr 2011

BSX presents ION and TAXUS Stent trial data against coronary artery disease at ACC meeting

Boston Scientific Corporation today announced results from a pooled patient-level analysis of its PERSEUS and TAXUS ATLAS clinical trial data, demonstrating differences in safety and efficacy outcomes favoring the next-generation ION Platinum Chromium Paclitaxel-Eluting Stent System compared to the currently available TAXUS Liberte Paclitaxel-Eluting Stent System.

4 Apr 2011

Study: Nanoparticles can prevent nickel-induced dermatitis

Tiny particles only billionths of a meter in diameter-about two thousand would fit across the width of a human hair-could offer big hope in a small package to the many millions of people who are allergic to the nickel in everything from jewelry to coins and cell phones, say scientists at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

4 Apr 2011

Anavex screening volunteers for phase I, first-in-human clinical study in Alzheimer’s

Anavex Life Sciences Corp. today announced screening of the first healthy volunteers for the Phase I clinical study of ANAVEX 2-73, its lead compound for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. ANAVEX 2-73 is the first of a new class of wholly-owned, oral, disease-modifying compounds, which act through sigma-1 receptor agonist as well as muscarinic cholinergic effects and up-regulation of Bcl-2.

31 Mar 2011

New discovery may improve cochlear implants for deafness

University of Utah scientists used invisible infrared light to make rat heart cells contract and toadfish inner-ear cells send signals to the brain.

28 Mar 2011

Molecular Devices signs distribution agreement with ChanTest

Molecular Devices, Inc. and ChanTest Corporation, leading providers of ion channel and GPCR drug discovery tools and solutions, have signed an agreement for Molecular Devices to distribute ChanTest's extensive portfolio of ion channel and GPCR cell lines on a non-exclusive basis.

25 Mar 2011

Linköping doctor invents electroosmotic pump that can be placed in microfluidic chip

Advances in medical diagnostic technology will likely allow individuals to perform preliminary medical diagnoses themselves, in their own home, in the future.

24 Mar 2011

Researchers create hiPS-RPE cells to treat age-related macular degeneration

The notion of transplanting adult stem cells to treat or even cure age-related macular degeneration has taken a significant step toward becoming a reality. In a study published today in Stem Cells, Georgetown University Medical Center researchers have demonstrated, for the first time, the ability to create retinal cells derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells that mimic the eye cells that die and cause loss of sight.

24 Mar 2011

Contrast agent for tumor diagnostics

X-rays are not the only way: visible and especially infrared light can also be used to image human tissue. The effectiveness of optical imaging processes can be significantly improved with suitable dyes used as contrast agents. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, a team led by Wenbin Lin at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, USA) has now introduced a novel contrast agent that marks tumor cells in vitro. The dye is a phosphorescent ruthenium complex incorporated into nanoparticles of a metal–organic coordination polymer, which allows an extraordinarily high level of dye loading.

23 Mar 2011

Biologists decipher molecular code regulating availability of brain channel linked to neuronal excitability

A key question in protein biochemistry is how proteins recognize "correct" interaction partners in a sea of cellular factors. Nowhere is that more critical to know than in the brain, where interactions governing channel protein activity can alter an organism's behavior.

23 Mar 2011

Researcher to look for genes that can suppress epileptic seizures in fruit flies

"Exceptional, Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration" - is the name of a rare and competitive grant that Reenan recently won from the National Institutes of Health. Beginning April 1, Reenan will use the four-year, $1.3-million award to look for genes that can suppress seizures in fruit flies that he has cleverly engineered to mimic human epilepsy.

22 Mar 2011