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Four journalists from China and India win 2016 EurekAlert! Fellowships for International Science Reporters

Four early-career journalists from China and India have emerged from the fiercest competition to date to win the 2016 EurekAlert! Fellowships for International Science Reporters.

13 Dec 2015

Combination treatment provides effective one-two punch against prostate cancer

Results from a long-term clinical trial conducted by cancer researchers at Houston Methodist Hospital show that combining radiation treatment with "suicide gene therapy," a technique in which prostate cancer cells are genetically modified so they signal a patient's immune system to attack them, provides a safe and effective one-two punch against the disease.

12 Dec 2015

Kanuma approved as first treatment for patients with LAL deficiency

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Kanuma (sebelipase alfa) as the first treatment for patients with a rare disease known as lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) deficiency.

8 Dec 2015

Experimental gene therapy may improve health outcomes for patients with some forms of blood disorders

New research adds to a growing body of evidence that gene therapy, an experimental technique that involves correcting or replacing a person's mutated or malfunctioning genes, may improve health outcomes for patients with inherited bleeding and immune disorders as well as some forms of blood cancer.

7 Dec 2015

Scientists can accurately measure microbial growth rates inside gastrointestinal tracts

For the first time, scientists can accurately measure population growth rates of the microbes that live inside mammalian gastrointestinal tracts, according to a new method reported in Nature Communications by a team at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School.

1 Dec 2015

Fat cells produced from bone marrow may be linked to chronic diseases

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have found that fat cells produced by stem cells from the bone marrow may be linked to chronic illnesses like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and some cancers.

25 Nov 2015

New study finds evidence to support meperidine-associated seizure risk

Meperidine, an opioid analgesic commonly used to control shivering in accidental or therapeutic hypothermia, has been linked to increased seizure risk, but a new study finds little published evidence to support this risk.

24 Nov 2015

Microgravity inhibits regenerative and differentiation potential of embryonic stem cells

A study performed on the NASA Space Shuttle Discovery showed that exposure of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) to microgravity inhibited their ability to differentiate and generate most cell lineages, needed for the development of bone, muscle, the immune system, and other organs and tissues.

24 Nov 2015

Researchers reveal new technique for watching the brain's neurons in action

Researchers at Duke and Stanford Universities have devised a way to watch the details of neurons at work, pretty much in real time.

23 Nov 2015

FDA takes important steps regarding genetically engineered plants and animals intended for food

Based on sound science and a comprehensive review, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is taking several important steps today regarding food from genetically engineered (GE) plants and animals, including the first approval for a genetically engineered animal intended for food, AquAdvantage Salmon.

20 Nov 2015

New study identifies patient-reported barriers to quality end-of-life care among ethnic minorities

A new study identifies six main patient-reported barriers to receiving quality end-of-life (EOL) care among ethnic minority populations. The biggest barrier is lack of sufficient financial resources and insurance, according to the article published in Journal of Palliative Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

19 Nov 2015

New article examines women's perceptions of relationship in Fifty Shades of Grey

Examining women's perceptions of the relationship between Christian and Anastasia in the popular movie Fifty Shades of Grey is a safe and valuable way to discuss healthy and unhealthy relationship dynamics, including the warning signs of intimate partner violence. Young women expressed mixed views, describing parts of the movie relationship as exciting and romantic and other aspects as controlling, manipulative, and emotionally abusive in a new study published in Journal of Women's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

19 Nov 2015

Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research scientists identify promising antitumor agent

Support comes out of the ground: Scientists from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Germany have identified a terrestrial myxobacterium as a promising source for the bengamide class of natural products, which were originally thought to be secondary metabolites of marine sponges only.

17 Nov 2015

Research identifies liver pathway that contributes to negative effects of high-fat, high-cholesterol junk food diet

It's no secret that a high-fat, high-cholesterol "junk food" diet has been linked to major health problems, including high blood cholesterol and the buildup of plaques in the arteries, known as atherosclerosis.

13 Nov 2015

Understanding how schizophrenia affects workings of the brain

Stem cells from adult schizophrenia patients form new proteins more slowly than those from healthy people, according to new research.

10 Nov 2015

Novel genetic therapy treats ‘incurable’ leukaemia

A new treatment that involves editing DNA has been used for the first time at Great Ormond Street Hospital to successfully treat drug-resistant leukaemia.

6 Nov 2015

Genetic reduction of AMPK enzyme can prevent or delay hearing loss

A mitochondrial defect is responsible for a type of human hereditary deafness that worsens over time and can lead to profound hearing loss.

6 Nov 2015

New vaccine candidate shows great promise at fighting respiratory syncytial virus

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers say a new candidate vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) made with a weakened version of the virus shows great promise at fighting the disease, the leading cause of hospitalization for children under the age of one in the U.S.

5 Nov 2015

New clinical trial uses aggressive treatment method for patients with pancreas cancer

Pancreas cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers worldwide. In the United States, it accounts for only three percent of all diagnosed cancers but it causes almost seven percent of all cancer deaths. A pancreas cancer diagnosis often comes after age 50 and after the cancer has spread, making it difficult to remove surgically.

4 Nov 2015

New anti-malarial ‘biobricks' could pave way for easier, cost-effective production of artemisinin drug

Students from Trinity College Dublin have successfully created anti-malarial ‘biobricks', which could pave the way for easier and more cost-effective production of the key drug artemisinin.

31 Oct 2015